First-Semester Courses and Registration

Selecting first-semester courses is an exciting process. It is the beginning of your academic career at Penn. But it can also be overwhelming with a myriad of courses and academic opportunities from which to choose.

Take a deep breath. Your pre-major and peer advisors are available during the summer to discuss your ideas before your register for fall classes.

In preparation for this conversation, incoming first-years will need to engage with Compass, the primary guide for incoming first-years throughout the summer, where you'll be prompted to:

Prior to Advance Registration, incoming freshmen must have a discussion with their pre-major advisor about their academic interests and goals, and to plan a schedule for their first semester.

After being removed from registration hold by their advisor, students may enter Advance Registration course requests using Path@Penn. Path@Penn requires a student to log on using their PennKey and password. Students who have difficulty using Path@Penn should call the College Office, 215.898.6341.

The Course Search, Cart and Registration functions on Path@Penn allow students to browse courses of interest, plan their schedule for the following semester, and request courses for the fall.

Registration Tips includes notes on how the system works and how to improve your results.