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Cal Alumni Club of Houston / Courtesy of Cal Alumni Club of Houston

Summer Welcome Parties 2026

Join your fellow alums at a Summer Welcome Party and meet incoming Cal students from your area.

Schedule for 2026 Welcome parties

Check back soon for our list of summer events!

Remember your first year at Berkeley?

The first time you set foot on campus? The first time you met the stranger sharing your Unit 1 Double? The first time you hustled to find a seat for your lecture in Wheeler…only to find 400 others had the same idea?

The first year at Cal can be daunting—as alums, we’ve all been there, and some of us remember it all too well. That’s why we’re helping the newest members of our UC Berkeley family find their way at Cal! Alumni Chapters across the country are hosting Summer Welcome Parties for incoming Cal students in their areas. These alumni-organized gatherings are a great way for incoming students to meet with their local Alumni Chapters, learn about Cal traditions, and hear alumni stories. Get involved with a regional or identity-based chapter and share your experiences with students so they can start to see themselves in your shoes.

RSVP for your local Summer Welcome Party to meet incoming first-year and transfer students as well as local Cal alums. Contact us at [email protected] or 510.900.8240 with any questions.

Summer Welcome Stories

Cal Bears in the Desert Summer Send-off for Coachella Valley & Palm Desert students Cal Bears in the Desert Summer Send-off for Coachella Valley & Palm Desert students / Courtesy of Cal Bears in the Desert
News

Before the Blue and Gold: Summer Welcome Parties Across the Years

Before students arrive in Berkeley, many get their first taste of Cal community at Summer Welcome Parties—chartered chapter-hosted gatherings filled with warmth, wisdom, and Golden Bear pride. Here we take a look back at the memories, milestones, and magic of these beloved events.

The Cal Alumni Club of Chicago welcomes incoming students. Courtesy of Cal Alumni Club of Chicago
News

Meeting and Greeting the Newest Golden Bears

From New England to Southern California, our Alumni Chapters gave incoming Golden Bears a warm welcome.

Students at the Cal Alumni Group of San Francisco's Summer Welcome Party gather for a group picture. Cal Alumni Group of San Francisco Summer Welcome Party / Courtesy of Cal Alumni Group of San Francisco
News

Golden Bears Get a Warm Summer Welcome

Cal alums across the country made Berkeley feel like home to incoming students at Summer Welcome Parties.

More Ways to Support Cal Students

Career Connections

Help students explore future career fields through casual conversations with Cal alums and professionals like you.

Join an Alumni Chapter

Alums from your local Alumni Chapter volunteer to provide year-round support to Cal students and local communities.

Be a Scholarships Volunteer

Help the best and brightest students gain access to education at Cal by reading scholarship applications and interviewing candidates.