Representation in Science at Eberly for Undergraduate Prehealth Students (RiSE UP)
About RiSE UP
Are you interested in a future career in the healthcare field and looking to get a head start on your time at the Penn State Eberly College of Science?
RiSE UP is an exciting six-week residential academic program at the University Park campus, designed to support incoming first-year Eberly College of Science students.
In order to help prepare you for your science major and expose you to careers in the health professions field, the program integrates academics, community-building, professional development, and health immersion programs to enhance your experiences.
By building relationships with peers, faculty, and staff on campus, and with professionals in the healthcare field, through RiSE UP you will start to lay the foundation for continuing your path to success through your first year and beyond.
The 2023 program will be the second annual session, following the inaugural 2022 program.
As a participant in RiSE UP, you will gain exposure to college math and chemistry, master the campus map, conquer living in a residence hall, learn how to navigate resources across campus, become a member of a cohort of talented science students to begin your life in Happy Valley, and even earn a college credit—all before starting school in the fall!
Why Enroll
- Earn 1 hour of college credit
- Skills for success in college calculus and chemistry
- Essential learning strategies and study skills
- Peer mentoring
- Health disparities-focused cornerstone project
- Health immersion trips
- Networking with faculty, staff, students, and healthcare professionals
- Early access to Prehealth Advising staff and strategies
And participants also will reside in the FISE Living Learning Community during the academic year!
What You Need to Know
Where
The program will take place at the University Park campus of Penn State, and students will live on campus in the Pollock residence halls over the summer.
When
The program begins on Sunday, June 18, 2023, and concludes on Friday, July 28, 2023.
Cost
The program is free to all participating students and includes housing, food, professional development programs, health immersion trips, and course supplies.
Selected students must pay a $250 deposit, which will be returned upon completion of the program. Students facing financial hardship should contact the Program Coordinator directly to discuss other options.
Participants will also receive a $500 scholarship upon successful completion of the program.
Application
The application for RiSE UP 2023 is now open! Please apply at this link. If that does not work, please try pasting this link into your browser directly: https://tinyurl.com/RiSEUP2023App
The Application Deadline is Sunday, May 7, 2023, 11:59 p.m. EST.
Selection
Applicants will be notified by email if they are selected to participate in RiSE UP.
Eligibility
- Must have accepted an offer of admissions to fall semester for Penn State Eberly College of Science at University Park
- Interested in a future career in the healthcare field
- Be able to attend in-person at the University Park campus for the entire 6-week period
- Completed FAFSA on file for both 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years
Healthcare Immersion Trips
As part of RiSE UP, participants will travel to Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, PA and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA for the chance to be immersed in a healthcare environment.
At CHOP, previous student participants toured the Emergency Department; listened to a panel of current med students; learned about internship and shadowing opportunities at CHOP; met and networked in-person with their mentors from the duration of the program; walked through the community gardens where they shared dinner with CHOP employees and volunteers; met representatives from the Policy Lab; and toured a working lab, met researchers, and learned about the cutting edge work being conducted by CHOP employees.
At the Penn State College of Medicine, previous student participants toured the helicopter pad and ambulance bay; met residents and physicians from Penn State Health, program facilitators, current professors, and students in the College of Medicine; toured the community garden and sampled freshly picked plants, honey produced by the bees, and other products of the garden; and more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Prehealth is not a designated major at Penn State (not to be confused with the Premedicine major or Premedical/Medical major at Penn State, offered but not required for students interested in medical school).
Prehealth refers to a group of foundational courses in math, chemistry, biology, physics, and other subjects to prepare students who want to enter into healthcare or related professions. This may include students who wish to pursue advanced professional degrees in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, and physical or occupational therapy, as well as chiropractic school or physician's assistant training.
If any of these careers are of interest to you, then RiSE UP may be a good fit & we encourage you to apply!
Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive one hour of college credit at no cost to the participant.
The Summer 2023 session is considered the end of the 2022-2023 academic year. In order to participate and have the full cost of the program covered by financial aid, participants will need to complete the 2022-2023 FAFSA using their 2020 tax information by June 1, 2023.
Students will also need to complete their 2023-2024 FAFSA using their 2021 tax information before the fall 2023 semester.
You may access the FAFSA link here.
New Student Orientation (NSO) for RiSE UP participants will take place on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 and Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Please be sure to sign up for this NSO date when NSO date selection opens in early April. You can begin to complete your NSO Tasklist now here.
Yes, attendance is required for the full 6-week program. Missing course time would make you ineligible to receive the college credit hour. If you have extenuating circumstances for a short term absence (i.e. attending your high school graduation) please contact the Program Coordinator to determine if you will still be eligible to participate.
You are not required to bring a laptop with you. From the class syllabus: "Canvas works best with the latest version of Firefox or Chrome. There have been errors reported using Safari. PSU technology support for students can be found at this link. If possible, please bring a laptop to class to conduct class activities. Laptops can be borrowed from the PSU's Pattee Library for limited time periods, found at this link."
However, we strongly recommend that you acquire a device for your college career, because many (if not most) classes will need one for assignments, and computer availability at the library will be much more limited in the academic year compared to the summer.
No, there is no parking available for participants during the program.
Please reference the embedded "RiSE UP Packing List" below when considering what you will need to bring for the RiSE UP summer program.
See the "What to Pack" and "What to Leave Behind" sections on the PSUArrival page linked here for details on what you can and cannot bring with you to the residence halls on campus.
Please note you cannot bring anything with heating elements, including kitchen appliances (like rice cookers, toasters, instapots, etc.), heaters, grills, candles, etc. See the link above for a more in-depth list!
Unfortunately, the residence hall will not be will not be open for move-in until the date provided. We strongly recommend that your parent attend NSO with you, if possible; but if they cannot stay, that’s OK!
RiSE UP 2023 begins with students moving into their residence hall on Sunday, June 18th!
RiSE UP 2023 will conclude with a closing ceremony on Friday, July 28th!
The program will be everyday including weekends! We will have several social outings on Saturdays throughout the program, and students are expected to stay in the on-campus housing for the duration. Most Sundays will be downtime for participants to simply rest, spend time with other students in the cohort, and work on any assignments received from courses during the week.
Yes, participants are expected to live in Ritner Hall as part of the FISE Living Learning community during the academic year. If you have special circumstances please communicate with the Program Coordinator in advance.
It is possible but not guaranteed. Please contact the Program Coordinator with your preferred roommate's name so the request can be relayed to the Housing Office and considered, if space allows.
Rooms in Ritner Hall for the fall and spring semesters are double rooms for both you and a roommate! Please see LiveOn, linked here, for more details about Ritner Hall.
Additional Questions?
For more information, please contact:
Kennedy Morrison
Program Coordinator, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Penn State Eberly College of Science