Still Time to Register for Final Summer ‘Alive!’ Program Sessions

PULLMAN, Wash. — More than 3,000 freshman and transfer students and some 2,000 parents are expected to participate in a series of “Alive!” orientation sessions this summer at Washington State University.

With the first freshman orientation session slated to begin June 19, all but two of nine remaining orientation sessions are at full capacity. Entering freshmen students may still sign up for the two final sessions, which are scheduled to run from July 28 through 30 and from August 2 through 4. To register, students can log on to the WSU home page at www.wsu.edu, and follow the “Alive!” link.

The sessions are $150 for students and $130 for parents, with financial aid available to those who qualify. The fee covers two night’s stay in a residence hall, four meals, workshop presentations and handouts, and an orientation resource manual. Students also receive academic advice from a WSU faculty member and are given priority registration for fall classes.

Terese King, director of New Student Programs, said the focus of the “Alive” program is to help students with their transition from high school to WSU and college life. Parents and students who participate can get information about resources on campus that can help them succeed, she said.

While attending “Alive!,” students and parents will learn about college costs, admissions, academic expectations, faculty advising, time scheduling and  will be given the opportunity to experience a classroom environment. They will participate in a variety of interest workshops dealing with living options, financial aid and college costs.

Participants will receive a campus tour of academic buildings, as well as the Student Recreation Center, French Administration Building, Lighty Student Services Building, the Multicultural Student Center and the “Bookie.”

Most students also will take their writing placement exam, and about half of them will take their math placement exam, King said. Photos for Cougar Cards (student identification cards) can also be taken.

WSU stopped accepting applications from incoming freshman to its Pullman campus for the fall 2004 semester late last month after receiving more applications this year than last year. The fall freshman class is expected to be slightly smaller than it was in 2003.

Janet Danley, interim executive director of enrollment services, said WSU has received about 500 more applications from prospective first-time freshmen than last year, or about 9,600 overall. The university plans to admit a class of about 2,950 first-time freshmen this fall, compared to last year’s freshman class of 3,032.

In the wake of last year’s large class, university administrators made the decision to limit enrollments this year to align enrollment numbers more closely with per-student funding provided by the state.

Applications from high-achieving freshmen students – with a high school grade point average of 3.6 or higher – are up this year from previous years. Confirmed admissions of these students is slightly higher than last year’s record number, in which 38.8 percent of incoming freshmen had high school grade point averages of 3.6 or above.