New Reedie FAQ

How do I learn about Orientation?

General Orientation runs August 25–August 31, 2025. Prior to Orientation, you will receive links to 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.

Is Orientation mandatory?

Yes, all students are required to complete Orientation.

When do I sign up for classes? When do classes start?

You will select a Zoom meeting time to meet with your Registration Coach in August, and register for classes beginning on Monday, August 18. 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. Reed classes begin on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

What are supplemental Orientation programs?

Each year, Reed offers several unique supplemental outdoor Orientation programs 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 30–August 31, 2025, and are designed for a range of experience levels.

When do I sign up for housing?

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

Am I guaranteed to get on-campus housing?

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

Do I have to read Invisible Man before coming to campus?

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

How can I connect with other Reedies?

We will send you an email invite to our Class of ’29 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.

Where do I find out more about diversity and inclusion on campus?

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.

What’s the Honor Principle?

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.

Orientation