Arrival Day

August 23, 2026

Once you arrive on campus, you'll check in and receive your Orientation materials, then walk up to your residence hall, where your belongings will be waiting for you. Be sure to honk loudly and proudly when you pass the “Honk If You Love Colgate” sign. 

 

Arrival Day Schedule

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Move-in and Check-in
9 a.m.–noon

Student, Parent, and Family Brunch
10 a.m.–1 p.m.

Parent and Family Orientation
1:15–2 p.m.

Students, Parents, and Families Transition to the Athletics Campus
2–2:30 p.m. 

Welcome to Colgate
2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.

Family Farewell and Call to Assemble
3:30 p.m.–4 p.m.

Link Meeting 1: Welcome and Introductions
4 p.m.–5 p.m.

Preparing for Arrival Day

Luggage Tags

When you arrive at Colgate, your belongings will be transported by student staff to your room. Please print the label for your Residence Hall assignment and attach them to all of your boxes, bags, and belongings ahead of your arrival, so our staff knows where to bring them.

Brown Commons

Ciccone Commons

Dart Colegrove Commons

Hancock Commons

When to Arrive

Students and families should arrive on campus between 9 a.m. and noon on the morning of their arrival, which for most students is Sunday, August 23. Students participating in a pre-orientation program or on a varsity athletic team will receive specific communication about their arrival time. 

Parking

After unloading your vehicles on Whitnall Field, families and supporters arriving on campus will be directed to parking by Colgate staff. New students arriving on campus will be directed to park their vehicles in the first-year lot. Students: remember to register your vehicle for a parking permit.

When will the family portion of the Orientation program end?

The Arrival Day programming for families and supporters of new students ends with the Family Farewells and a Colgate Cookiewich. Students will be called to assemble in their Link groups, while families will be directed back to their vehicles. 

There is no additional programming for families or supporters on subsequent days of Orientation; families are encouraged to give their students space as they begin the transition to life at Colgate.