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What is PSSP?

The Pre-Collegiate Summer Scholars Program (PSSP) offers select students a chance to live and learn on campus prior to the start of their first year. Throughout the six week program, students take classes, explore the campus and community, and get to know their peers, faculty and Student Support Specialists within their college.

PSSP students take courses and earn up to 9 credits toward their degree. While all participants take one of ILR’s core courses, like Labor History, other courses may include economics, writing, history, and skills for college success.

All 190 of Cornell’s PSSP participants will be assigned a roommate and live in McClintock on the North side of campus. McClintock Hall is named in honor of Cornell 1923 -1927 graduate and Nobel Prize winner Barbara McClintock. McClintock Hall aims to draw students out of their individual rooms and into ample common areas that support group study, social interaction, and programs in spacious lounges and nearby cafés.

The Dates for PSSP Summer 2023 are June 14th - August 2nd. Participation in PSSP is restricted to students chosen by each college. Students selected, whether required or invited, to attend will be notified by the beginning of April. All tuition, fees, room, and board charges are covered by Cornell.

PSSP was a great experience overall! I met genuine friends that I can connect to, and they help me feel like I belong at Cornell. Together, we explored many places in Ithaca and it gave me an opportunity to get familiar with the area. I am still in contact with all of them today. Without PSSP, I probably would have not had the chance to meet them!
Vanessa Liu
,
BSILR Student '26
portrait of Vanessa Liu
PSSP put me on the right track for my professional and personal goals. From PSSP, I developed early connections with staff from the ILR Office of Student Services, ILR Admissions Office, and the ILR Office of Career Services, which have helped me throughout my first year. The comfort and connections PSSP has provided me have fostered my involvement as an ILR Admissions Ambassador. Overall, PSSP was the experience I needed to push me outside of my comfort zone!
Bryanne Sarfo
,
BSILR Student '26
Portrait of Bryanne Sarfo
I would not be the ILRie I am today without going to PSSP. The PSSP program allowed me to develop professionally and academically by making one-on-one connections with the ILR offices and taking classes that would help me get ahead in my degree. The program also gave me some of my best friends and helped me find a community of students like me!
Macey Bone
,
BSILR Student '26
portrait of Macey Bone
PSSP made me more knowledgeable about the Ithaca area before the fall semester began. I knew how to catch the TCAT numerous places off campus before peers even knew how to catch it for class. I gained a lot of connections through the program with people both inside and out of ILR, so I felt at ease seeing friends around campus periodically. Due to the rigor of classes in PSSP, when the actual semester began it felt easier than it should have been since I was semi-familiar with college workload already.
Jakene Reaves
,
BSILR Student '26
portrait of Jakene Reaves

PSSP Peer Mentor

Peer mentors are current Cornell students who assist with the success of PSSP. Peer mentors will help guide and serve as a resource to the selected students that participate in PSSP. Any current student will need to apply and go through an interview process to serve as a peer mentor.

Peer mentor applications are closed for 2023, but we will be recruiting again in spring, 2024.

My experience as a PSSP mentor helped me learn about my desires for my future career. The connections I made with the PSSP students were very rewarding, and I still connect with some of them. I enjoyed providing guidance to incoming students through resident-life advice, information on Cornell resources, and helping them get acclimated to ILR. Continuous mentoring was a big piece for me, because I get to check in with the people I mentored during the school year and offer help about campus. I'm grateful to ILR staff for their help and support for both me and the students I mentored.
– Libby Willkomm '23, BSILR student from Wisconsin

Contact

Get in touch

Get in touch

Contact Information

Debbie Beausejour
Associate Director of Multicultural Affairs
Office of Student Services, 101 Ives Hall
(607) 255-8279

Portrait of Debbie Beausejour
Email Debbie Beausejour