The SOAR Program

What is SOAR?

The SOAR (Student Orientation, Advisement, & Registration ) program is an informative and exciting one-day program for new YSU students and their parents and families.  The program includes your official academic advising session, registration for classes and a complete overview of University resources. We have posted the program agendas as .pdf files in the reservation/confirmation section for your online convenience.

During the program you will:

• become acquainted with the YSU campus
• meet and be assigned your Peer Mentor (PM), who will help guide you to success in your first year
• interact with faculty and staff
• receive academic advisement
• select and register for your fall semester classes
• connect with the resources, services, and activities on campus that can help you succeed

Reservation and Confirmation:

Students can register for a program session online with the Spring 2010 Reservation Form.  SOAR Invitation mailings will begin the week of October 26, 2009.  Telephone reservations will not be accepted.  Please note, students must indicate their first and second choices of SOAR dates on the reservation form.  We will make every effort to assign the first choice but once a session has been filled, an alternate date will be assigned.

Since reservations are processed on a first-return basis and the attendance at each session is limited, we encourage students to register as early as possible.  The online reservation process will be available starting the week of October 26, 2009, and the deadlines to register for the Spring 2010 SOAR program is Monday, December 28, 2009.

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 SOAR 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:

o Complete the 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.

o 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).

o 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 materials for instructions).

o 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.  The current bulletin is available on-line.

o 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.

o 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.

o 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.

o 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.

<back to to>