Parent Frequently Asked Questions
A series of videos has been prepared to introduce incoming students to academics in the College, including: the undergraduate curriculum and requirements; academic opportunities and responsibilities; and important steps to take during the summer to prepare for course registration and fall semester. Students should watch these videos, and the Registration Tutorial, prior to their summer advising session with their pre-major advisor.
Students will also need to complete the Freshman Advising Questionnaire in preparation for their summer advising session.
Links to these and other important information on advanced placement, course registration and New Student Orientation can be found on the Freshman Action List.
Most freshmen prefer to come to campus in the fall with a selection of courses in place, even though that selection may be tentative. Upon arrival on campus, students meet with advisors, have an opportunity to discuss educational goals and course selection and, if appropriate, make adjustments in their fall term program.
Students should take courses to satisfy the General Education Requirements during their first few semesters, but these courses should be ones in which there is genuine interest, and should include a course or two in areas of potential major. Most students spread their requirements over all four years of study and, in so doing, explore more advanced topics in a variety of academic disciplines. The Language Requirement can be fulfilled by continuing with the same language(s) studied in high school, or by developing proficiency in a new language. In any event, students are encouraged to enroll in a language course in their first semester. Students should also try to take a writing seminar to satisfy the Writing Requirement during their freshman year.
Students needing help with a course should first go to the teaching assistant or the instructor. In addition, a wide variety of academic support programs are available on campus. Several departments offer special help sessions for introductory-level courses, and in many cases teaching assistants are assigned to work with students, either individually or in small groups. The Tutoring Center and the Weingarten Learning Resources Center provide individual tutoring, exam review workshops, and professional instruction focusing on reading, critical thinking, studying and time management.
The Critical Writing Program is designed to provide students with several avenues for developing their writing skills. Students can work on their writing with senior tutors at The Penn Writing Center. Senior tutors are advanced graduate students trained to offer constructive criticism across the disciplines. Students can also get feedback on their writing assignments and papers from peer tutors, advanced undergraduates who have been extensively trained in peer review and writing strategies. Peer tutors also provide 24-hour online help with writing.
Students may drop a course any time before the end of the fifth week of the semester without creating a permanent record of having been in the course. They can do so through Penn InTouch. After the fifth week of classes, and up to the end of the tenth week, students may, with the permission of the instructor, withdraw from a class. The grade point average will not be affected, but a W will appear on the transcript. One or two withdrawals during a college career are acceptable, but students should avoid a pattern. In any event, students should always consult with an advisor before dropping or withdrawing below 4 credit units, as this may affect athletic eligibility, financial aid or visa status for international students.
Students who achieve a grade point average of 3.7 or better over two semesters during one academic year, have no grade lower than a C, complete six or more courses for letter grades, have no Incompletes, and have no disciplinary action taken against them, are placed on the Dean’s List with a notation on their transcript.
A student who decides to major in two different departments within the College—History and English, for example, or Biology and Philosophy—is completing a double major. A student who is fulfilling the requirements of two different schools within the University—the College and the Wharton School, for example, or the College and the School of Engineering—is completing a dual degree program. Students must apply for the dual degree program.
What is the procedure for doing so? Students are expected to declare a major before the Advance Registration period in the spring semester (late March to early April) of their sophomore year. The procedure involves collecting and reading information about the major(s) under consideration, meeting with their pre-major advisor to discuss plans and fill out a major worksheet, then meeting with the undergraduate chair for the major to discuss plans and obtain approval.
In setting the academic calendar for each year, the University tries to avoid obvious conflicts with any holidays (such as New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas) that involve most University students, faculty and staff. For other holidays affecting large numbers of University community members, no examinations may be given and no assigned work may be required on these days. Students who observe these holidays will be given an opportunity to make up missed work. (For more details see the University's policy on secular and religious holidays)
In order to seek credit for college work completed during the summer prior to matriculation at Penn, a student must log in to XCAT and submit a course syllabus to the appropriate Penn department. Students should be sure to check "pre-college course" when they make the request in XCAT.
- Any college courses used to fulfill high school graduation requirements are not eligible for credit at Penn.
- The college or university must be a fully accredited four-year institution.
- The course must correspond to a course offered by Penn, or be deemed equivalent in depth and intensity.
- A grade of C or better must have been received.
- The course must be part of the normal curriculum published in the college’s catalogue.
- The course must be taught on the college campus by a member of the regular faculty.
- The course must be open to enrollment by, and graded in direct competition with, regularly matriculated undergraduates at that college.
- The student must request that the external college or University send an official transcript directly to Ms. Eddrena Owens in the Undergraduate Admissions office (215.898.7507) along with a letter stating that the course was part of the normal curriculum published in the college’s catalogue, taught by the regular faculty on the college campus and was open to enrollment by, and graded in direct competition with, regularly matriculated undergraduates at that college.
After matriculation at Penn, students may take up to five credit units at another American university and transfer them back to Penn. Such courses must be taken in a four-year institution (not a community or junior college), and acceptance of the credit is subject to the prior approval by the appropriate Penn department.
Many Penn students choose to study abroad for one or two semesters during their junior year and the University offers study abroad programs on virtually every inhabited continent. These approved programs have been carefully evaluated and offer academic work of very high quality. Considerable Penn faculty and staff time is involved in coordinating these programs, counseling students prior to their participation and interacting with students while they are abroad; consequently normal Penn tuition is charged. Upon their return, students receive credit as though they were in residence at Penn, their grades are tabulated into the Penn g.p.a. and their work appears in the body of the Penn transcript. Students on financial aid who participate in these Penn-approved programs continue to receive aid during their participation.
Questions on billing should first be addressed to the Office of Student Financial Services, 215.898.1988. The College Office is often able to assist on billing matters 215.898.6341.
Students may request a leave of absence for one year, with extensions given in special circumstances. Students considering a leave should consult with an advisor in the College Office, 120 Cohen Hall (215.898.6341) who can provide guidance and information about the process.
What is the difference between the College Graduation Ceremony and the University Commencement? The College Graduation Ceremony is for students graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences. Families are invited to attend. Each College student will cross the stage as his or her name is read. The University Commencement is for all students graduating from all of the undergraduate colleges, as well as from the various graduate and professional schools. Parents and guests are encouraged to attend. The College Graduation Ceremony generally occurs the evening before University Commencement.
University policy regarding confidentiality of student records reflects current interpretations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and amendments thereto. This policy allows a student to inspect, review and obtain copies of records (including grades) that are directly related to the student but prevents the University from divulging such records to anyone other than the student (including the student’s parents) without the student’s permission. Understandably, most parents are very interested in student grades, and we encourage parents and students to talk openly about this matter. All incoming students should go to the “Privacy Settings” page of Penn InTouch and indicate what information, if any, may be divulged and to whom.
Some students believe there is a “four-course rule” that limits students’ ability to take courses outside the College of Arts and Sciences. This is not entirely the case. In addition to courses in the major, College students must usually complete a minimum of 20 more c.u. to earn their degree. Many of these courses will count toward the General Education Requirement. A minimum of 16 of these units must be taken from offerings in the College, while the remaining 4 c.u. may be taken in the College or in other schools (for example, Engineering, Nursing, Design, Wharton, Graduate School of Education). Many students take more than 4 c.u. in other schools by completing more than the minimum number of required courses.
The total number of credit units required for graduation varies, depending on the number of credits required in the major. Major requirements range from 12 to 19 c.u. and credits for graduation range from 32 to 36 c.u. Students take 4 c.u. in their first semester; after that the normal load is 4 or 5 c.u. per semester.
Although students do not have classes on Saturday and Sunday, these are important days in their lives at Penn. They are not only the time when many key social events occur, but they are also a time when students do reading, homework and paper writing for their classes. For this reason we strongly encourage students to remain on campus over the weekend. Even students who live close enough to go home for the weekend are often better served by staying on campus. Returning home frequently can disrupt adjustment to college life and add to stress.
Some professors and departments are very strict about class attendance; others do not consider it part of the grading system. If the instructor determines a student has an excessive number of absences, the student’s final grade may be lowered. Some departments, the foreign languages in particular, have very precise rules for attendance.
If a student must miss five days or less of class at any point during the semester, he or she should notify the instructor as soon as possible using the Course Absence Report system (see below). It is the student’s responsibility to find out what work was missed and to catch up as quickly as possible. Athletes are responsible for making up any work missed because of athletic obligations.
If a student misses or anticipates missing more than five days of classes, she or he should contact the College’s CaseNet group as soon as possible.
Students should check Penn InTouch before the end of the Course Selection period and before the end of the Drop period each semester to verify their roster. Failure to attend a class for which one is registered does not result in being automatically dropped from the class.
More information on the Course Absence Report system is available here >>.
If a student has difficulty in a class or questions a grade, he or she should discuss this with the instructor. Students who feel the need for outside advice should consult with their academic advisor. It is sometimes tempting for parents to want to intervene on behalf of the student. However, parents are strongly urged to encourage their son or daughter to attempt to resolve any academic difficulty himself or herself by talking with the instructor and obtaining the guidance of his or her academic advisor. Developing the skills to negotiate appropriately with faculty and staff is an important part of the student’s maturation process as an undergraduate.
