Welcome to the Penn State Harrisburg community! We’ve got a great NSO planned for you and your student. NSO is optional for parents & families, but we encourage you to attend.

For your student, NSO will include a self-paced online course, a full-day in-person program, and a one-on-one Zoom meeting with an adviser. 

For you, NSO will be a full-day in-person program with events designed for you. During NSO, you’ll explore how to best support your student, meet people from a variety of offices around campus, and learn about academic programs. Lunch is included in all in-person NSO programs.

Your Next Steps

  • Encourage your student to:
    • Accept their admission offer.
    • Check their email regularly. We’ll reach out using the email address provided on their admissions application.
    • Check their NSO Tasklist in March. The NSO Tasklist is a comprehensive list of all the action items students must complete before starting at Penn State Harrisburg. Students should expect an email around mid-March letting them know they have access.
    • Make their NSO Reservation in April. All students required to complete an NSO prior to starting the semester. Be sure your student selects a date that works for everyone attending, since 2 guests are welcome to attend with each student. We recommend attending in June. Students will be able to make a reservation on their NSO Tasklist around mid-April and we’ll let them know via email. 
    • Complete their ALEKS Math Assessment prior to your NSO. If your student did not take calculus in high school, an ALEKS score is required to take many math and science classes. 
  • Complete the Parent & Family Online Course. You’ll receive access to this course a few days before your NSO.
  • Attend NSO with your student. Students should check their email weekly for important information and reminders.


For more information, visit Parents and Families Orientation site.