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AARO is the first part of the orientation process designed to assist you in making a comfortable transition to University life at SMU. It is a two-day program for both First-Year and First-Year Transfer students who will be enrolling in Fall 2009 at SMU. Sessions are designed to offer information to assist you in your transition to Southern Methodist University. Programs provide academic requirements and expectations, campus resources, involvement opportunities and the chance to meet current students. During your AARO session, you will also meet one-on-one with an academic advisor and register for fall classes.
You cannot register for orientation until your admission deposit is paid, and your final transcript from previous colleges and universities has been received and processed by the Division of Enrollment Services. This process takes a minimum of two weeks.
Each of the 10 AARO sessions will accommodate 130 new students and their family members. All new students, including those from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, are required to stay overnight in Boaz Hall. Staying on campus provides an opportunity to experience residence hall living at SMU and to interact with the upperclass orientation student leaders also living in Boaz Hall. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided on the first day and breakfast and lunch on the second day.
Check-in for AARO will be held at 8:00 a.m. on the first day of each session. Activities will conclude at 5 p.m. on the second day, so please make travel plans accordingly. Confirmation of your assigned date will be emailed to your SMU email address upon receipt of your orientation registration. Please verify this information carefully. Students who arrive late, or arrive on an incorrect session date, cannot be accommodated.
After you have paid your deposit to SMU, New Student Orientation and Student Support will mail you an orientation brochure with information on the two-step orientation process at SMU. An AARO Information Brochure will also be mailed to each deposit-paid student when online orientation registration is live. Please read the entire brochure before attending AARO.
Please DO NOT make travel arrangements until you have registered for orientation and received a confirmation email for your AARO session. Registration for AARO will be available in March for students who have paid their deposit.
We encourage all family members to attend AARO with their students. In addition to attending some of the academic sessions with your students, we have planned some specific activities for parents and families. The registration fee for family members is $60 each and covers the cost of meals and program materials. There is limited on-campus housing available for family members for $45 per night. We encourage family members to make a reservation at our host hotel:
Hilton| Session 1: July 1-2 | Session 6: July 20-21 |
| Session 2: July 6-7 | Session 7: July 22-23 |
| Session 3: July 9-10 | Session 8: July 27-28 |
| Session 4: July 13-14 | Session 9: July 31 - August 1 |
| Session 5: July 17-18 | Session 10: August 5-6 |
| Parent/Guest Fee | $60 |
All students studying in secondary schools outside the United States, including U.S. citizens, are recommended to attend the two-day International AARO on August 17-18. If you are unable to attend the International AARO, you may select any of the July sessions that is conducive to your travel arrangements. Parents and family members are encouraged to attend AARO with their students. There is parent/guest fee of $60. All students that attend the two-day International AARO will be required to attend Mustang Corral in August 21-23.
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