Incoming first-year and transfer students at UNC Asheville have a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the city that will become their home for the next four years, and perhaps even longer.
Through week-long special-interest programs, participants can explore campus, Asheville, and Western North Carolina while making connections with fellow students and staff who share similar passions. Students have the option to choose from a few programs that delve into different aspects of Asheville's culture, from local art studies to famous music venues.
These Pre-Orientation programs offer an early introduction to campus life and the surrounding community, helping students feel at home as they embark on their academic journey.
During the week, students stay in the residence halls, enjoy meals together at some of Asheville’s most beloved restaurants, and take part in engaging activities that highlight the best of UNC Asheville and the broader Asheville area. In the Blue Ridge Experience, students live as a community in rustic cabin-style housing off-campus, and in the Wilderness Experience students explore WNC on a camping trip.
When surveyed after their program, 100 percent of the students who participated this summer agreed that the programs not only helped them become familiar with campus and the surrounding area, but helped them make friends and overall eased their anxiety about starting college. All of them said they would recommend Pre-Orientation to incoming first-year and first semester transfer students.
The program cost covers housing, meals, transportation, and workshop fees, ensuring students remain active and involved throughout the experience. Pre-Orientation is more than an introduction—it’s a head start on building lasting connections and discovering the community that will soon be theirs.
As the long-time home of Bob Moog, inventor of the Moog synthesizer who once taught classes at UNC Asheville, and of many of the state’s best music venues, Asheville boasts a lively music scene both on and off campus!
In this Pre-Orientation program students toured the Moogseum, The Orange Peel, Harvest Records, Citizen Vinyl, and Leaf Global Arts, along with plenty of time to explore Downtown and West Asheville.
From the mural-covered River Arts District with its artist studios, to the galleries of Downtown, Asheville is imbued with artistic spirit and creativity. Students in this program got to see first-hand the many facets of the successful arts scene and explore how they could become involved!
The program involved attending workshops at Fired Up and Small Batch Glass studios, touring the galleries of Asheville Art Museum, the Arboretum and in Biltmore Village, and taking a mural tour of town.
For those who can’t decide which area to explore, the Asheville Sampler gives them a chance to get a taste of many different aspects of Asheville including art, music, community service, and the beautiful landscape surrounding campus.
Students got a chance to have some of the same experiences as other programs, like seeing the Moogseum or taking a mural tour, but also go to see many other things that make Asheville unique like walking Asheville’s Black Cultural Heritage Trail, seeing the behind-the-scenes of the French Broad Chocolate Factory and playing games at Well Played Board Game Café.
Those in the Honors program had a separate Asheville Sampler, where they could explore the City of Asheville while getting to know some of their new peers in the Honors Program, and meet Director of the University Honors Program Graham Reynolds.
During the Blue Ridge Experience, students sample a variety of outdoor activities like canoeing, rock climbing, hiking, and rafting with the guidance of highly-trained peer leaders. For five days, students live in camp-style rustic cabins as a community, spending time cooking, eating, and living together.
On the Wilderness Experience trip students experience the peacefulness and exciting challenges of outdoor living on a three-day backpacking trip, and try their hand at rock climbing in a beautiful location. Students camp outdoors and spend time cooking, eating, and living as a community, with the guidance of highly-trained peer leaders.
As part of each experience, students will spend time each day discussing topics relevant to preparing themselves for their UNC Asheville experience and forming strong friendships with other group members! All instruction, equipment, food, and transportation is provided throughout the trip, and no experience is necessary to participate- beginners and outdoor novices welcome and encouraged to register!
In this program, students stretch their legs and explore the breathtaking landscape of Asheville with Campus Recreation. They will get the opportunity to explore both the bustling urban areas of Asheville and beautiful nature through hikes, rafting trips, and much more!
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