Thank you for your interest in being a part of orientation at Ole Miss. Each year we select and train a new group of Ole Miss students to become orientation leaders. These are the students who help facilitate the various programs that make up orientation every year and who work with incoming students and their families to help make the transition to college as smooth as possible.

Orientation leader tryouts usually happen near the end of the fall semester. After filling out an application and getting two recommendation letters, students participate in one of two evening tryout sessions that last about two hours.

After the initial tryout, those applicants who show the most potential are asked back for a personal interview with the orientation staff. After the interview, about 25 students are selected to be orientation leaders. We strive to make this a diverse group, not only in terms of ethnicity but also in gender, major, age, classification in school, greek/non-greek, transfer student/freshman and hometown. In short, we want a well-rounded group representing the whole spectrum of the university.

To be eligible to become an orientation leader, you must

• be a full-time student planning to return for the next fall semester (in other words, you cannot be graduating before the students you will be working with enter the University)
• have a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.5. Because leaders try out in the fall semester, we will use your high-school GPA if you are a new freshman.
• fill out an application and have two faculty or staff
  members submit recommendations. Applications are available
  beginning in the fall. To get an e-mail reminder when
  applications are available, sign up in the Office of
  Orientation and Parent Programs (Martindale 145) on the
  first day of class in the fall.

Those selected as orientation leaders must participate in a 2.5-hour training session once a week during the spring semester. Leaders also are required to work one hour per week in the orientation office, attend a weekend retreat, attend the Southeastern Regional Orientation Workshop (SROW), participate in community service and help with special university events from time to time. More information is given to leaders once they have been selected.

Being an orientation leader is considered one of the top leadership positions on campus and often leads students to other leadership opportunities. Orientation leaders have served on the ASB (as president, vice president, senators) and Student Programming Board (director, board member), as resident assistants in the housing office and in many other leadership capacities. It is a great way to learn about the university, meet our administrators, faculty and the Division of Student Life staff and find out about many opportunities students often miss.

For more information, come by the orientation office and ask to see Whitman. We look forward to meeting you!