Academic Consultation and Course Scheduling

One of the hallmarks of New Student Orientation is meeting with an academic adviser and scheduling your first semester courses – we call this process Academic Consultation and Course Scheduling.

There are two parts to the Academic Consultation and Course Scheduling process: 1.) academic consultation, and 2) course scheduling.
 

Selecting Your Academic Consultation and Course Scheduling Window

When you make your reservation for NSO, you’ll also select your Academic Consultation and Course Scheduling window, which occurs online, before you attend the in-person NSO. 

Please choose a timeframe during which you will be able to dedicate at least two hours of time to work independently to complete requirements, meet with an academic adviser, and schedule your classes. 

One week before your Academic Consultation and Course Scheduling window start date, you'll be able to make a specific appointment for your academic consultation where you'll meet online with an academic adviser one-on-one or in a small group. When you schedule this consultation be sure to select a date and time that works for you - consider your other commitments like high school obligations, sports, work, etc.

We’ll send you an email when it’s time to schedule your specific appointment.

Be sure that you’re working through the items on your NSO Tasklist that will help you prepare for the Academic Consultation and Course Scheduling.

Academic Consultation

Your Academic Consultation will be either a one-on-one or small group virtual meeting with an academic adviser in your academic college. During this meeting, you can expect to talk with the adviser about your interests, your educational goals, the academic requirements for your intended major, and how you’ll work with an academic adviser throughout your Penn State career. You’ll also discuss what courses you will enroll in to begin to meet your goals and interests.

This meeting is a virtual meeting and for students only. Due to FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, family or friends who are present for your consultation may be asked to leave for confidentiality reasons.

For this meeting, you should be in a place that is free of distractions, have headphones if you’re in a shared space, and be prepared to have your camera turned on. Some of the systems you’ll use during this consultation work best on a laptop or desktop computer, so please consider joining the meeting from a device other than your cell phone.

Preparing for Your Consultation

To ensure a productive meeting:

  1. Confirm your appointment details. They will be sent to your Penn State email from sender "Starfish Solutions."
  2. Complete pre-appointment tasks that are listed on your NSO Tasklist. All items with a due date must be completed prior to the deadline. If you do not complete these items, the adviser will not be able to fully assist you during your consultation.
  3. Be ready to share your goals. What major(s), minor(s), and career(s) are you interested in pursuing and why?
  4. Prepare questions about your intended academic college, specific major requirements, or the resources and opportunities available in the academic college. During your consultation, you will meet with an adviser from your academic college. They are an expert about the college and can answer questions related to your academic college and requirements.
  5. As a result of completing the Course Planning Guide, you should have courses in your Schedule Builder prior to your consultation. Write down any questions you have about the courses you have selected; the adviser will help you determine if alterations will need to be made to your schedule.
  6. Have note-taking materials ready.

Course Scheduling Details

You won’t schedule your courses during the academic consultation, but your adviser will help you know what courses you should enroll in. Your course scheduling window starts one business day after you complete your academic consultation.

You’ll only be able to schedule your courses if you successfully complete your Academic Consultation. Your NSO Tasklist will indicate when you’re ready to schedule your courses – look for the item named “Schedule Your Courses” on the list. 

Your course scheduling window will close seven (7) days after it opens. Once your course scheduling window closes, you won’t be able to make changes to your schedule until after you attend your in-person NSO program.