College for Women Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Application Instructions

What is it?

If you a high school student of any gender who has outstanding academic performance, you can experience the challenge of college courses, access an expanded selection of courses and receive college credit for successfully completed courses through the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program. Most courses are available to Minnesota juniors and seniors at no cost. Tuition, fees and required textbooks are paid by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).

PSEO reference guide (MDE)

What You Need to Know

  • Application deadlines are Dec. 1 for spring semester and May 1 for fall semester. There are no exceptions.
  • We offer a part-time PSEO program. You may enroll in a maximum of two classes per semester.
  • You may enroll in day or evening courses only on a space-available basis.
  • Courses may be taken only on the St. Paul campus of St. Catherine University, as available through the undergraduate schedule.
  • Students enrolling in this program are generally in the upper 20-25 percent of their high school class and have followed a rigorous college preparatory course of study. You must have a B or better in each high school course you have attempted.
  • Eligibility to enroll in this program does not imply acceptance to the University on a degree-seeking basis.
  • You may be enrolled in classes at another institution while enrolled at St. Kate’s.
  • You will need to take a placement test to determine your eligibility for math, chemistry, or foreign language courses. In some cases you may also use your ACT math subscore or AP/IB exam scores to qualify for math courses.

Email the Office of Admissions about PSEO

What to Send Us

Please send to the Department of Admissions: 

Email to admissions@stkate.edu or mail to:
St. Catherine University PSEO Program
Office of Admission, F-2
2004 Randolph Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105-1794

College Readiness (MDE)

Once we receive all the admission credentials listed above, we will notify you as soon as possible after the application deadline to let you know if you’ve been accepted and to tell you when registration will open for your courses. Letters of acceptance are sent by email and mail; all subsequent communication about registration, placement testing and orientation will take place via email. Generally, registration for fall semester takes place in late August and registration for spring semester takes place in mid-January. Since PSEO students typically register 7–10 days prior to the beginning of classes, course selection may be limited at that time.

Deciding What Classes to Take

Discuss your schedule with your school counselor to determine which classes you are required to complete to be eligible for graduation. The PSEO program is a great way to: 

  • Fulfill graduation requirements
  • Earn college credit
  • Take fun, college-level electives

Stay Flexible
If accepted, you will receive a list of available courses before PSEO registration begins. There are no guarantees that specific courses will be available, including classes you may need to fulfill your high school graduation requirements. We also cannot guarantee the availability of evening times for classes. PSEO students register after most St. Kate’s students have already completed their schedules, which means some classes may be full when PSEO registration begins.

In the meantime, you can look over an upcoming course schedule. Indicate “Fall” or “Spring” semester from the drop-down list to see what is offered. You can view a course description, seat availability and prerequisites by clicking on the course title.

Getting Into a Full Class or Bypassing a Prerequisite
If you would like to obtain special permission to register for a class that is already full — prior to the beginning of PSEO registration — you must contact the department or professor directly. In general, once a course is full, it is full.

Prerequisites ensure that you have the knowledge base necessary for success in a course.

Now that You've Been Admitted

Keep up the good work! You must receive a grade of C or higher in your postsecondary courses to be eligible to continue in the program at St. Catherine. If taking ASL classes, you must receive a grade of B- or higher to continue in the course sequence.

You must repeat the application process for each semester you want to enroll. However, if you are continuing from the most recent semester at St. Kate’s, you only need to submit the St. Kate’s PSEO Application (no essay required) and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) form. Acceptance remains contingent on the grades you received in your current class(es).

Order an Official Copy

Whether you’re applying as a first-year university student at St. Kate’s or elsewhere, you can get an official copy of your PSEO transcript from the Office of the Registrar.