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Transitions & Connections

Summer Program for New Students

Transitions & Connections was a summer initiative designed to help incoming students integrate into the Cornell community before the start of classes. The program paired small groups of new students with an upperclassman facilitator, fostering connections, building community, and providing a platform for candid discussions about life and learning at Cornell.

Participants had the opportunity to:

  • Hear about their facilitator’s personal experiences.
  • Learn about various campus resources.
  • Ask questions about the transition to Cornell that they might not have thought of otherwise.
  • Connect with other incoming students.

The program included four weekly 50-minute virtual meetings throughout July and culminated in an ice cream social event during orientation.

Program History and Impact

Launched in the summer of 2021, Transitions & Connections was created to address the unique challenges faced by incoming students during an unprecedented time. Amid academic, structural, health, and personal challenges, the program provided crucial support. Following a successful pilot, it continued in 2022 and 2023, offering virtual opportunities for connection when travel and in-person meetings were difficult due to COVID-19. With the easing of restrictions and a return to more in-person interactions, the program has now been discontinued, having fulfilled its intended purpose. Recognizing the ongoing need to support new students, we remain dedicated to enhancing the first-year experience through other initiatives, including the Community at Cornell orientation requirement.

Student Voices:

I think my [facilitator] is a really compassionate person, so I’m glad I got to meet her! The other mentees in my group are also really nice, and we had nice conversations together during the mentoring program! I’m excited to meet everyone in my group on campus.

The sheer amount of connections I got out of this program was powerful enough to make me feel confident in my ability to adjust to the new environment at Cornell. Overall it was a great experience that helped me feel much more prepared.

Hearing other students’ perspectives helped me feel less alone in my fears about moving onto campus and assured me that I am going to have a supportive community at Cornell.

Being able to talk to my [facilitator] has helped take away a ton of stress and uncertainty I’ve felt towards adapting to college, and has improved my sense of belonging immensely. I no longer feel like Cornell is made of a ton of strangers… I now feel certain that I’ll be able to find people to talk to, and the idea of doing so is way less daunting.

I made connections with people that I wouldn’t have made if I never joined this program. Having connections with just a few people goes a long way when it’s your first time going to college, especially one that is far from home.

[My facilitator] has been incredibly kind and helpful to me! She’s helped me understand how I might achieve my goals at Cornell… I feel like my goals are doable and that Cornell is the right place for me to achieve them!

Please contact transitionsandconnections@cornell.edu with any questions.