During Orientation, you will be presented with valuable information that will help you get off to a good start at Fletcher. You will have many opportunities to get your questions answered as you become familiar with Tufts and Fletcher services. Furthermore, Orientation is the first place where you meet your classmates and have the opportunity to forge friendships that will undoubtedly last for years to come. As any current or past “Fletcherite” will confirm, your classmates are the heart of the Fletcher experience. You will learn from them in the classroom, laugh with them over lunch, and network with them for research, internships, and jobs. By the time Orientation is over, you will have had the opportunity to meet nearly everyone in the Fletcher community. We strongly advise that you attend all Orientation activities. Any inquiries about Orientation may be directed to Sarah Strong, Student Affairs Administrator.

After Shopping Day (Tuesday, September 8), students have from the first day of classes (Wednesday, September 9) through the following week to register for classes using our on-line registration system. You must register for all your Fletcher courses by Friday, September 18. Students are not able to add any Fletcher courses after September 18 without the permission of the instructor and successful petition to the Committee on Student Academic Programs (CSAP). For the fall semester, students have until Friday, October 9 to drop any of their courses. It is expected that if a student is dropping a course it is because they have successfully cross-registered.

Faculty advisors are assigned based on the questionnaire that you completed and returned to the Registrar. Whenever possible, you are given your first choice. On the first day of Orientation you will be given your "registration packet". The label on your packet lists your faculty advisor’s name. The faculty member will have a sign up sheet on his/her door and you are encouraged to sign up for an advising appointment as soon as they are available.

Shopping Day (Tuesday, September 8) is your chance to sit in on 20-minute presentations made by your professors regarding all new and seminar courses being offered each semester. Course syllabi will be made available, requirements and expectations will be clarified, and questions on course form and content will be addressed. This provides a wonderful opportunity to match faces to names, learn more about the course, and introduce yourself to your professors. The Shopping Day schedule will be posted on-line some time during August.

Carol Murphy, Fletcher’s International Students Advisor, can be reached at carol.murphy@tufts.edu or 617-627-3055. Please be alert of Ms. Murphy’s e-mail postings to the Official Listserv* where she will notify students of changes in procedures and important deadlines. In addition, please familiarize yourself with the Fletcher International Student Website and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Website.
* The Official listserv is an e-mail listserv for all enrolled students through which you will receive important notifications about academic announcements, deadlines, etc.

The Office of Career Services has lots of detailed information on the Prospective Students Page on the Career Services Website. If you have questions, call the Office of Career Services at 617-627-3060 or e-mail fletcherocs@tufts.edu.

The housing page provides numerous helpful resources with apartment listings in the Somerville - Medford area. The Orientation Discussion Board also includes housing postings from both continuing students and new students. The process of renting apartments that are passed down from student to student usually is faster and friendlier. Students also find that these apartments offer lower prices than apartments found directly on the renting market. Furthermore, students may save money this way because renting by recommendation allows them to bypass real estate agents who some times charge a finder’s fee (usually one month’s rent). If you do go through an agent, keep in mind that a credit check will be performed and references will be required.

The University does not recommend one bank over another. However, a few banks send representatives to campus during Orientation for the purpose of opening student accounts. There are numerous banks within a few miles of Tufts University and The Fletcher School. For convenience, Bank of America and Citizens Bank have ATMs (automated teller machines) on campus.

As you know, The Fletcher School is part of Tufts University. Therefore, both financial aid and student account balances are serviced in two phases and places – first Fletcher, and then Tufts University.

If you have questions regarding your Fletcher Fellowship, please contact Laurie Hurley, Director of Fletcher Admissions and Financial Aid at laurie.hurley@tufts.edu or 617-627-2410. If you have questions regarding loans or work-study, please contact Sheila Hoffstedt at sheila.hoffstedt@tufts.edu or 617-627-2000. Ms. Hoffstedt’s office is in Dowling Hall, which is the building that houses Student Services for Tufts University.

Similarly, if you have questions regarding your Bursar’s bill, the best place to begin your search is the Fletcher Registrar’s Office, 617-627-3055. Thereafter, if you still have questions please go to the Student Services of Tufts University in Dowling Hall.