For Peer Advisors

For answers to questions about peer advising, please contact Chris Donovan or Jason Breyan.

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Become a Peer Advisor

Hear from College peer advisors about why they find it enjoyable and important to help incoming students adjust to Penn.

 

For Current Peer Advisors

 

your advisees and their pre-major advisors

Students are invited to apply to become peer advisors. Outstanding and motivated peer advisors may then apply for leadership positions within the program.

Peer advisors are an integral part of the College's Advising program and, along with the pre-major advisor, are the first point of contact for incoming College students. They provide a student perspective in the College and assist first-year students in making the transition from high school to Penn by sharing their strategies for academic success and knowledge of campus resources. The Peer Advising program also encourages peers to develop an appreciation for the diversity of Penn's community through training and exposure to varied student, staff and faculty experiences and perspectives. Finally, the program promotes Penn resources as a vehicle by which students grow and are enriched academically, socially and personally. Peer advisors contact advisees during the Advance Registration period in the summer and remain accessible to their advisees by email and/or phone throughout the rest of the summer and into the academic year.

Current College students who are not in their final year may apply to be peer advisors and are selected and trained by the College Office and Peer Managers. The peer advising program is coordinated by Chris Donovan and Jason Breyan in the College Office.

Peer advisors provide the following kinds of assistance to first-year students:

  • Provide a student perspective on academic life in the College.
  • Share their knowledge of campus resources, strategies for academic success, and experiences overcoming challenges.
  • Help facilitate conversations between advisees and pre-major advisors.
  • Help advisees become familiar with the Advance Registration process.
  • Provide information about opportunities and academic pursuits outside of the classroom.
  • The Major Advising Program (MAP) allows students to contact declared majors and learn about the major from a student’s perspective. Third- and fourth-year peer advisors also serve as MAP advisors.

Peer managers have demonstrated extra-ordinary dedication to the Peer Advising program. They bring vision, innovation, leadership and a strong commitment to the advancement of the College advising program. Managers mentor a group of senior peers and advise their own cohort of first-year students. Managers also assist the College Office with the recruitment, selection and training of new peer advisors.

Peer Manager is a paid position requiring regular attendance at meetings and other work as assigned during the school year; managers must also be available to return to campus for New Student Orientation and program planning activities in August.

Responsibilities of peer managers include those of peer advisors and:

Plan and Conduct Training Sessions

  • Assist with planning and conducting training sessions during the spring semester and New Student Orientation
  • Be available throughout the summer by email and telephone and during the academic year to assist senior peer advisors and peer advisors
  • Promote College programs including the Major Advising Program (MAP) and Majors Dinners

Mentor Peer Advisors

  • Work with all peer advisors to help them effectively advise their group of first-year students
  • Maintain ongoing communication with peer advisors regarding program activities

Assist with Recruitment and Selection of Peer Advising Staff

  • Assist with the evaluation and selection of new peer managers and peer advisors
  • Promote the peer advising program and recommend new candidates

Ongoing

  • Attend regular peer manager staff meetings with program coordinators
  • Additional responsibilities as assigned

This page provides a guide to the steps you will need to take this summer as you help your advisees prepare for fall semester and academic life in the College.

Incoming-Student Steps

Peer Advisor Steps

April-May
 
  Attend peer advisor orientation.
June-July
 

Engage with Compass, the primary guide for incoming students throughout the summer. A link to Compass will be in the June 1 email.

Be in touch with a peer manager if you are having trouble communicating with your advisees.
Mid-June: Receive second email from the College and access the names and contact information for their peer and pre-major advisor. Mid-June:  Make initial contact with advisees. Use Summer Email #1: Introduction. Help advisees plan the initial appointment with the pre-major advisor and Advance Registration. Follow up on the first day of Advance Registration (June 26) using Summer Email #2: Follow-up Email to Advisees.
Use Compass to: Review Compass. Call or Zoom students:
  • Remind them to complete the steps to the left.
  • Remind advisees about Advance Registration, June 26 to July 17.
  • Provide advice for choosing classes based on your experience with Advance Registration and Path@Penn.

Check in with advisees to confirm they've made appointments with their pre-major advisor for Advance Registration.

Check their schedule on Path@Penn. Use Summer Email #3: Advisee Schedule Check-in to check in with advisees about their schedules. These should be available for viewing and changing in late July.
August
 
Wait for the guidance from Peer Managers about how we'll do NSO before communicating with your incoming students!
In Compass: Explain plans for Welcome to the College and Campus Using Summer Email #4: NSO.
Late August
 
First-Year Student Move-in: Attend a Welcome to the College session. Attend NSO training (tentative date August 25). Meet advisees for Welcome to the College and peer advising activity (tentative date August 26).

This page provides a guide to the steps you will need to take this fall as you help your advisees navigate their coursework, extracurriculars, opportunities and resources during their first semester in the College. The e-mail templates are for your use during the most important moments during the fall semester. Please note that we encourage you to meet with your advisees in person throughout the fall semester (individually or in groups).

Please wait to download the fall email templates until fall semester begins and the dates for the deadlines have been finalized.

Incoming-Student Steps

Peer Advisor Steps

September
 
Incoming students should be aware that the add deadline is approaching. Remind advisees that add deadline is approaching (September 12). Use Fall Email #5: Add Deadline Reminder and Check-in to see how the first couple weeks of life at Penn and courses are going.
October
 
Incoming students will be taking their first midterms as College students. Check in with advisees to see how first midterms went.
Incoming students should be aware that the drop deadline is approaching. It is important that they discus this with their pre-major advisor. Remind advisees that drop deadline is coming up (October 9). Check in to see if advisees have any questions about life at Penn, classes, or academic resources. If you would like some help recommending academic resources to your advisees, please contact a peer manager. Remind them of Course and Majors Fair. Use Fall Email #6: Drop Deadline and Course and Majors Fair.
Incoming students need to set up an appointment with their pre-major advisor to discuss course selection for the spring and have their registration hold removed. Remind advisees about how to choose courses on Path@Penn, how to use Penn Course Review and Penn Course Notify, and provide tips on how to make a schedule. Remind advisees to set up appointment with pre-major advisor to get off of registration hold. Please note, Advance Registration lasts from October 30 to November 13.
Incoming students should be aware that the withdrawal deadline is approaching. It is important that they discsuss this with their pre-major advisor. Relay to your advisees that withdrawal deadline is approaching (November 6). Determine if any of advisees are thinking of withdrawing from a course and refer to pre-major advisor for that discussion.
November/December
 
Incoming students will be taking finals for the first time as a College student. Ask advisees how they are enjoying Penn so far and if any would like to meet and talk before finals. Use Fall Email #8: Preparing for Finals to see how the semester went and offer any thoughts about managing time and workload during finals.
Videos for Incoming Students

Incoming students are encouraged to view these videos as an introduction to academic life in the College. Peers are encouraged to view them and suggest their advisees do the same.

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