The EARLY-SOAR Program

What is EARLY-SOAR?

The EARLY-SOAR (Student Orientation Advisement Registration) program is a one-day orientation, advisement, and registration program that is offered to new first-year students who have applied for admission to YSU by February 15, 2010.  Students are given an opportunity to be among the first to register for fall semester classes.   Also, students will have an opportunity to meet faculty, staff, and current students who intend to assist them throughout their career at YSU as well as visiting with representatives from various services and resources on campus.  We have posted the program agenda as .pdf file in the reservation/confirmation section for your online convenience.

During the EARLY-SOAR program you will:

• take your photo ID and confirm activation of your cue-mail account
• meet your academic advisor and receive course advisement
• select and register for your fall semester classes
• become acquainted with the YSU campus
• meet and be assigned a Peer Mentor (PM), who will help guide you to success during your first year
• interact with faculty and staff
• connect with resources, services, and activities on campus that can help you during your transition to college

Reservation and Confirmation:

Students can register for the program with the online EARLY-SOAR Fall 2010 Reservation Form.  The online reservation form will be available beginning the week of November 2, 2009.  Telephone reservations will not be accepted.  Please note:  Students must indicate their first and second choices of EARLY-SOAR dates on the reservation form.  We will make every effort to assign the first choice but once a session has been filled, the second choice will be assigned.

Reservations for the EARLY program are limited to the student and two guests.  Since reservations are processed on a first-return basis and the attendance at each session is limited, we encourage students to make a reservation as early as possible.  The deadline to register for the fall 2010 program is Friday, February 19, 2010.

After we have assigned the student's orientation date, a confirmation letter as well as MyYSU activation information and testing notification will be sent to the student.  Space is limited for each session so that students may be effectively advised.  To ensure that we are adequately prepared, it is imperative that students attend EARLY on their confirmed date.  If a student does not receive a confirmation letter, the student should call (330) 941-2103 to confirm his/her date.  Students should not make travel plans until a confirmation letter has been received.

Before Orientation Checklist:

• Complete the EARLY-SOAR reservation form before the deadline.  Program reservations need to be received prior to the deadline.  Reservations received after the deadline may impact the availability of dates.

• Complete the University’s placement testing prior to orientation date.  Based on our review of a student's ACT or SAT score, he/she may be required to take the Composition Placement Test (CPT), the COMPASS Math Test (CMT) or the COMPASS Reading Test (CRT).  The results of these tests will allow our academic advisors to place students in the appropriate English, Mathematics and Reading courses.  In addition, certain majors will require Foreign Language coursework; students may opt to fulfill the Foreign Language requirement or place into an intermediate level course by taking the Foreign Language Placement Test (FLPT).

• Activate your MyYSU account.  MyYSU is the official electronic communication portal at the University.  Students who have been accepted for enrollment have the ability to set up this account and begin using it immediately (see orientation confirmation packet for instructions).

• Discuss course advisement and registration with parents/family members.  We believe our orientation programs provide students with an excellent opportunity to establish their connection to the University.  In order to assist students in building this connection independently, students and their guests will be separated during part of the program, including advisement and registration.  Therefore, we encourage our students to discuss issues related to course advisement and registration with their parents/family members prior to orientation.  The Undergraduate Bulletin is the resource students should review prior to orientation; it contains academic policies, major curriculum, and course descriptions.

• If necessary, contact CSP/Disability Services. Students with a documented physical, psychological, and/or learning disability (permanent or temporary), in order to receive educational accommodations, are required to register with CSP/Disability Services at (330) 941-1372 or (330) 941-1534 (TTD) so the disability may be accommodated.  If a student has a disability that will require special accommodations on the day of SOAR, the student should contact the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs at (330) 941-2103 prior to that date so the appropriate arrangements can be made.

• If necessary, apply for financial aid and scholarships.  If students need financial assistance to support their higher education, they are encouraged to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the YSU Institutional Aid Application.  YSU strongly encourages electronic submission of both forms (available on their website).  For information on completing the FAFSA or YSU Institutional Aid Application on-line, please contact your local high school or YSU’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at (330) 941-3505.  It is important to remember that dependent students will need their own and their family’s current federal income tax returns to complete the FAFSA.

• If necessary, make overnight accommodations.  For students who are coming from out of town and plan to stay in a hotel, we recommend the hotels under the General Information tab.  Reservations may be made by calling the numbers listed for each hotel.  Hotels are grouped north of the YSU campus at the I-80 interchange and south off of I-680.

• If necessary, contact and apply for University Housing.  Students interested in on-campus housing are encouraged to file an application through the Office of Housing and Residence Life, located on the first floor of Kilcawley House.  Students may stop by the office to pick up an application, call (330) 941-3547, or visit their website.

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"A true knowledge of ourselves is a knowledge of our power." MARK RUTHERFORD