General Orientation Information
Welcome to Soka
Welcome to the first part of your New Student Orientation! There is much to learn as you begin your transition into college, and the staff and faculty here at Soka want to support you each step of the way.
As students arrive to campus for the Fall 2025 semester, Soka will be hosting a variety of in-person events and activities for new student orientation. Students can look forward to building relationships and developing community while exploring topics such as the university’s founding principles, academic life, support services, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Arriving to Campus
Arrival Dates
August 3-4, 2025. New incoming students will arrive to campus on Sunday, August 3, 2025, or Monday, August 4, 2025, between 9:00am - 5:00pm. Upon arrival to campus, students will begin to move into their housing assignment.
Residence Hall Questionnaire
Students will be matched with a roommate and assigned to a residence hall via the online SUA Residence Hall Questionnaire. Online access to the housing questionnaire will be available from June 2, 2025 to June 30, 2025 at http://housing.soka.edu. Students will need to use their Soka username and password.
If students are unable to complete an online form and wish to have a paper copy of the questionnaire mailed, a request can be made by emailing housing@soka.edu.
Housing placement details will be available to view online on July 14, 2025 after 5 pm. In addition to viewing housing details, students will have the opportunity to begin communicating with their future roommate.
Welcome Week, August 3-9, 2025
All first-year students are required to attend Welcome Week sessions, which begin one week prior to your first class, Core I. Each day during Welcome Week, students will engage in live sessions designed for discussion, interaction, and community building. Most days, sessions will be held between 9:00am - 5:00pm with social activities held in the evening.
The daily orientation schedule will be posted in March 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students will need to make their own transportation arrangements from the airport to SUA. Below are links to the ground transportation options from the various nearby airports:
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Santa Ana John Wayne Airport (SNA)
Each student is placed in an Orientation Group alongside 10-12 classmates. The group is led by a Student Orientation Leader. These upper division Soka students lead ice breakers, organize hangouts, and foster community building. The SOL connects individually with each student in their group on a weekly basis and serves as a resource and guide to help new students navigate the college journey.
You will begin your first class called Core I: Enduring Questions of Humanity on Monday, August 11, 2025. This is an intensive three-and-a-half week course taken during the Fall Block and is required of all first year students. You will automatically be registered for this class. All first-year students are required to attend and complete this course.
Students will meet a variety of academic resources during Welcome Week including the SUA Writing Center specialists, Counseling Staff, Library Staff, and IT Staff who can all help students navigate in-person and virtual resources. In addition, professors host regular office hours to connect with students.
During Orientation you will receive academic advising and receive training on how to register for fall semester classes.
Enrolled students will directly receive any updates via email. The soka.edu website is the primary source of updates for all other audiences.