Admitted and prospective students will have one full week to explore the UC Riverside campus — virtually, that is. 

This year’s Highlander Day, now called Highlander Week Live, which typically welcomes more than 12,000 incoming first-year and transfer students, as well as their friends and families to campus, has moved all of its programming to Zoom webinars and presentations. 

Incoming freshmen and prospective students can join a weeklong virtual program beginning April 13. Transfer students will have their own week of programming starting May 11. Visit the Highlander Day website to register.

“We are trying to recreate all the in-person presentations to live webinars,” said Jennifer Christiansen, special events coordinator with Undergraduate Admissions. “This is a great opportunity to learn about the campus, resources, but also to connect with staff, current UCR students, and faculty because we are doing everything as a live chat.”

The COVID-19 outbreak has forced teams to work from home due to the campus closure, but the staff are committed to providing a welcoming virtual experience is there, said Alex Ruiz, associate director of Undergraduate Admissions.  

“The UCR community as a whole wants to provide the necessary support,” Ruiz said.  “We want to ensure students have the information they need to make the best, most informed decision about where to attend in the fall as well as successfully transition to UCR once that decision has been made.” 

Students, parents, high school and community college counselors, will be able to see live presentations, connect with academic advisors, and participate in Q&A chats during the virtual open houses.

“We recognize there are advantages of having Highlander Day in person, but also to the virtual environment where students can still ask one-on-one questions and still have a virtual face-to-face interaction with faculty and staff,” Ruiz said.

The one-hour live presentations are designed to include at least 20 minutes of questions and answers. The live sessions will be led by representatives from individual colleges, as well as offices such as financial aid, housing, and the Veterans Resource Center. 

Sessions will begin at 9 a.m. daily, but students should check the Highlander Day website for details. Admitted students can check the admitted students site. 

Parents and guardians will receive an email notifying them of the transition to this virtual format, said Christine Jo, admissions events and communications manager with Undergraduate Admissions. 

Students and their friends and family are also encouraged to visit the Highlander Day website to take virtual tours of the campus.