New Scholar Orientation Experiences - Admissions - Schreyer Honors College (SHC) at Penn State University

Congratulations New Scholars New Scholar Orientation Experiences

Welcome to the Schreyer Scholar family! We are thrilled to have you join us in the fall. This page will provide you with important and timely information you need to succeed in your orientation to Penn State and the Schreyer Honors College — it is a journey!

Penn State is a large, multi-faceted institution. As a new Schreyer Scholar, you will quickly learn how easy it is to find community and belonging in Schreyer. Whether you are entering the College as a first-, second-, or third-year student at University Park or one of our campuses, we have designed a welcoming and inclusive orientation program with you in mind. You belong.

SHO TIME students posing at the We Are statue

Orientation Information

For information about New Scholar Orientation Experiences, please select your entry type and location below:

First-Year University Park Scholars

New Student Orientation (NSO)

Your orientation to Penn State begins during New Student Orientation (NSO). All new first-year students to Penn State must participate in NSO. Special NSO dates are set for incoming University Park Schreyer Scholars each year, and first-year Scholars are automatically added to those dates. Schreyer Honors College will hold open houses on each of those dates for incoming Scholars to meet with and ask questions of Schreyer staff and leadership, current Scholars, and other incoming families.

Schreyer NSO Dates

All of the Schreyer specific NSO dates for 2024 have passed. Thank you for those who attended. 2025 NSO dates will be posted in spring of 2025.

Schreyer Honors Orientation (SHO TIME)

Schreyer Honors College holds a welcoming and inclusive orientation to the Schreyer community for all new Scholars. Schreyer Honors Orientation (SHO TIME) is the beginning of your Schreyer journey.

Upon your arrival, you will be welcomed by the Dean, staff, and more than 60 Scholar Peer Educators who were where you are today not that long ago. Peer Educators serve as trusted friends, mentors, and advocates for all new Scholars, and they are eager to connect and engage with you throughout your orientation experience.

During SHO TIME, Peer Educators introduce new Scholars to the college's academic requirements, mission and vision, community, student life, resources, and more through two days of entertaining and interactive programming.

Schedule

2025 orientation information will be available in Spring 2025.

Foundations of Scholar Success (LA 197)

Foundations of Scholar Success is the continuation of your orientation journey. This semester-long one-credit course helps you build key skills needed for success while fostering connections with peers and Scholar mentors. First-year Scholars, regardless of campus, are highly recommended to register for this course during their first fall semester in Schreyer Honors College.

Foundations of Scholar Success is different from a first-year seminar course. This experience is about finding and strengthening your community and support systems within Schreyer. It will also help you understand how to bring and apply the Schreyer mission and values to your honors college journey. In this course, taught by credentialed peer educators, Scholars can expect a variety of activities, including engaging discussions, reflections, and group outings. Scholars will explore Schreyer and Penn State resources, discover out-of-classroom opportunities and funding sources, develop personal and academic success strategies, and learn insider tips to navigate Schreyer and Penn State.

This class will meet weekly for one hour throughout the fall. It is focused on discussion during class, rather than homework. Outside of class work will be minimal and may include activities such as reflecting or blogging. The course is being graded as satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

How to Schedule

Log into LionPath to add an available section of LA 197 to your schedule during New Student Orientation (NSO) or after.

Course Outline

View a general outline of this course by clicking on the button below.

View Course Outline

Week 1

Welcome to College

What is community? Basis of Schreyer as a community?

Week 2

Finding Your Why: Aligning Passion and Purpose

Why are you in college? Personal goal vs. external pressures and expectations

Week 3

Time Tango: Dancing with Deadlines

Managing your involvements, time management tools and techniques

Week 4

Study Hacks: Ace Your Academics

Memory and metacognition, using AI as a study tool

Week 5

Wellness 101: Thrive & Revive

Using the Schreyer Plan to reflect on student involvement, campus resources for health and wellness

Week 6

Break: No Class

Week 7

Courageous Conversations: Tackling Tough Topics

Conflict resolution, respect for human differences

Week 8

Building Bridges with Professors

Requesting letters, email etiquette, attending office hours

Week 9

Vote and Voice: Navigating Civic Engagement

What you should bring to and take away from a service experience

Week 10

Dealing with the Low Point: Stress & Anxiety

"Treat Week"

Week 11

Dollars & Sense: Navigating Your Finances

Emergency fund, grants, budgeting

Week 12

Future Forward: Crafting Your Path Ahead

Campus resources for resumes, research, internships, volunteering, etc.

Week 13

Navigating the Triad: Leading, Following, and Allying

How to lead and follow, using your voice to support others, working on teams

Week 14

Putting It All Together

Taking everything covered during the semester and putting it all together

Week 15

No Class

Welcome Week & Scholar Involvement Fair

Welcome Week is a time for exploring Penn State, learning about involvement opportunities, and enjoying exciting campus events.

During this week, we invite you to check out the All-Scholar Involvement Fair to learn about student organizations in Schreyer. The Scholar Involvement Fair will be held on September 8 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Atherton Hall.

Scholar Housing

Have you completed your housing contract yet? All first-year Scholars at University Park are strongly encouraged to live in the Schreyer Honors College Living Learning Community in Atherton or Simmons Hall. You can update your housing preference any time before May 20 by visiting eLiving.

Our Honors Community

The GLOBE: A Schreyer Living Learning Community

The GLOBE is a close-knit community of globally minded individuals who have the desire to foster global awareness and an international perspective. First-year Scholars interested in applying or learning more about the GLOBE can do so on their website. Applications for The Globe will be available in May and due in June.

Peer Educators

Director

Lia Gerboc Biology (BS) she/her/hers Lake Mary, FL lng5172@psu.edu

Emma Khoury Biology (BS) she/her/hers Shrewsbury, PA emk5948@psu.edu

Peer Leader

Katie Estes Integrative Science (BS) Spanish (BA) she/her Hummelstown, PA kme5596@psu.edu

Shreya Gorawala Integrative Science (BS) she/her Ambler, PA sjg6326@psu.edu

Emilie Horton Accounting (MACC) Accounting (BS) she/her/hers Irwin, PA egh5219@psu.edu

Jackie Kiszka Meteo & Atmosph Scnce (BS) she/her York, PA jmk7074@psu.edu

Cameron Koch Biology (BS) he/him Coopersburg, PA cgk5194@psu.edu

Joe Mast Industrial Engr (BS) he/him Carlisle, PA jlm7935@psu.edu

Owen Nasal Mathematics (BS) he/him State College, PA omn5039@psu.edu

Ava Nociforo Comm Arts & Sciences (BA) Advt/Publ Relations (BA) she/her Horsham, PA agn5131@psu.edu

Katie Seidel Environmntl Sys Engr (BS) she/her Mount Airy, MD kjs6865@psu.edu

Aneesh Singh Data Sciences (BS) he/him Metuchen, NJ azs7281@psu.edu

Mabel Tong Biology (BS) she/her State College, PA mst5405@psu.edu

Matt Visomirski Physics (BS) Mathematics (BS) he/him/his Jenkintown, PA mav5583@psu.edu

Peer Educator

Kamryn Andes Vet & Biomedical Sc (BS) she/her Ephrata, PA kba5394@psu.edu

Jui Baliga Psychology (BA) she/her Mesaimeer Doha, QAT jmb9577@psu.edu

Siddhardha Basu Comp Sci - Univ Park (BS) he/him Mechanicsburg, PA syb5570@psu.edu

Pradham Bathini Biochem & Molec Biol (BS) he/him Mechanicsburg, PA pkb5363@psu.edu

Lillian Clayton Info Sciences & Tech (PMAJ) she/her Duncansville, PA ljc5970@psu.edu

Giorgio Corti Management (BS) he/him Oggiono, LC gzc5299@psu.edu

Alaina Cummings Nuclear Engineering (BS) she/her Brookhaven, PA anc6008@psu.edu

Cate Didenko Biobehavioral Health (BS) she/her Perkasie, PA cmd7071@psu.edu

Kevin Ding Biology (BS) he/him Hummelstown, PA kxd5524@psu.edu

Will Draper Science (PMAJ) he/him Springfield, PA wrd5107@psu.edu

Gracy Franco Prasanna Data Sciences (BS) she/her Nazareth, PA gjf5257@psu.edu

Effie Frank Imnlgy & Infctus Dis (BS) she/her Valencia, PA evf5331@psu.edu

Ethan Galley Criminology (BA) he/him White Oak, PA emg6053@psu.edu

Lianna Gardner Landscape Arch (BLA) Spanish (BA) she/her Oxford, PA lbg5362@psu.edu

Teja Gopalan Psychology (BS) Statistics (BS) they/them State College, PA tzg5122@psu.edu

Carter Henninger Engr Premajor (PMAJ) he/him Macungie, PA cjh6830@psu.edu

Emily Hidalgo Mathematics (BS) she/her Richboro, PA ebh5466@psu.edu

Alexandra Iosava Div of Ug Studies (PMAJ) she/her Newtown, PA avi5217@psu.edu

Sakshi Jain Comp Sci - Univ Park (BS) he/him Chester, PA sbj5481@psu.edu

Tanvi Joshi Economics (BA) Telecommunications (BA) she/her West Grove, PA tsj5216@psu.edu

Rushil Kakkad Comp Sci - Univ Park (BS) he/him Pittsburgh, PA rkk5541@psu.edu

Nikitha Kanumuru Mat Sci and Engr (BS) she/her Chester, PA nsk5238@psu.edu

Leah Karwic Biochem & Molec Biol (BS) she/her Elverson, PA lek5428@psu.edu

Sarah Kircher Mathematics (BS) she/her Perkasie, PA shk5178@psu.edu

Emmanuel Kraft Public Policy (MPP) Comm Arts & Sciences (BS) Political Science (BA) he/him Chevy Chase, MD egk5217@psu.edu

Sam Kratman Biology (BS) she/her Lincoln, RI sak6244@psu.edu

Jackie Lewis Architectural Engr (BAE) she/her Leesburg, VA jpl6585@psu.edu

Aditi Maheshwari Physics (BS) she/her Breinigsville, PA afm6441@psu.edu

Samuel Martin Health Policy/Admin (BS) he/him Newtown, PA sam8048@psu.edu

Gianna Martinelli International Poltcs (BA) Spanish (BA) she/her Wilmington, DE gtm5192@psu.edu

Miguel Mascarenhas Psychology (BS) he/him Mechanicsburg, PA mmm8348@psu.edu

Kris Mendiratta Engr Premajor (PMAJ) he/him West Chester, PA kfm5917@psu.edu

Sagufta Muktadir Biomedical Engneerng (BS) she/her King of Prussia, PA sjm7368@psu.edu

Damini Nair Biology (BS) Psychology (BS) she/her Thiruvananthapuram, KL INDIA dmn5491@psu.edu

UK Nam Biology (BS) he/him Media, PA yfn5069@psu.edu

Emilia Palmer Comp Sci - Univ Park (BS) she/her Garnet Valley, PA eap5759@psu.edu

Kira Perna Science (PMAJ) she/her Bridgeville, PA kkp5635@psu.edu

Leona Pierce Data Sciences (BS) Mathematics (BS) she/they Sammamish, WA ijp5139@psu.edu

Kathryn Pinto Film Production (BA) Glbl & Intrntl Studs (BA) she/her Shoreline, WA kxp5591@psu.edu

Shreya Rupesh Comp Sci - Univ Park (BS) she/her Wayne, PA smr7071@psu.edu

Douglas Sanders Liberal Arts (PMAJ) he/him Haymarket, VA dcs5821@psu.edu

Amanda Sargen Mech Engr - Univ Park (BS) she/her York, PA ajs9367@psu.edu

Samantha Sellmann Psychology (BS) she/her Brick, NJ ses6443@psu.edu

Madeline Shanafelt Liberal Arts (PMAJ) she/her Hollidaysburg, PA mms8193@psu.edu

Maddie Christy Solano Comm Sci & Disorders (BS) she/her North Haledon, NJ mcs6300@psu.edu

Christopher Stauffer Political Science (BA) he/him Lititz, PA cjs7913@psu.edu

Emily Stoller Earth Science & Plcy (BS) Geography (BA) she/her State College, PA ess5534@psu.edu

Sarah Taylor Telecommunications (BA) she/her Newtown, PA smt6314@psu.edu

Lisa Wang Biology (BS) she/her Palmyra, PA lzw5522@psu.edu

First-Year Commonwealth Campus Scholars

New Student Orientation (NSO)

Your orientation to Penn State begins during New Student Orientation (NSO). Your Campus will provide more information on NSO dates and requirements. Visit Penn State New Student Orientation (NSO) for more details.