The Office of Undergraduate Admissions is excited to invite staff and faculty to participate in UC Santa Cruz’s largest on-campus events for newly admitted students. Over 7,500 guests are expected!
- Banana Slug Day – Saturday, April 12, 2025 (for admitted first-year students)
- Transfer Day – Saturday, May 10, 2025 (for admitted transfer students)
These signature campus events play an important role in welcoming admitted students and helping them discover the UCSC community. Banana Slug Day introduces first-year students to the unique UCSC experience through many opportunities to engage with faculty, staff, and current students. Transfer Day focuses on the specific needs of transfer students, providing specialized resources, advising, and support to ensure a seamless transition. Both events help students build connections and commit to joining UCSC.
We recommend checking out our Banana Slug Day website for the full schedule, including presentations and panels, mock lectures, addresses by Chancellor Cynthia Larive and EVC Lori Kletzer, campus tours, tours of the Jack Baskin School of Engineering and the Coastal Science Campus, and more!
This year’s Banana Slug Day and Transfer Day events will be our largest yet, and we encourage staff and faculty to get involved! Your participation is key to building connections with admitted students and their families as they make this important decision about their academic future.
Ways to participate
- Resource Fair: Admissions will host a Resource Fair and campus tours throughout the day. Departments are encouraged to participate in our Resource Fair, with tabling opportunities for academic programs, research programs, student support services, student organizations, and more.
- Faculty Mock Lectures: We are looking for faculty members interested in hosting a lecture or workshop during Banana Slug Day. These sessions should be designed for admitted first-year students and their families or guests, helping them explore what UCSC has to offer as they consider accepting their admission offer.
- Special Programming: We also encourage departments, research centers, labs, and student services to offer programming like information sessions, lab tours, open houses, or workshops. If you plan to host an event, please share details with us so we can include it in our promotions.
If you’re interested in tabling at the Resource Fair or hosting special programming, please submit the Banana Slug Day/Transfer Day 2025 Participation Form.
Thank you for your ongoing collaboration as we prepare for Banana Slug Day and Transfer Day. If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to Michael Cervantes, Senior Associate Director of Admissions, at uaevents@ucsc.edu.
Go Slugs!
