Resources for Your Senior
Commencement
Saturday, May 9, 2026 | 10:00 am
Commencement for the Class of 2026 will be held Saturday, May 9, 2026, in F&M's Alumni Sports & Fitness Center. We encourage you to review the important dates and reminders below to ensure your senior meets final requirements and has the details necessary for a successful and memorable Commencement.
March 6 | Cap & Gown Orders Due
Students should visit F&M’s Herff Jones site to order Commencement bachelor’s regalia. Orders will be shipped to the F&M Bookstore for pick-up starting April 21.
March 10 - April 6 | Tassel Graduate Registration
Graduates will receive an email to create their Tassel account. Tassel is our online platform used to confirm participation in the ceremony, manage guest tickets, and confirm academic and ceremony details.
It is important that all graduates complete their Tassel Graduate Registration by the deadline of Monday, April 6, regardless of their participation in the ceremony. A limited number of additional ceremony guest tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis through the Tassel Graduate Registration. Any additional tickets will be announced to graduates once all eligible graduates have completed their registration.
Tuesday, April 21 | Caps & Apps Reception
Graduates can pick up their pre-ordered regalia at this special reception celebration hosted by the F&M Bookstore and Diplomatic Café at Distler House.
Friday, May 8 | Graduate Rehearsal and Class of 2026 Lux et Lex Walk
- 3:00 pm: A graduate-only rehearsal at the Alumni Sports & Fitness Center is required for all participating graduates.
- 3:30 pm: Families are welcome to cheer for their graduates and are encouraged to gather outside the Alumni Sports & Fitness Center or the Lux et Lex Archway beginning at 3:30 p.m. The Lux et Lex Walk for the Class of 2026 will begin immediately following the rehearsal.
Saturday, May 9 | Commencement Day
- 10:00 am: The 239th Commencement Ceremony begins
- 12:30 - 2:30 pm: Graduates and Families Reception with faculty in Mayser Gymnasium; light refreshments will be available.
Living on Campus
Housing
Our four-year residency requirement means students are required to live in F&M-owned or -approved housing for all four years.
Housing applications for returning students are available in February each year. Please keep in mind:
- Sophomores, juniors, and seniors have an array of housing options, including suites, apartments, single and double rooms and more.
- Juniors and seniors can also choose to live in F&M-affiliated housing, all within walking distance of the College
-
Returning students can also apply to live in a theme or special interest house. Themes include the arts, sustainability, quiet living, wellness and substance-free, and housing associated with several clubs and organizations.
- Seniors can choose to apply for a House Adivser (HA) position
- Juniors and seniors in a fraternity or sorority can choose to live in their organization’s residence if they have one.
Students who don't receive housing in one of these options participate in the annual room selection process, the Housing Lottery. Housing Lottery information sessions are held in March and April. All students participating in the lottery are encouraged to attend a session in any College House.
Students who did not select housing through the Housing Lottery will receive a housing assignment from the Housing Office in the weeks prior to the start of the fall semester.
Contact Housing
If you or your student have questions about F&M housing, you can explore our FAQ to learn more or reach out to our housing team at housing@fandm.edu or 717-358-4010 for additional help. Your student also has a consistent reference point through their House Director if
they have a question or concern.
Meal Plans
Senior students living on campus are required to purchase a campus meal plan unless they are commuting (though commuting students can also purchase a meal plan).
Senior students living in apartments may decide to reduce or opt out of their meal plans.
Meal plan pricing is automatically folded into your student's tuition details.
Academics
Academic Advising
As a fourth-year student, your senior will be balancing their senior capstones while increasing their focus on preparing for a meaningful life and productive path after graduation. Your senior’s faculty adviser will focus their advising on providing your student with individual pre-graduation goals while supporting their ambitions for life after F&M.
Here are some topics your senior should discuss with their faculty adviser:
- How has your understanding and identity as a scholar in your major discipline shaped who you are?
- As you think about life after college, what is important to you, and how will these things inform your future decisions?
- List several career options that you would consider. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? What do you need to figure out to select from among them?
- What experiences contributed most to your growth at F&M?
Center for Career and Professional Development
Your senior will graduate from F&M prepared to embark on the first of many paths they can pursue with an F&M education, and to excel at top-level graduate and professional schools. Our Center for Career and Professional Development helps your senior articulate — via their resume or CV and application materials, and online via their LinkedIn and social media brand — their abilities to think critically, communicate clearly, and lead confidently. With the help of our mentors, your senior will enter the next stage of life after F&M ready to self-advocate, embrace their unique experiences and value, and seize the opportunities that call to them.
Our signature programs for seniors include:
- “Living Beyond F&M” series consisting of sessions on financial literacy, public speaking, the etiquette of the business meal, and more
- On-campus and virtual employer visits
- Night of Networking, a hallmark student-alumni event designed for students to connect with alumni in a low-stress, virtual environment
- Job and internship fairs
- F&M’s True Blue Network, a career network platform exclusive to our community
Off-Campus Study
If your student is participating in off-campus study this year, we will email you directly with detailed information. Please keep in mind:
-
- If your student submitted an application for off-campus study, they have met with an off-campus study adviser throughout the advising and application process. Our office provides holistic advising to help your student make decisions that will suit their interests and also challenge them to grow personally and academically. We ask that you contribute to this process by helping your student reflect upon their motivations and goals.
- We will email you our off-campus study financial policy. Please pay special attention to this so that you understand how much you will be invoiced and by whom.
- F&M partners exclusively with independent study-abroad organizations who operate high-quality programs in many locations around the world. Your student will be participating in one of these partner programs and will have access to the program’s on-site staff, offices, and support services while abroad.
- Not all programs or locations can accommodate all students' needs, so it is important that students disclose this type of information to their program after an acceptance decision is made but before a program deposit is paid. The program can advise them on what can and cannot be accommodated as well as provide additional resources so that students are making informed decisions before paying program deposits.
- Our office will continue to communicate with and provide guidance and support to your student throughout the off-campus study experience, from pre-departure preparation through their return home.
Learn more about F&M off-campus study
Have They Considered…
Campus Employment?
Internships?
The Career Center will help your student discover internship opportunities they can complete during their last two semesters or as a first step after graduation. They will provide guidance through the internship search, application and interview process, facilitating connections with F&M alumni, parents and friends of the College for potential opportunities.
Research?
Do you have any questions? We're happy to help. Feel free to reach out to us at families@fandm.edu or visit our contact page.Get in Touch With F&M