Can you explain the LEAP program, outside of what is listed on the website? It seems like a great program and I would assume that most summer students would want to register. So was wondering why would a student not register for LEAP? I honestly thought that summer acceptance put the student directly into the LEAP program.
Also, could you explain a good summer course schedule for an incoming UP student that is considering psychology or business. Strong in math. thank you.
Where did she decide? We are in smeal UP but summer start and heās not keen on that, even though he knows it would be a good experience.
My son is on the fence abt this too as he already has acceptances to other great Universities
2/28 at 3:30!
Never mind! I see you posted the same!
@MYOS1634 ā¦ you seem to know what youāre talking aboutā¦ do you know the āyield rateā for SHC offer/accept?
LEAP is residential, with a cohort component to build some social relationships before 45,000 young people overwhelm the campus. The dedicated LEAP cohort RA showing them how to use resources at their disposal is also key.
However, some kids who live nearby may not want that social/residential component, or may not be able to afford it, so theyād just take their 2 courses.
IMHO LEAP is more beneficial because of that social component + all the other benefits (small classes, support, learning the ropes, field trips) that really help the transition to college.
Students take 2 courses that meet 4-5 times a week and cover in 6 weeks what a college course would cover over a semester and a high school course would cover over a year. As you can imagine, itās very fast paced. Starting the Fall with a firm grasp of the college pace&hw expectations is a real benefit, as is the habit of going to office hours - much less intimidating in the Summer, it just becomes a"normal" part of college in the Fall.
There would be a dedicated āPaterno Fellow Aspirantā LEAP for CLA majors who plan on joining Schreyer in the Fall (would-be Psych majors are eligible). The two courses would cover 2 gen eds with Schreyer-approved instructors.
Most other LEAPs include a foundational course for a major+either English 15 or CAS 100 - if you have a SAT verbal 650+ or took AP English, English 30H is more appropriate (and will be less tedious) than English 15 so take CAS 100 and save English 30H for the Fall. In addition, English 15/30 may be your only small class unless you take foreign language so itās good to save it for Fall semester.
On the other hand, solid writing is essential for a lot of majors so if writing is not a strength, then taking English 15 in the summer decreases the odds of writing hiccups in the Fall.
A student considering Business should be taking Calc 1 or Microeconomics over the Summer if possible, because the small classes will help compared to the weedout lecture classes in the Fall.
For Psychology, a class in Statistics or intro to Psych could be useful.
She hasnāt decided yet; still waiting for our in-state decision in mid March and Ross end of March. If these donāt go through sheād pick either of Gies, Madison or Purdue.
Hello, Did any of you hear back from Admissions about Merit (like Provost and such)? thank you. (DS, OOS, accepted last November in Natural science department).
I donāt know if the timing changes year to year but my oldest is a 3rd year at PSU and received the Provost in January in 2022. I know I it would be like getting struck by lighting but I hoped my accepted high school senior may get it too.
Thank you! This is so helpful to figure out how the LEAP prides are organized. We are signed up for the upcoming seminars to find out more. Do you know happen to know if it is a good idea to take the ECON class over the summer, or save it until fall since it is considered one of the harder classes for business?
Yes, definitely take Econ 102 over the summer if itās part of your mandatory curriculum and if you can get into a Leap that offers it.
absolutely take Econ 102 over the summer (not 104). 102 is an ETM course, 104 is not.
The advantage of LEAP is that the 2 classes are taken with the same cohort of 24 kids, so kids develop nice relationships.
They will return to school in August like sophomores - they know what they need in dorm rooms, they have friends already, they āgetā the dining hall and campus. My personal experience is that they also get involved right away with activities - THON or professional orgs or anything. The incoming freshmen that did not do LEAP are overwhelmed and arenāt ready to jump into orgs and activities until mid-semester freshmen year. Nice for LEAP kids to jump into early! (since I believe that is where connections are friendships are made).
For LEAP, my child is leaning towards the Social Movements, Protests, and Ethics, as they are going for their Poli Sci BS degree.
Thereās a LEAP straight upCalled Microeconomics 
and 2 others called Calculus&, for kids who took honors calculus in HS or scored 76+ on their ALEKS math assessment (to be taken by May1). There are two other LEAPs for kids who did not take Calc in HS AND did not score 76+ on ALEKS but need to take Math 110 or 140 for their major.
For kids interested in Smeal the first 3 would be must-haves (or the last 2 if need be).
Excellent idea.
That used to be the Paterno Fellows Aspirant LEAP (for kids expecting to take the Schreyer 137-138H courses Fall and Spring as Fellow Aspirants - the 2 LEAP courses also count toward their qualifying courses/GPA and the summer LEAP prepares them well for the Spring field trip).
My son will be starting at UPark this summer and will be doing LEAP. Heās planning on Criminology as a prelaw track.
I was perusing the course offerings and I saw Math 140 listed for engineering majors. Iād be a little leary of that having taken it myself 30 years ago. It meets 2 hours a day everyday for the full Summer session.
I suspect it will be an intensive course whereas during the full semester it may be more palatable. Just something to consider. I went through the ChemE program at Penn State.
It would be an intensive course!
The class is restricted to students who already took calculus in HS (or scored 76+ on ALEKS) so itās not designed for kids who will be discovering calculus. Thereās a warning, too, and 2 classes for students who havenāt taken calculus in HS and need to brush up on math before taking 110 (Business calc) or 140 (calc).
Iām guessing the summer course is either a good transition course for kids who would start in Math 141 in the Fall or want to get rid of it, perhaps take 111ās 2 credits of applied calc thinking itāll be good for their business major.
I would absolutely not take it as a future Engineering major whoās not taken calculus before but I donāt think itās possible anymore.
Thereās a Criminology LEAP! Also compatible with Paterno Fellows Aspirants (students can take 137-138H in the Fall after the Criminology Pride, like with the Protests&Ethics pride.)
So, my child will be starting PSU for the summer session. Does anyone know if they will be allowed to bring their car on campus for the summer? Even though they may not meet the requirements for the Fall?
I asked this exact question when we went on our admissions tour and was told no. My son was hoping to have his car over the summer!