Panther Excellence Program
The Panther Excellence Program gives you a unique and exciting opportunity to quickly establish yourself at Georgia State and set yourself up for academic and interpersonal success. Through the Panther Excellence Program, you will:
- Develop strong study habits and academic skills
- Begin fulfilling degree requirements
- Increase your likelihood of attaining or maintaining the HOPE Scholarship eligibility
- Learn about a wealth of resources for support and guidance
- Make enduring friendships
Get the Tools You Need to Start College on the Right Foot
Panther Excellence Program consists of programs, activities and services that work together–and with you to put you on the path to college success:
- Individualized study skills and learning-style assessments
- Academic skills workshops including time management, memory and concentration, how to read a textbook, how to talk to your professor
- Supplemental Instruction
- Peer Mentoring
- Leadership development
- Introduction to key faculty and staff
- Individualized guidance and support from Financial Aid, University Advisement Center, Scholarship Resource Center, Academic Coaching, and more
- Social and networking events including leadership retreat and civic engagement opportunities
- Group Study sessions
Atlanta
First-Year
How does it work?
How do I get in?
To be considered for the Panther Excellence Program, you must meet the following requirements.
- Invitation from the Office of Admissions (email or letter)
- Completion of the Intent to Enroll form (link should be provided in invitation email or letter)
- Completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (Georgia State’s school code is 001574)
- Signed Commitment Statement to participate for the duration of the program (available during New Student Orientation)
How do I stay in the program?
Success in college takes commitment and engagement–both in the classroom and out–so the Panther Excellence Program asks for your full participation in a range of specific programs and activities:
- Mandatory attendance at selected academic and co-curricular events throughout the year, including one-on-one meetings with PEP staff
- Commitment to enroll in designated Core Curriculum classes in fall 2021 and spring 2022 (all Core courses will count toward your major, regardless of major)
- The fall and spring semesters of the Panther Excellence Program consist of twelve to thirteen credit hours for all participants for each semester.
- GPA of at least 2.5 following fall 2021 (students who do not meet this requirement may have registration restrictions in spring semester)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Panther Excellence Program?
- Why was I selected to participate in PEP?
- Is Panther Excellence Program a remedial program?
- How do I accept the invitation to participate in the Panther Excellence Program?
- Where is the Commitment Statement to participate in the Panther Excellence Program?
- What if I have not completed my FAFSA? Will my application still be reviewed if I have not applied for this current year?
- How do I apply for Housing?
- What classes will I be taking in the fall?
- Are classes from Monday to Friday?
- Can I select my own classes?
- Do I have to live on campus?
- Will I have time for a part‐time job?
- Are there any work/study opportunities at this time?
- I already signed up for New Student Orientation; should I still attend?
PEP is designed to help students transition from high school to college by providing individual guidance and coordinated support. The program not only includes additional academic assistance, but also specific co‐curricular programs and activities to further enhance your success at Georgia State University
Students were selected to participate in PEP based on their Freshman Index score, which is the calculation Georgia State uses to determine admissions to the school. The Freshman Index is based on a combination of SAT/ACT scores and high school GPA in college prep courses.
No. Georgia State University—Atlanta Campus does not offer remedial programs. The courses you will take are regular courses that will help you progress towards graduation.
It is a one‐step process. Simply complete the Intent to Enroll online form (the Office of Undergraduate Admissions should have provided you with the URL). Completing the form will not only confirm your participation in PEP, but will also indicate that you will attend Georgia State University.
The Commitment Statement will be available for you to sign during Incept. It will basically state that you understand that the program you are joining lasts for two semesters (fall and spring) and that you will participate for the duration of the program.
Your application will still be considered; however, you will need to complete the free FAFSA as soon as possible. Not doing so means that you would not be eligible for financial aid during the fall semester
Once you identify that you will participate in PEP, you will be issued a campus ID and Panther ID. (Your campus ID will be the first letter of your first name, your last name, and a number. Your Panther ID will be a nine digits number.) As soon as you receive both IDs, you will be able to apply for housing.
For fall, you will take the following courses:
- GSU 1010 New Student Orientation—This course is required for everyone in this program. The class is not part of the Core Curriculum, but it counts in the institutional and HOPE GPA. We have research that shows that students who actively participate in this course graduate faster, retain the HOPE scholarship at a higher rate, and have higher GPAs over their college career. This is the course that will provide us with the opportunity to assist you in developing solid academic skills and to aid in your college transition. We have dedicated resources for this class to provide study skills and learning styles assessments for students, as well as hired a peer mentor to be in the class to help you with your transition.
- Engl 1101 English Composition I—Required course for all students.
- Other courses in the Core Curriculum that count towards graduation for all majors.
The class schedules vary, but students have class from Monday to Thursday. Fridays will be used as opportunities for study skills workshops, tutors and other academic support. We will also have guest speakers from the community and across campus that will be scheduled during the time the students are here.
Not for fall. The Panther Excellence Program aims not only to provide you with successful skills to help you do well at Georgia State, but also to form a small, friendly community within a large, research university. If you do not take the same courses as everyone else, you would not be fully integrated in the PEP community. You will have the opportunity, however, to select certain courses for spring semester.
We encourage students to live on campus because many events and activities are held on campus; therefore, living in student housing allows you to attend these easily. Another reason to live on campus is that Residential Advisors will be on your floor to assist you from transitioning to living on your own to organizing activities to help you discover Atlanta. Finally, studies have shown that students who live on campus tend to stay in school and graduate at higher rates. Since we want to make sure you succeed at Georgia State, living on campus is a good place to start. However, before submitting your application to live on campus, it is vital that you consider your financial situation and determine whether you can afford living on campus.
Potentially. You could work in the evenings or on the weekends because we don't intend to schedule too many required events then. If you are living on campus, there will be evening programs that you can attend to enhance your experience.
This would depend on your financial aid award. Once you receive your award, you will know whether you are eligible for work‐study. If this is something that you need in order to attend Georgia State, we are going to have the Office of Financial Aid talk to the PEP students and you would have an opportunity to talk with them about your specific situation.
We are currently planning a different orientation for PEP students, so we want to make sure that you attend that particular date.