Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Application Instructions

If you are a high school junior or senior of any gender and have 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! Many courses are available to Minnesota juniors and seniors at no cost. Tuition, fees, and required electronic or physical textbooks are paid for by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).

PSEO reference guide (MDE)

College Readiness (MDE)

Email the Office of Admissions about PSEO

• Application deadlines are December 1 for spring semester and May 1 for fall semester.
• 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 should 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.
• We offer a part-time PSEO program. You may enroll in a maximum of two classes or 8 credits per semester.
• You may enroll in day or evening courses through the undergraduate College for Women on a space-available basis only.
• You may be enrolled in classes at another institution while enrolled at St. Kate’s.
• Prior to registration, you may 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

New PSEO applicants: 

• The St. Catherine University Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Application (pdf)
• The Minnesota Department of Education’s Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Notice of Student Registration (pdf)
• A letter of recommendation from your school counselor or principal regarding your ability to complete college-level work
• An official high school transcript sent directly from the high school counselor

Returning PSEO applicants:

• The St. Catherine University Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Application (pdf) — no essay required
• The Minnesota Department of Education’s Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Notice of Student Registration (pdf)

You must repeat the application process for each semester you want to enroll. You must receive a grade of C or higher in your PSEO courses to be eligible to continue in the PSEO program at St. Kate's. If taking ASL classes, you must receive a grade of B-or higher to continue in the course sequence.

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

Once we receive all your admission materials, we will notify you as soon as possible after the application deadline (December 1 or May 1) to let you know your admission status and to provide you further information about course registration. Admission decisions are sent by email and mail; all subsequent communication about deadlines, registration, and placement tests 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. Additionally, 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.

Deciding What Classes to Take

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

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

Keep in mind that there are no guarantees that a specific class or time, including evening classes, will be available. There is also no guarantee that classes you may need to fulfill your high school graduation requirements will be available, so make sure you are in regular communication with your high school counselor.

Plan Ahead

You are able to plan ahead by looking at an upcoming course schedule. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select “Browse courses”. From there you can indicate “Fall” or “Spring” semester from the drop-down list to see what is offered each semester. You’ll select “College for Women” as your Course Schedule (Required). You can then view course descriptions, seat availability, and prerequisites by clicking through subjects that you are interested in.

Please note that PSEO students are generally limited to 1000-2000 level courses to ensure their success in the program. If you have any questions about this, please contact the PSEO Coordinator.

Email the Office of Admissions about PSEO

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. Please note that PSEO students are not eligible to join a waitlist for a full course.

Prerequisites ensure that you have the knowledge base necessary for success in a course. You may bypass a prerequisite by having previous college credit or completing the appropriate placement test for select courses. You must bypass any prerequisites prior to PSEO registration.

Following each semester, St. Kate’s will send your official college transcript to your high school counselor. If you need additional copies of your PSEO transcript for college applications, please visit the Office of the Registrar.