The MFA, Fenway, and Friendships: Welcome Week 2026 Celebrates New Cardinals

Move-In Day kicks off a week of events designed to help first-year and transfer students settle in, explore Boston and build community.

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) will welcome the newest members of the Cardinal Community with a week of events designed to help first-year and transfer students settle into campus life before classes begin on Sept. 2.

The festivities begin with Boston Move-In Day on Aug. 26, when faculty and staff will join the Dean of Students Office and the Office of Residence Life as part of the annual Welcome Wagon. Volunteers will greet new students and their families, answer questions, and help get them settled into their residence halls.

After Move-In Day, Welcome Week runs Aug. 27-Sept. 1, giving new Cardinals five days to explore Boston, reconnect with classmates from Orientation, and begin building friendships before the academic year begins.

Welcome Week features a mix of on-campus events and excursions throughout Boston. Students can kick things off with food trucks and lawn games at the Welcome Week Kickoff in Evans Way Park before joining class tours led by Orientation Leaders. Other activities include a Swan Boat ride in the Boston Public Garden, visits to the Museum of Fine Arts and SoWa Open Market, kayaking on the Charles River, a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, Topgolf, Paint-n-Sip, Bedazzle Bash, Back-to-School Bingo, and a North End donut tour.

Most Welcome Week events are free, though some off-campus experiences require advance registration and a fee. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Students can view the full Welcome Week schedule and reserve tickets on the Welcome Week webpage.