Early Arrivals

Early Arrival Policy and Procedures - Fall 2023

All residence halls for upperclass students will open at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, August 25, 2023. Check-in and key pick-up will occur at the Office of Residential Education (College Union Building, room 250) as follows:

  • Friday, August 25, 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, August 26, 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, August 27, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Some upperclass students are required to be on campus before August 25; this is considered an early arrival. Please review the information below in order to plan travel back to campus in a manner that makes it possible for to access your room when you arrive.

First-year student move-in is scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, 2023. First-year students may arrive on campus early ONLY if they are part of a group approved for early arrival (NCAA athletic team, band, Ascent, etc.). No individual requests will be accepted.

Group Early Arrivals

Gettysburg College and its staff are committed to providing on campus housing for student groups needing to arrive on campus early either because of external requirements of the program (e.g. NCAA Athletics) or due to the inherent needs of the program (e.g. Orientation).

If you are a member of an organization/group arrival early (athletic team, band, etc.) you should not submit an individual request for early arrival. The department hosting you will submit your name to the Office of Residential Education (Res Ed).

Individual Early Arrival Approval Process

  • Guidelines
    • Individual early arrival is intended for students who need to return early to Gettysburg in order to attend to personal college-related business/tasks (e.g., medical appointment as part of a return from a Medical Leave of Absence), and/or other exceptional circumstances. Individual early arrival is not intended for those who want to settle into their room early.
    • Requests to arrive earlier than Saturday, August 19, 2023, will NOT be honored.
    • Early arrival requests must be made for arrival within the dates and times set below:
      • Saturday, August 19 - 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
      • Sunday, August 20 - 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
      • Monday, August 21 and Tuesday, August 22 - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
      • Wednesday, August 23 - NO early arrivals due to first-year and transfer student move-in day.
      • Thursday, August 24 - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Early Arrival Fee
    • Students who request, and are approved, to return prior to Friday, August 25, 2023, will be billed $100.00.
    • Students requesting to drop off personal items in their room will also be considered an early arrival and the $100 early arrival fee will apply.
    • Fees associated with early arrival will be billed directly to the student's account.
  • Early Arrival Request Form
    • Students must complete the Early Arrival Request Form, which will open in CNAV/MyHousing on Wednesday, July 5.
    • The deadline to submit the early arrival request form is Wednesday, August 16.
    • Once your request is submitted, your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted via email of your approval status within five business days.
  • Meals
    • Meal plans do not start until Friday, August 25, 2023. You will be responsible for your own meals prior to that day.
    • On-campus dining options for upperclass students arriving prior to Friday, August 25 include the use of BulletBuck$ at the Bullet Hole and The Commons.

Important Check-in Reminders

  • Student ID Cards
    • ALL students will be required to show their student ID when checking in and picking up their room key(s).
    • Upperclass students who have lost their ID card should complete the ID Card Replacement Form to request a new card. If you do so ahead of time, your new card may be ready for you when you check-in. Please note that the fee for replacing your ID card is $25.00.
    • First-Year students and transfer students will receive their student ID card when they check-in. ID cards are necessary to open residence hall exterior doors. For students who have not already submitted their photo, photos must be submitted to the ID Office before arriving on campus.
  • Meals Plans
    • Please keep in mind that meal plans do not start until Friday, August 25, 2023. You will be responsible for your own meals prior to that day.
  • Preparing campus for your arrival:
    • It is important to know that in the weeks before the semester officially begins, Facilities Services, IT, Residential Education, and many other departments are preparing all campus rooms for the academic year. As a result, there is a great deal of work that needs to be completed to attend to the early arrival requests while simultaneously preparing the campus for the opening of the new academic year. For this reason there are fees assessed if you return early. We also ask that students be patient and considerate with departments as they assist with early arrival needs while also preparing their staffs for the beginning of the academic year.

Questions