New Reedie FAQ

General Orientation runs August 24–August 30, 2026. Prior to Orientation, you will receive links to three online Orientation modules that include information about academic requirements, registration, student support services, and campus life. These modules contain important information that we recommend completing before you arrive on campus.

Yes, all students are required to complete Orientation.

You will select a Zoom meeting time to meet with your Registration Coach in early August, and register for classes beginning on Monday, August 17. More information will be sent to you about the registration and advising process in early summer. During Orientation week you will meet with your Academic Adviser on campus to discuss your classes. Reed classes begin on Monday, August 31, 2026.

Each year, Reed offers several unique Outdoor Odyssey Experiences that allow you to engage with your classmates beyond Orientation week. These programs bring small groups of students to a variety of areas around Portland, and to the rivers, oceans, and mountains of the Pacific Northwest. These trips will take place August 29–August 30, 2026, and are designed for a range of experience levels.

Each year, Reed offers two Pre-Orientation Experiences designed for specific populations of students: the Peer Mentor Program and International Student Orientation. During Pre-Orientation programs, students join their classmates in small groups to participate in an experience that aims to help ease their transition to college life and enrich Orientation. In addition, these programs provide opportunities for both personal growth and leadership development. The Peer Mentor Program is optional and requires pre-registration. International Student Orientation is required for all international students (F-1 and J-1 visa holders) and also requires pre-registration.

The Housing Portal opens May 1. You’ll learn more about the different housing options before that date.

Yes. All incoming first-year students are guaranteed housing and are required to live on campus for their first two years.

Nope! It is a Reed tradition to gift the incoming class a book that has a history of being taught at Reed.

We will send you an email invite to our Class of ’30 Discord in early January. Discord is a great way for you to build community with fellow members of the incoming class before you arrive on campus in August. For questions about Discord, or to receive a fresh invite to the server, please contact Caitlin Berrol, Assistant Dean of Admission.

You can also connect with current students and ask your questions about Reed by emailing writeareedie@reed.edu.

Reed College is a community dedicated to serious and open intellectual inquiry, one in which students, faculty, and staff can fully participate, regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, socioeconomic status, or disabilities. Read more here.

The Honor Principle is Reed’s guiding ethos. It requires every member of our community to think critically about how their behavior affects those around them. The Honor Principle creates a spirit of shared trust and responsibility and compels us all to act with good intention and strive to improve our community. Learn more here.