You’ve been admitted to Penn State, starting in the Summer session. Congratulations 
You’re about to learn and grow…and have the time of your life.
You want to talk with other students in that situation, to discuss LEAP (and all the ways no one seems to ever regret doing it), or anything?
This is your thread 
OPEN TO LEAP ALUMNI too.
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Waiting to get into summer
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Keeping my fingers crossed for you. I know the wait is excruciating 
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Thank you! We would love to connect with other LEAP students and parents on here.
@jlhpsu : wondering if you’d be okay popping back in just to tell your kids’ stories about LEAP and Summer session, since one got it instead of Fall (perhaps reluctantly) and the other chose to go Summer rather than Fall 
It may kickstart the discussion for students who were already admitted and are wondering about the experience.
Have you heard yet?
2 v 2 my friend.
Following this thread, as my son is really interested in the LEAP program!
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Both my PSU alums were in LEAP. My (future)DiL was not. She wandered that summer, mainly alone, without connections or a working knowledge of the most basic campus necessities — but her mom had insisted she not “waste” time and money on a program the Mom perceived as less-than, for students who needed help. Even local students do LEAP.
OTOH, both my kids spent the summer with a small group of freshmen, herded around by a willing upperclass student who was paid to get them oriented, take them places, show them around, lift any homesickness. ( Two of my oldest’s cohort were just in his wedding nearly a decade later. )
Penn State is not very forgiving for new students. There’s not a lot of help for those who aren’t super organized already, or super social. LEAP is the very best program they have ever come up with and it is rare to find students who regret a summer in LEAP.
People worry about which pair of classes to take but it really doesn’t matter. That decisionis really influenced by potential major – hard sciences may want to save gen eds for an easier term later; other people may want to get those out of the way early on. In both cases, the extra credits make it possible to have a term, later, with slihtly fewer credits or fit in a minor.
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this is great advice. My kids did LEAP - not because that had to academically, because they had to from parenting.
Advantages:
- start the college process early. get those August nerves taken care of!
- get 6 credits ahead.
- take a hard class or an intensive class (English). get it out of the way!
- summer is a little more relaxed. smaller classes, easier to connect with professors.
- small cohort of students to make friends with.
- learn campus!
- figure out roommate life, dining hall living, and time management in a smaller environment
- hit the ground running when return in fall
Disadvantages:
- give up summer if that is needed for summer job or family vacation
- cost
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Thank you for this. We also required our son to apply directly to the Summer session despite his very strong academics. He does not do well with change (it takes him a bit longer than his peers to adjust) so we are hoping LEAP will help. I love all the benefits you listed. I also read somewhere that they focus on study skills and time management?
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Hoping to bring this back to life. Our son committed a few weeks ago. He is doing the Leap program. Last night we booked a hotel room for the Start of Summer session and NSO.
Not sure which pride he will join. Am I using the right word? Maybe English and Communications?
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Yes, lion prides! 
As soon as he can register, do so, as many fill up fast.
All prides except Paterno Fellow Aspirants will have either CAS or English. I recommend CAS because English is a nice small class to have in the Fall and they typically don’t have Eng 30H (= if you took Honors or AP English or scored 680+ on the verbal SAT), but either one is fine.
It looks like they won’t do Prides the way they used to.
For instance, summer 2025/HHD:
Students would join LEAP Living Learning communities but they’re not longer small “prides”, each with the same 2 courses and 1 upper class student who organizes field trips etc. Students opt-into their Leap LLC during summer NSO (at which time they also register).
Classes can be seen here:
In attributes, click more=>LEAP and you’ll see which courses exist.
There are LEAP webinars. The first one is today (don’t know if there will be later access)
https://success.psu.edu/leap/webinar
We did the webinar last night. Did a pretty good job of explaining when certain things happen. Basically, knock off the things on the NSO checklist and then you get to pick a time to schedule your academic consultation and course scheduling meeting.
No longer have prides. Can pick any classes that you want. They just hold spaces for LEAP students for classes offered in Summer 2.
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On the one hand it means more choices but on the other hand it means the LEAP students will be mixed with the regular students so less hand holding and nurturing than in the past.
I means they can accommodate more students with less support apparatus (a Pride used to be ~24 students with one upper class RA in charge of programming field trips, study sessions, practical visits to various academic centers on campus like library, math tutors, career center, etc). Now they can accommodate one full LLC - guessing 40 students), with one RA and no special classes. They will have “Methods Mondays”, I suppose as a replacement for the on campus visits.
Hopefully it’ll be as good as the old system. 
Did they say whether they kept the field trips and such?
They didn’t mention field trips. The reason for the change is that they said so many kids come in with credits they have different class requirements. Also, there are kids who need to take math so they are ready to take calculus in the Fall. Doing it this way is more flexible.
Yes, last year there were a few prides with Math 22, 26 or “Bridge to Calculus” classes. There’s been a problem with math education everywhere (all universities have this problem). That’s why if your degree required math and you have 650+ in your math SAT it’s worth it to send it. An A in precalculus could mean many test retakes+extra credit.. or tests taken just once+hw.
https://advising.psu.edu/aleks/understandyourscore
My recommendation would be to look at class sizes in the Fall class and choose the LEAP classes where they’re smaller vs. Large class in the Fall. So, if your ECON 104 class is 230 students in the Fall and 30 in the Summer, pick the summer class. If it’s 24 in the Fall and 22 in the Summer.. take it in the Fall. Having at least one small class each semester freshman year helps.
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My son is in Smeal so he chose the Business LLC. Is that correct? I was confused why there was a choice?
Yes that’s correct. But some students may prefer the international house or the LGBTQ house, etc.