Panther Excellence Program

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 2017 and spring 2018) 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.