Campus Resources

First Year Experience

The First-Year Experience program at Cabrini College starts college off right.

Cabrini’s FYE Program facilitates the successful transition of first-year students to college, helping them learn who they are and how they fit into the Cabrini community and preparing them for academic success, student growth, and development.

The program also supports families of new students during the entire first year.

For more information, contact Richie Gebauer, Director of the First-Year Experience, at 610-902-8592 or richard.d.gebauer@cabrini.edu.

First-Year Experience Timeline

In April, accepted students and their families come to campus for Accepted Students Day.
Students may enroll before or after this event.
In May and June, incoming students and their families come to campus, develop a sense of community, learn more about Cabrini, and make new friends during Summer Orientation.
- Learn more at cabrini.edu/SummerOrientation.
Before students get to campus, CabriniVision (www.cabrini.edu/CabriniVision) provides one online resource for everything to get started at College, including academic placement exams, housing forms, meal plans, textbooks, photos for college IDs, and much more.
During the summer, all the incoming students start learning together. In the Summer Reading Program, students read a selected text and reflect on how it connects to them in essays. Sometimes, they even get to meet the author!
In August, Pre‑Orientation allows students to participate in a variety of experiences with their classmates before the semester starts. Options include camping and canoeing, learning about Philadelphia, and exploring faith and service.
- Register online at cabrini.edu/PreOrientation.
Leading up the first day of classes, New Student Orientation (Aug. 22–24) helps new students and their families transition to life at Cabrini, and the Welcoming Mass and Matriculation ceremony formally welcome the next class of students.
During their first year at Cabrini, students in Living and Learning Communities (LLCs) get the opportunity to live and study together, exploring themes such as human rights, culture and media, the environment, and picking a major.
- Apply online at cabrini.edu/LLC.
First-Year Advising is tied to a student’s College Success Seminar (College 101) and continues throughout the academic year.
As part of Cabrini’s unique core curriculum, the Engagement with the Common Good series begins in the first year—either the fall or spring semester—and continues for four years.
In September, the First-Year Experience Retreat offers a weekend of self-understanding, community building, and communication skills. Selected students reflect together on their goals and aspirations.

Partnering with Parents workshops are offered throughout the academic year. Parents of first-year students will receive postcard invitations with detailed information.