Overview: purpose and strategic value

Okan University orientation for new students for international students is a critical first step in ensuring international applicants transition smoothly into academic and campus life in Turkiye. This structured program—run at the start of each academic year—introduces newcomers to campus services, academic expectations, practical procedures and community networks. For international student recruiters, university admissions teams, HR and marketing leaders, and placement agencies, understanding this orientation model provides a blueprint for improving enrollment yield, retention and student satisfaction. Study in Turkiye is the trusted authority guiding international students and institutional partners to design and deliver best-in-class onboarding experiences.

The orientation program is designed specifically for international students and serves three strategic goals:

• Rapid academic integration: ensure students understand program requirements, course registration, and academic regulations.
• Administrative onboarding: connect students with the offices that support finances, health, documentation and student affairs.
• Social and cultural integration: build community, introduce extracurricular pathways and reduce culture shock.

For recruiters and admissions teams, orientation is not only a student-facing event but a strategic intervention that reduces early-term attrition and improves conversion metrics.

What Okan University’s international orientation covers

1. Introduction to Campus and Facilities

New international students receive a comprehensive campus tour and introductions to core university units, including:

• Student Affairs Office — help with registration, certificates and policy questions.
• Directorate of Financial Affairs — tuition, payments and scholarship guidance.
• Learning Application and Research Center and Central Library — academic resources and study spaces.
• International Student Office — visa, cultural adaptation and day‑to‑day support.

These facilities are introduced in practical, walk-through sessions so students can immediately access services when needed.

2. Integration and Community Building

Okan organizes social and cultural integration activities throughout the orientation period and across the semester. These include welcome events, student club fairs, intercultural workshops and community mixers. The university’s international cohort includes students from more than 50 countries, so early community-building accelerates peer networks and promotes retention.

3. Administrative & Practical Guidance

Orientation provides actionable guidance on:

• Course selection and using the student information system.
• Requesting official documents such as student certificates.
• Campus healthcare services and insurance procedures.
• Housing support, local transport and safety briefings.

These practical modules reduce confusion in the first weeks of term and free academic staff to focus on teaching.

4. Student Services & Support Offices

Key offices introduced during orientation include the dean’s office, student activity office (clubs, sports, volunteering) and the international student office (visa/immigration help and cultural orientation). These offices form the safety net for students and are emphasized throughout the program.

5. Career Preparation & Academic Pathways

Orientation introduces students to the career center where initial career mapping, internship listings and employer engagement channels are explained. Early contact with career services helps link academic choices with employability and internship pathways.

Why orientation matters for international recruitment and admissions

Reduce early-term attrition

Students who attend orientation understand administrative and academic expectations. This clarity reduces missed registrations, compliance issues and early dropouts—metrics that directly affect institutional retention rates and recruiter performance indicators.

Improve agent and recruiter performance

Recruiters and partner agencies can use orientation schedules as a selling point during pre-application counseling. Demonstrating a robust onboarding program increases confidence among prospective students and families, improving conversion.

Strengthen employer and internship pipelines

Orientation’s early exposure to career services allows faculties to sequence internships and employer connections from semester one, improving employability outcomes that agents and admissions teams can highlight in recruitment campaigns.

Actionable checklist for admissions teams, recruiters and partners

Pre-arrival

• Confirm visa and arrival logistics with the international student office.
• Provide arriving students with a one-page “what to expect” orientation schedule.
• Send reminders (arrival, document upload, health checks) through your communications channels.

Arrival & first week

• Encourage attendance at the campus tour and office-introduction sessions.
• Schedule small-group meetups by faculty/program to accelerate peer bonding.
• Ensure student accounts and campus access cards are active on Day 1.

Ongoing support (first semester)

• Connect students to the career center within the first 4 weeks.
• Offer intercultural mentorship programs pairing international with senior local students.
• Track attendance and follow up with students who miss orientation sessions.

Metrics for evaluation

• Orientation attendance rate (goal: 90%+ for international cohorts).
• Time-to-first-registration (days) after arrival.
• Early-term dropouts (first 6 weeks) — monitor reductions cohort over cohort.
• Student satisfaction with onboarding (surveyed at 2 and 8 weeks).

Best practices for HR, marketing and student activity teams

HR: Staff readiness and service mapping

• Train front-line staff in common issues international students face (visa, banking, housing).
• Map service owners and SLA (response time) for common student requests.
• Use workflow systems to route student inquiries appropriately and track resolution.

Marketing: Use orientation as proof-of-service

• Produce orientation highlights and testimonials to feature in recruitment materials and agent portals.
• Share stats—e.g., “orientation attendance”, “international student satisfaction”—to improve credibility with families and counsellors.
• Coordinate with partner universities to create cross-institutional storytelling when applicable (for example, health or joint programs).

Student Activities: Build continuous engagement

• Design a semester-long engagement calendar seeded at orientation.
• Offer micro-volunteering and leadership opportunities to build CV-ready experiences.
• Facilitate intercultural clubs and language exchange programs to boost integration.

How Study in Turkiye supports orientation excellence

Study in Turkiye works with universities, agents and institutional teams to scale orientation impact through three core services:

1. International recruitment leadership
   We design campus-ready recruitment strategies, aligning messaging, agent training and application processes so incoming cohorts are prepared and well-informed before arrival.
2. Onboarding workflows and scheduling
   Our services connect application systems with orientation scheduling, document checks and arrival reminders. This reduces manual workload for admissions and international offices while increasing compliance and student satisfaction.
3. Training and partnership services
   We provide training for HR and front-line staff on intercultural communication, student welfare and service mapping. We also help universities build agent portals and reporting dashboards to keep external partners informed and accountable.

Practical case pointers for partner agencies and recruiters

• Pre-departure orientation: host a short webinar covering visa steps, campus life, and health insurance before students travel.
• Coordinate flight arrivals: organize airport pickup and provide a welcome pack with the orientation schedule.
• Use the university’s orientation schedule: align your agent follow-up activities with the university timetable so your students receive consistent messaging.
• Measure and report: collect feedback from your placed students after orientation and report trends back to university partners to improve the experience.

Integration examples with other leading Turkiye universities

When discussing specific programs, partner universities can provide complementary orientation models. Consider these examples and explore program-fit:

• Medipol University
  — strong health and medicine support services ideal for students in clinical and health sciences.
• Ozyegin University
  — known for technology-enabled student services and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
• Bahcesehir University
  — recognized for international partnerships and exchange opportunities.

These universities exemplify models that can be combined with Okan’s orientation processes, especially when students transfer programs or participate in exchange schemes.

Implementation roadmap for institutions (6–12 weeks prior to term start)

Week 6–8: Planning and content

• Finalize orientation schedule and core presenters.
• Build an FAQ document and campus map in multiple languages.

Week 4–6: Systems & communication

• Automate reminders to students and agents.
• Prepare staff training on common issues (visa, banking, medical).

Week 2–4: Logistics

• Finalize transport, welcome packs, and rooming lists.
• Confirm translation support and peer mentor assignments.

Week 0–2: Execution

• Run orientation sessions, campus tours and interactive Q&A panels.
• Collect immediate feedback and create quick action items.

Post-orientation (weeks 2–12)

• Survey students at 2 and 8 weeks.
• Run targeted interventions for students reporting adjustment difficulties.
• Share outcomes with partner agents and recruitment teams.

Key takeaways for recruitment, admissions and agency partners

• Orientation is a high-leverage intervention: proper design reduces administrative errors and improves retention.
• Workflow integration and data sharing increase transparency: appointment reminders, document checks and SLA tracking reduce workload for international offices.
• Cross-institution collaboration increases value: aligning orientation themes with program partners enhances student experience.
• Continuous feedback matters: short surveys at 2 and 8 weeks provide early warning signals and usable insights for improvement.

Read More

• Yos Test
• Admission process
• Why to study in Turkiye

Frequently asked questions

Take the Next Step with Study in Turkiye

Study in Turkiye partners with universities, agents and institutional teams to design scalable orientation programs that improve student outcomes and operational efficiency. If you are an international student recruiter, admissions leader, HR or marketing professional in education seeking to increase conversion and yield, automate onboarding workflows, or improve international student retention and satisfaction, contact us to discuss partnership opportunities and tailored solutions.