Hello Class of 2024!

With the official start of Penn's inaugural Second-Year Orientation (SYO) approaching quickly from Saturday, August 28 through Monday, August 30, we wanted to send you a warm welcome! Here at the Office of New Student Orientation & Academic Initiatives, we are eagerly preparing for your arrival.

Look below to learn about the Second-Year Experience and some of the exciting upcoming opportunities just for you and your peers. View a special welcome message below from The Class Board 2024!

Thrive at Penn (TAP)

You may remember completing Thrive at Penn (TAP) online modules on Canvas last year when you were just beginning your academic career at Penn. 

As a second-year student at Penn, you still have access to the many resources on TAP. We have new TAP content to better prepare you for the upcoming semester along with additional information regarding Second-Year Orientation (SYO) and more. 

Be sure to check out the updated Class of 2024 TAP page for updates and helpful resources just for you! 

Second-Year Reading Experience (SYRE)

Another opportunity of the Second-Year Experience is the Second-Year Reading Experience (SYRE)! All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis is a 2020 collection of essays and poetry edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson. The book opens with a selection from Penn's Class of 2024's very own Xiye Bastida!

In collaboration with Penn's Climate Week, we invite you to join in conversations about this book on Monday, August 30 from 4-6pm in Chemistry Building 102. Click the button below to request an E-Book copy of All We Can Save.

Gateway Testing & Health Reminders

As a reminder, all immunizations are still required. Additional immunizations this year are COVID and Flu.  All documentation of immunization was due July 1 through the Student Health portal. Students can learn more about immunizations here.

Gateway testing (or arrival testing) is an important public health measure to quickly assess and minimize the introduction of the virus in our community. Every student who will be enrolled during the fall semester and coming to campus for classes or other academic requirements is required to be tested once upon arrival to campus. This test must be completed through our own Penn Cares testing system in order to be compliant with their Gateway Testing requirement.

Still have questions?

We’re happy to help with any questions you might have. Contact us at provost-nso-ai@pobox.upenn.edu.