Also…get advice on how to succeed from UPG faculty, staff and students.
What
IS Summer Orientation & Academic Registration (S.O.A.R.)?
S.O.A.R. is a two-day mandatory program for all full-time first-year students at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.
On
Thursday, you will take two placement exams -- Foreign Language and Math.
On Friday, you will be registering for your classes. Consult the tentative
schedule for the full two-day schedule. In addition to the academic component,
you'll also have the opportunity to learn about financial aid, housing, campus
clubs/activities, etc. Furthermore you will be able to meet some faculty and
staff -- and perhaps more importantly, your future classmates.
S.O.A.R. is a casual program, designed to give you a lot of information about UPG. Take advantage of your time at S.O.A.R. to ask questions and to make some new friends!
When
will information be sent out?
Information
regarding S.O.A.R. will be sent to you after your $100.00 tuition deposit
has been paid through the Admissions office. These materials will include
more information about S.O.A.R., as well as a registration form. You may
have already paid your deposit -- please be patient! J
The first set of materials will be sent out at the beginning of April.
Do
I have to attend?
Yes, the program is mandatory because you will be taking your placement exams and scheduling classes for the fall semester. There are four different sessions -- two in June and two in July. Each session is held on a Thursday and a Friday. If you work or have other commitments, you should make arrangements to free your schedule so you can attend on of the S.O.A.R. sessions.
Is
it better to attend the earlier S.O.A.R. sessions?
It is a common misperception that you have to attend the sessions in June in order to get the schedule you want. And while some classes may become closed at any time during the registration process, the truth is that more sections of classes are added as more students register, and oftentimes, extra seats are added to "closed" classes in order to accommodate the July sessions. Always keep in mind there is an add/drop period at the beginning of each semester if you'd like to try to change your schedule. Also, there are always students that withdraw from their classes.
Will
my roommate(s) be there?
It depends…only if your roommate(s) picked the same S.O.A.R. session as you. We do not purposely match roommates to S.O.A.R. sessions, as we don't know who your roommates are! If you must attend the same session as a roommate/friend/sibling, please try to coordinate that before sending in your registration forms.
Should
my parent(s)/guardian(s) attend?
There's no easy answer to this one, it is something you'll have to talk about with your parent(s)/guardian(s).
There
is a concurrent program for parent(s)/guardian(s) during S.O.A.R. While you
are taking exams and registering for classes, your parent(s)/guardian(s) will
be meeting with various faculty and staff to help them become familiar with
UPG.
A
little over half of the first year students in 2002 brought a parent/guardian
with them. If your parent(s)/guardian(s) can't attend, you certainly won't
be the only student who comes to S.O.A.R. alone.
Do
I have to stay overnight on campus?
All resident students must stay on campus. All commuters are
welcome to stay and are strongly encouraged to do so! Students that stay on
campus during S.O.A.R. will be housed in College Hall, which is air-conditioned.
There will be 3 students per room, each room has its own bathroom. For those
staying overnight, bed sheets, towels and a pillow is provided. If you get
cold in air conditioning, you may wish to bring a blanket.
 |
Goofing around in College Hall -- S.O.A.R.
2002.
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If
your parent(s)/guardian(s) also attends S.O.A.R., they have the option of
staying the night on campus. They will be housed in either the Humanities
or Behavioral Sciences Villages, which are air-conditioned. There will be
4 parents/guardians per apartment -- there are four bedrooms and two bathrooms
in each apartment. Bed sheets, towels and a pillow will also be provided for
parents/guardians staying on campus.
How
much does S.O.A.R. cost?
It's $55.00 per person for those staying on campus. Again, that includes bed sheets, towels and a pillow, as well as the meals and all materials.
It's
$40.00 per person for those not staying on campus. This fee helps cover
the cost of meals and materials.
You'll
need to send this payment in with your S.O.A.R. registration form, and
payment must be made by check or money order made out to "UPG".
Unfortunately, we cannot accept payment by credit or debit cards, and we
apologize if we cause any inconvenience.
