University Undergraduate Advising Handbook

DUS provides the First-Year Testing, Consulting, and Advising Program to help all entering degree candidates and provisional students evaluate their educational plans. This comprehensive program, which occurs before students' first semester of classes, provides testing, individualized educational planning, and academic advising. Students' families are encouraged to participate in the program.

Testing
Educational Planning and Advising

TESTING

All entering degree candidates and provisional students must complete online testing in English, mathematics, and chemistry before they register for classes. All students who plan to schedule English, mathematics, or chemistry should contact FTCAP operations at 814-865-2578 to arrange for online testing.

Penn State test results, high school average, and the SAT scores are developed into an individualized Summary of Academic Performance. At the time of testing, DUS also collects information about a student's academic preparation and abilities, educational plans, and occupational interests. These materials are used by DUS advisers in the educational planning and advising portion of FTCAP.

EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND ADVISING

After the testing program is completed, students and their families are scheduled to attend the advising segment of FTCAP at the Penn State campus to which the student has been admitted. These activities provide the first stage of the student's educational planning and academic advising by:

• introducing the academic structure of the University, including Penn State's colleges, the General Education program, and graduation requirements;

• providing information about the student's academic preparation and abilities compared to other Penn State first-year students—students and their families receive copies of the student's Summary of Academic Performance along with a general interpretation of the test results;

• offering the student the opportunity to discuss educational plans, test results, occupational and professional interests, curricular goals, and other issues related to academic experiences at Penn State—each student meets individually with a FTCAP adviser;

• enabling the student to register for the first semester or session of classes;

• providing families with the opportunity to discuss their student's academic preparation and educational plans with the DUS advising staff.

The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. Please consult a Penn State academic adviser for more detailed information.

This page is part of the University Undergraduate Advising Handbook, which is maintained by the Division of Undergraduate Studies, DUS@psu.edu.

Last Update: May 2009