For the fifth consecutive year, the total number of participants in summer orientation at Mississippi State set an all-time record.

More than 1,600 incoming freshmen attended the June pre-enrollment programs. With the 947 transfer students primarily from community colleges attending separate sessions, more than 2,500 new students pre-registered for fall classes over the month-long period.

Total attendance for freshman and transfer students, including their parents, was 4,501, a 2 percent increase over last year.

The university long has encouraged first-time students and their parents to attend one of five June orientations. The primary goal is to make the transition to campus life as smooth as possible.

"In many instances, this is the first introduction a student and his or her parents have to Mississippi State," said Jimmy Abraham, director of enrollment services. "Through these sessions, we work to calm the nerves of new students while answering the concerns of their parents."