Pathways to Excellence FAQs

Kick start your journey as a proud and prepared CSUN Matador with Pathways to Excellence (P2E), a FREE four-week summer transition program designed to support your success!

As a first-time freshman and P2E participant, you’ll get to know CSUN professors, staff and other students while discovering amazing campus resources that will help you feel confident, empowered and ready for the adventure of your first-semester college courses.

One of the following P2E program options will be recommended to you after you sign up for the P2E program:

• Matador College Excellence
• Matador STEM Excellence
• Matador Summer Transition to Engineering and Computer Science Program (M-STEP), for incoming freshmen who have declared one of the majors in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Learn more about the P2E program.

All P2E program options provide these benefits:

• Become part of the CSUN community this summer.
• Focus on the transition from high school to college.
• Discover your strengths and interests.
• Receive early advisement and enrollment in fall 2024 hand-selected classes.

All P2E programs share the same general start and end dates:

• Saturday, July 6, 2024 – Attend the P2E Kick-Off Event.
• July 8 to August 2 – Take your program or workshop (schedules vary).
• Friday, August 2 – Celebration Ceremony for you and your family.

All P2E programs include Matador Early Connections, where you’ll regularly meet with peer mentors who are also CSUN students and attend workshops about university life.

Valuable resources, technology, building community — experience it all this summer and receive support throughout your entire first year!

Most incoming freshmen can participate in P2E. However, some students should not sign up for P2E, for example:

• If you are scheduled to participate in any other CSUN summer program such as CSUN’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Summer Bridge, please do not sign up for P2E.
• If you are an international student, please do not sign up for P2E. Visit The Hub International to prepare for your fall semester, or email p2e@csun.edu for suggestions.
• If you cannot come to the CSUN campus for at least two in-person meetings during P2E, you should not participate. Please see the FAQ "Are the classes offered online or in person?" on this page to make an arrangement to participate mostly online.

If you have questions about whether or not Pathways to Excellence is right for you, please contact the P2E team at p2e@csun.edu.

Early Access to All Things CSUN!

Join Pathways to Excellence and gain early access to all things CSUN this summer, including these benefits:

• Meeting professors, classmates, staff and CSUN student peer mentors
• CSUN technology, software and our Device Loaner Program
• Early advisement with dedicated academic advisors in the advising center for your major
• Early registration in an exclusive, hand-selected fall class schedule

Academic Support

As you become a member of the CSUN community this summer and embark on your journey to a degree, you’ll also receive academic support such as:

• Workshops on university life and culture
• Tutoring and coaching
• Instant pairing with a fellow CSUN student and peer mentor
• Activities to discover your strengths
• Panel discussions and on-site tours
• Help with Intent to Enroll, Title IX training, and filling out FAFSA and getting your family on board with the process

Opportunity to Place Higher in Math

If you take either the Matador STEM Excellence or the Engineering and Computer Science M-STEP pathway in P2E, you can potentially place into a higher-level math class this fall by practicing for and passing an ALEKS assessment this summer.

Even More Perks

If the above benefits don’t convince you to participate, then consider these perks:

• P2E is FREE of charge to participants.
• You’ll receive CSUN swag, free food and more.
• You can attend mandatory New Student Orientation in August with a family member.
• Prepare for the journey at our Kick-Off Event on July 6.
• Enjoy the last-day, in-class Celebration Ceremony!

Past P2E student testimonials reveal that they started their first semester with self-awareness, ease and confidence! We think you will, too!

Sign Up for P2E Today!

To request accommodations to support your participation in Pathways to Excellence, please contact Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) or NCOD: Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services.

We're here to assist you!

If you don't find an answer in these FAQs or at Learn About the P2E Program, please email us with questions. Be sure to include your nine-digit CSUN student ID number and the best way to reach you (by email or phone).

We might also have some online information sessions via Zoom in May or June. Please check back here for the schedule in late March.

P2E will be held in person on the CSUN campus at scheduled times. For details, visit Learn About the P2E Program.

An online option may be available for you. After you sign up for P2E, check your CSUN email for your recommended program.

If you prefer an online program, please reply to the recommended program email with your request. Indicate whether or not you can travel to the CSUN campus for two on-campus meetings during the four-week P2E program.

If your request for an online program is granted, you must come to campus on these two dates:

• On Saturday, July 6, 2024, to attend the P2E Kick-Off Event to receive important resources and information.
• On or around Friday, August 2, to take a proctored ALEKS math assessment. Passing this exam can place you into a higher-level math class in the fall semester. If you cannot sit for the exam at your last P2E class meeting, you can ask to arrange another date.

If you do arrange for a mostly online program, your classes will be a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction as follows:

• Synchronous: Matador Early Connections with a CSUN student peer mentor. You will meet via CSUN Zoom at a scheduled time.
• Asynchronous: ALEKS PPL (Practice, Preparation, and Learning) for math. There are no scheduled online meetings. You work at your own pace and complete activities whenever it's convenient. You'll also have access to online math coaching/tutoring.

Of course, we hope you’ll be able to come to the CSUN campus for the August 2 Celebration Ceremony, too!

To serve as many incoming freshmen as possible, the P2E program is somewhat flexible. If you cannot come to campus, please email the P2E team to discuss online arrangements.

Hardware

Students with an online P2E pathway will need the following to participate remotely:

• A computer, laptop or tablet
• A working webcam and microphone
• Internet access

CSUN is here to support you! As a Pathways to Excellence participant and a CSUN student, you’ll have access to CSUN’s Device Loaner Program and any software you’ll need for your classes. Device loaners will be issued at the Kick-Off Event on Saturday, July 6, 2024. Be sure to attend!

Software

As a CSUN student, you'll have access to a wealth of CSUN Student Technology Resources, including software, cloud storage, and more. For P2E this summer, you'll be using:

• Canvas learning management system
• Zoom at CSUN

To access Canvas, choose one of the methods below:

• Go to Canvas (login required).
• Go to the CSUN home page MyCSUN menu and select Canvas.
• Log in to your CSUN Portal and select the Canvas icon under “Top Tools.”

Find Canvas tutorials and download the Canvas App for Students at Canvas Guides.

Need Help?

If you forget your password or need other help, visit IT FAQs for Students. You may also contact the IT Help Center by phone at (818) 677-1400 or online chat, Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Need Help.

You don’t need to choose a program option. Just sign up for P2E, and our team will recommend a pathway for you.

Shortly after you sign up, you'll receive an email from the P2E team sent to your CSUN email address. The email will recommend a pathway for you. You must reply to the email and select the RSVP link to complete the form in order to participate in P2E. Refer to "When and how to I sign up for Pathways to Excellence" on this page.

If you have any concerns about your assigned pathway, please reply to the email from p2e@csun.edu with your concern or request.

Visit Learn About the P2E Program for a description of each pathway.

Be sure to activate your CSUN Portal and Gmail account. Let's communicate!

All P2E programs share the same general start and end dates. However, each program has unique meeting days, times and durations.  Refer to the table below for shared P2E program dates.

For the unique schedules of each P2E pathway, visit Learn About the P2E Program.

Find more dates in the next FAQ.

Mark your calendar with these important Pathways to Excellence (P2E) dates, and check your CSUN email regularly for instructions from the P2E team or your professor.

2024 Events and Information Sessions

High School Counselor Information Session, Friday, March 22, 9 a.m., Join via Zoom.

CSUN Admitted Matador Day – Resource Fair (on-campus event), Saturday, April 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Summer 2024 P2E Online Information Sessions

Monday, April 15, 6 p.m., Join via Zoom.

Wednesday, April 17, 6 p.m., Join via Zoom.

Friday, April 19, 6 p.m., Join via Zoom.

Monday, April 22, 6 p.m., Join via Zoom.

Wednesday, April 24, 6 p.m., Join via Zoom.

Friday, April 26, 6 p.m., Join via Zoom.

Thursday, May 2, 6 p.m., Join via Zoom.

Thursday, May 6, 6 p.m., Join via Zoom.

Thursday, May 16, 6 p.m., Join via Zoom.

Thursday, May 23, 6 p.m., Join via Zoom.

Yes. All P2E program options are free of charge to participants during summer 2024. Note that the P2E program does not include housing.

Be sure to attend the July 6, 2024, Kick-Off Event to receive resources, important CSUN transportation information and much more!

If you have questions about Pathways to Excellence, please email p2e@csun.edu. We look forward to meeting you this summer!

Take three easy steps to sign up for Pathways to Excellence this summer:

1. Go to Sign Up for P2E and complete the webform between Feb. 23 and June 20, 2024.
2. Check your CSUN email for a message from the P2E team with your unique pathway recommendation, designed specifically for your major and situation. Our email will include a link to the July 6 Kick-Off Event RSVP webform.
3. Select the RSVP webform link you received in our recommendation email to confirm you will attend P2E. IMPORTANT: You must confirm your pathway with us and complete the RSVP webform in order to participate in P2E.

If you agree to join, be sure to attend our Kick-Off Event on Saturday, July 6, 2024, to prepare for your journey! Bring a family member if you like.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to email us at p2e@csun.edu.

Reminder: EOP students and student athletes should join their respective summer programs by checking their CSUN email for details. International students should visit The Hub International Advising Center website to prepare for the fall semester.

Once you sign up for P2E, the P2E team will send your recommended pathway to your CSUN email address. Pathway recommendations will be sent out once a week beginning April 2, 2024.

When you receive our recommendation email, be sure to select the RSVP link to confirm you will attend P2E. You must confirm your pathway with us and complete the RSVP webform in order to participate in P2E.