<p>Hello. This is my first post on College Confidential. I'm having trouble understanding PSU University Park's admissions policies.</p>
<p>Here is an e-mail I sent to the admissions office concerning my problem:
"I applied as a freshman student for the 2010-2011 fall semester but was accepted for Summer 2010. From what I understand, does this means I'm obligated to enroll in either LEAP or summer classes as a stipulation to enter classes during the fall? So there's no way I could come to campus for the first time in the fall instead? If I'm required to enroll during the summer, am I also to fill out another application for the fall? Thank you and I'm sorry to disturb you during this busy time of year."</p>
<p>Here is the response I recieved:
"Hi Michael, congratulations on your offer of admission to Penn State! Unfortunately because of class size restrictions, we were not able to offer you admission for the fall semester. However, we hope you will consider the great opportunity you have to join us in the summer. You can receive more information on the LEAP program here: <a href="http://www.leap.psu.edu.">www.leap.psu.edu.</a>"</p>
<p>So I'm not accepted for Fall 2010? I read in other areas of the site that I am if I take the summer session, which I'm entirely willing to do...</p>
<p>Some of my friends got the same thing and, so far as they understand it, if you attend in the summer then you’re enrolled at Penn State - you’re technically admitted for Fall 2010, you just start a semester early. Congrats on getting in!</p>
<p>My d was accepted last summer for summer session. As a summer session student you are automatically in for the fall as well, they just want to get you off on a good start so they have you begin in the summer in a much smaller environment. My d was excited to get in but then a bit hesitant about going. In her case, her grades were excellent in high school, but her SAT’s were very average which is why I think they put her in summer session. But I have to say all in all it was a very positive experience. You do NOT have to do Leap but I would strongly encourage a student to do it. With Leap they group you with approx 24 students who have the same 2 classes together and a mentor assigned to them. The mentor arranges some fun activities (dinner out, a movie, etc) to facilitate the kids getting to know one another. Plus he or she is there for any problems/questions you might have. You have the same kids in your 2 classes so getting to know each other happens pretty quickly. You sign up for a “Pride” which is a group of 2 classes. My d was undeclared so she picked two gen ed classes - speech and writing. My only regret there was both were pretty demanding so she worked really hard all summer. Basically she gave a speech and wrote a paper each week. However she also got A’s in both classes, which was a nice way to start off her college career. Also in the fall she had one class that she hated so it was an easy decision to drop it because she had the 2 classes in her pocket. Also getting 2 demanding gen ed’s out of the way was good because they end up taking a lot of time during the regular semesters. My d made some wonderful summer session friends which was another benefit of going. She is going to live with 5 girls she met at summer session next year! We had some tears, I’m not going to lie to you. She left for PSU 6 days after graduating high school and her friends at home were still in full “graduation party” mode. But if I (and she) had to do it again, we would do it in a heart beat. There are only something like 1,000 summer session kids (although there are other undergraduate and graduate students on campus). You find your way around, learn alot about PSU and are ready to go when the fall starts. PSU is a great place to be in the summer. The weather is good and there are things to do, but it’s more laid back and relaxed. One other bonus - they let you move into your fall room at the conclusion of summer session with no one else around. If you have ever done move in on a large campus, it was heaven! I would be happy to answer any questions you have so don’t hesitate to ask!</p>
<p>They told us that LEAP fills up quickly (not sure if that is true) but I think if there is a special “pride” you want that might be the case. For instance if you are an engineering major and want that pride, it might fill up. So they will tell you the day to register for LEAP and I would recommend doing so on that date so you get what you want.</p>
<p>I didn’t realize they let you move in for the fall once summer was over, it’s good to know. Also, I’m looking at doung the speech and writing pride. How much time did it actually take up? Was she spending all her free time doing work? or was it just an hour or two a day</p>
<p>Once they accept your offer they aren’t going to throw you back on the streets. That’s why they give a housing contract for summer, fall, and spring.</p>
<p>I graduated from Penn State in 2003 and did LEAP when I was a student. It meant leaving for college the day after I graduated from high school, but it was well worth it. I’d do it again, and it made fall semester much less scary and confusing.</p>
<p>I did Speech Communications/English Composition, which was great because our instructors coordinated so that our speech topics were the same as our composition topics so that we could write both a speech and a paper on the same topic, cutting our research time in half. It was sort of a 2-for-1 deal that probably wouldn’t have worked out if I had taken the courses separately. Plus, each LEAP group had a mentor that had already taken the classes, lived in the dorms with us, hosted study and work sessions, planned social activities, and showed us around State College. It was great.</p>