Family Orientation Newsletter May 28, 2024

Prepare Your Student
- Welcome Guide
- Room and Move-In Selection
- Academic Checklist
- RIT Student Email Accounts
Today’s Parent Tips
- Surviving the Summer
- Last Time Syndrome
Ask Your Student About….

Welcome Guide
Please be sure to review the 2024 Welcome Guide with your student. This guide will help you support your student through the summer, and is where you can find:

Action items that your student must complete before they arrive at RIT
Helpful resources and information
Information on how we will connect with you and your student

Room and Move-In Selection
The first-year student room selection process is beginning soon. Students who completed their housing contract by May 26 will receive an email today with their appointment time to select a room (appointment dates will be between June 11-26). Students can begin searching for a roommate now on the housing portal or through their own channels. In early July, students will be sent an email to choose a Move-In appointment time. Appointment times for incoming students will be available on Aug. 18 or 19 with the earliest time at 8 a.m.

Academic Checklist
Your student will soon receive an email with an Academic Checklist—things to be completed in June. This includes:

Request an official final high school transcript and send them to the RIT Admissions Office
Review and submit AP, IB, or college credit(s)
Take the Math Placement Exam (required for all students except Bachelor of Fine Arts in the College of Art and Design)
Take the Language Placement Exam if planning to take a language course

RIT Student Email Accounts
Important information will be sent to students’ RIT accounts beginning at the time of their deposit—please remind your student to start checking this account on a regular basis.

We know it might be tempting for parents to log in to student accounts to make sure the necessary things are taken care of, but we encourage you to allow your student to take on this responsibility themselves, as they will have to manage their own schedules and accounts when they arrive at RIT.

Surviving the Summer
Your student may be acting a bit differently this summer. After graduating from high school and while preparing to move to college, students feel grown up and ready to move on from their childhood environment. They may seem to have little time and patience for family and feel too grown up for old routines and house rules.

You might also find that your student is not around much. Remember that they are not just saying goodbye to family, but also to friends and high school classmates. It is OK to have expectations about family time but negotiate and communicate about this with your student.

Tips for surviving this summer:

Be clear about your expectations around family time
Give your student some extra freedom and space
Start shopping and planning for the big move early, so it is less stressful for your family later in the summer
Expect a range of emotions throughout the summer…from everyone!

Advice from a current RIT parent

“Make sure your student takes the reins of their college experience from the beginning. The more you do for them the less prepared they are to be an RIT Tiger. Indeed, monitor their progress, ask questions, become a partner, but make sure they take care of business.”

Last Time Syndrome
There will be moments this summer when you realize it’s a last for your family before your student moves to RIT—make the most of these moments, even though they may also cause some sadness and frustration. If you get an eye roll when expressing your emotions, remember your student is also experiencing many “lasts” and may be expressing these emotions differently.

Advice from a current RIT parent

“Don't bombard them with how sad you'll be when they go. Don't make a big deal about them leaving. They don't need to know that you'll all be missing them terribly. They are about to embark on an adventure!”

"Do you have any questions about your academic checklist?"

This summer is the perfect time to get used to guiding and supporting your student, but letting them do the work.

"What are some things you really want to do before moving to RIT?"

Have a discussion about your student's pre-college bucket list!

Sincerely,

Chelsea Petree, Ph.D.
Director, Parent and Family Programs
Rochester Institute of Technology
parents@rit.edu