General Questions
New Maroon Camp is 4 night, 3 full day student-led camp that prepares first-year students for the transition to Mississippi State University. At New Maroon Camp, students learn what it really means to be a Mississippi State Bulldog.
Students will learn MSU history and traditions, meet other new students, find opportunities to get involved, and learn about the MSU campus.
Alumni have called New Maroon Camp "their favorite experience of their college careers." Visit our "About Us" tab to read more about the NMC experience!
NMC25 dates are out!
NMC25 will begin the evening of Friday August 15th with our Opening Ceremony and will run all the way until the night of Monday August 18th! We are looking forward to hosting students passionate about getting involved and connecting with others before classes begin! More information on move-in dates will be released in the Spring!
We can't wait to meet you!
New Maroon Camp is held on Mississippi State's campus each year, with students living in their assigned residence halls for the Fall and Spring Semester. Being on campus for this week will give students an awesome chance to get acclimated with everything on campus!
New Maroon Camp prides itself on being entirely student planned and student led. Our executive board members and staff members come from all walks of life, campus organizations, and majors. This group of students is passionate about MSU history and traditions and teaching our incoming students just what it means when we say we're a part of the bulldog family. New Maroon Camp has a designated staff advisor who is a member of the Center for Student Activities.
Feel free to take a look at the "Our Team" tab to see staff profiles of all of our staff members!
YES, ABSOLUTELY!
New Maroon Camp is for ALL first-year students at Mississippi State. We recognize that our transfer students already have some college experience under their belt, but we highly encourage transfer students to attend New Maroon Camp so they can get connected and begin their transition before classes start.
Good question! New Maroon Camp and Orientation are two totally different programs that are designed to be complementary to one another. You will be unable to register for New Maroon Camp unless you have attended an Orientation session. Orientation takes place over the summer, but New Maroon Camp happens in the fall right before school starts.
New Maroon Camp has something to offer whether you're from Starkville, New York, or anywhere in between. Here you will get a first look at your college life while meeting over 1,000 other new students, and you may even find your best friends!
Registration Information
Registration for NMC25 will go live on our website April 1st and will close on TBD, at 11:59pm CST. However, there will be a cost increase on TBD, so we encourage students to register for camp as soon as possible.
You will know you are fully registered once you receive a confirmation notice through your MSU email (Ex: NetID@msstate.edu) after the application is finished and the payment has been made!
The camp fee for NMC25 is $200 and will raise on TBD to $250.
To pay, once you submit your registration a new window will open for you to pay the camp fee by card. Students may also apply for need-based scholarships that will be given on a case-by-case basis to cover the camp registration fee.
Full refunds are available before May 31st and half refunds are available until June 30th. Unfortunately, after July 1st, we are unable to issue refunds.
A need-based scholarship is available to attend camp. This scholarship is based on student's financial needs, students must complete their FASFA as soon as possible since this information will determine if you are eligible to receive the scholarship.
The scholarship covers ONLY the fee for camp during August 15th-18th.
If you receive the scholarship, you must attend a minimum of 75% of the sessions each day or you will be required to repay the scholarship. Scholarships are based on financial information through the FASFA and unfortunately not every student will receive one. If you do not meet the requirements, through the Office of Financial Aid, students may still submit payment for their Registration, and the price will be based on when they completed their NMC Registration.
All scholarship requests should be approved or denied by the middle of July. An email will be sent to the students MSU email (Ex: NetID@msstate.edu) that will explain what to do after being approved or denied of your scholarship request.
If you receive a scholarship, you must attend a MINIMUM of 75% of the sessions each day or you will be REQUIRED to repay the scholarship. Scholarships are limited, and unfortunately not everyone that applies will receive one. Therefore, it is imperative we use them only on the students that truly intend to reap the benefits of coming to camp.
YES!
If you apply for a New Maroon Camp financial need-based scholarship and do not receive one, someone from NMC will reach out about next steps to pay your camp registration fee. Anyone who applies for a scholarship prior to the cost increase on TBD will be guaranteed the original cost of $200.
Your spot will be held until TBD at 11:59 p.m. CST when the application closes.
Housing and Meals
Move-in dates for New Maroon Camp are August 13th-15th to ensure students would be able to attend all camp events.
There will be NO early move in, as campers will move in with compliance to the universal university move in dates.
Housing assignments will not be announced until May.
If you have further questions related to your housing assignment, please refer to Housing and Residence Life at 662-325-3555 or housing@saffairs.msstate.edu
Upon moving in for camp, all students should bring everything they will need for the remainder of the school semester. For campers, August 13th-15th is your official move-in date for Mississippi State. Below is a tentative packing list specific to what is needed for NMC. Housing and Residence Life also has a move in list of what to bring and not to bring for the school semester.
- Tentative NMC Packing List:
- MSU Student ID
- Clothes you can be active in (don't worry, we're not running marathons)
- Tennis Shoes
- Sunscreen
- Rain Jacket/Umbrella
- Phone Charger
- Bug Spray
- Reusable water bottle - August in Mississippi is HOT!
- Sweatshirt or light jacket
- Clothing and accessories in your family group color -- A few days before New Maroon Camp, all students attending will receive notice about which family group they are assigned and therefore will know what color they should wear to represent their team!
- Housing and Residence Life Packing List: https://www.housing.msstate.edu/
Yes!
Students who have signed up for the MSU Student meal plan will be able to use those for meals at specific dining locations with their Student IDs during NMC.
No.
You will use your meal plan for breakfast and lunch in one of the campus dining facilities with your counselor and pod.
Schedule
The typical NMC continues as follows:
- Breakfast with your pod at one of the dining facilities on campus
- Morning moves which consists of fun activities to choose from depending on the day
- Campers will break off and do some sort of productive task such as major mixer where campers can go meet others within their major
- Eat lunch
- Go to the Daily show here an informational topic will be reviewed and campers will be released to pod discussions where they will further review the content in a small group.
- Dinner
- Night show for some fun
- Big event for the night
- Once the big event has concluded campers will go back to their residence halls. *This description is subject to change day by day but is typically what you can expect.
Buddy staff are responsible for accommodating students with special needs including mental, learning, and physical disabilities. Throughout the week of camp, they will provide extra support where necessary, additional one-on-one assistance as needed, and interactive activities if needed to enhance everyone’s experience.
New Maroon Camp will overlap directly with Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment, but the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life has worked directly with New Maroon Camp to ensure that those who would like to attend both Panhellenic Recruitment and NMC experience will be able to do so. The days that overlap will be intentionally planned so students are able to participate in both opportunities. Mississippi State University's IFC (Fraternity) Recruitment will take place during a different week than New Maroon Camp.