Families & Supporters | Orientation | University of Minnesota Duluth

Students laughing in Duluth Canal Park in front of the liftbridge

Welcome to Orientation Advisement & Registration (OAR), the official introduction to the University of Minnesota Duluth for students and their families. OAR is required for all new students, but families and supporters are welcome to join! During OAR, students will meet with advisors, register for their first-term courses, and learn about campus resources. Families and supporters will have their own programming focused on ways to support your student's transition to college.

Spring OAR

Spring OAR is offered entirely online for students beginning in the spring semester. Once your student confirms their admissions decision through the New Student Portal, they'll begin their OAR journey. Families and supporters can explore the Family and Supporter Canvas Community for up-to-date UMD content throughout the process.

Fall OAR

Fall OAR is available in two formats: on-campus or virtual.

On-campus: Families and supporters will share some programming with their student and have dedicated sessions of their own covering university resources, tips for supporting your student, and time to connect with other families. Details will be emailed to you once your student adds you as a "Guest" in their New Student Portal reservation.
Virtual: A streamlined version of the on-campus program, designed for students with prior college experience. Students and supporters have opportunities to share in the same program or choose sessions that they uniquely find interesting. Families and supporters can explore the Family and Supporter Canvas Community for up-to-date UMD content throughout the process.

Looking Beyond the OAR Experience

You can access a Family and Supporter Canvas Community where you'll find up-to-date UMD content similar to what students receive in their New Student Portal Checklist. Should you need extra support or have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the OAR program in the Bulldog Resource Center.

What We'll Provide

A bag for students to keep track of all of their supplies
Unique notebooks for students and their supporters (like you!) with a pen of course
All-you-care-to-eat lunch
Some guided time and free time to explore campus

*If you attend a Virtual OAR, your student can pick up all of these giveaways whenever they come to campus!

Ways to Prepare

Ensure your student registers all guests in the New Student Portal and completes their checklist items
Submit your FAFSA and share it with UMD (FAFSA Code: 002388)
Share test scores from ACT, SAT, AP, IB, and/or CLEP to support accurate course placement
Send official transcripts if your student has prior college-level coursework
- Transcripts are official if received by UMD directly from the issuing source.
- Examples include:
- Examples include:
  - Printed: a sealed, unopened envelope from school, college, university, federal, or state department of education
  - Electronic: marked as official by an approved transcript vendor (e.g., National ClearingHouse, Parchment, eSCRIP-SAFE, etc.
- Feel free to bring unofficial copies of transcripts for advisors to review before your student’s Advisement & Registration appointment