Skip to main content
Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Hotline Give Now Visit Us Apply
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Tuition/Financial Aid
  • Information For
    • Prospective Students
    • Transfer Students
    • Parents/Families
    • Current Students
    • Alumni/Friends
    • Visitors
    • Community
    • Business/Industry
    • Working Professionals
    • Faculty/Staff
Full site navigation menu

This dialog contains the full navigation menu for this site.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Hotline Give Now Visit Us Apply
  • This is Penn State
    • Chancellor’s Welcome
    • Campus Advisory Board
    • Campus Leadership
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • Quick Facts
    • Campus History
    • Diversity
    • Sustainability
    • Strategic Communications
    • Contact Us
  • Admissions
    • Why Penn State Wilkes-Barre?
    • Visit Us
    • First-Year Students
    • Transfer Students
    • Adult Students
    • Veterans and Military Students
    • International Students
    • High School Dual Enrollment
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
  • Academics
    • Associate Degrees
    • Bachelor’s Degrees
    • 2+2 Plan
    • Minors
    • Certificates
  • Academic Services
  • Student Life
    • Student Affairs
    • Student Activities
    • Athletics
    • Food Bank
    • Food Services
    • Housing Options
    • Health and Wellness
    • Personal Counseling
    • Legal Services
    • Police and Public Safety
  • Continuing Education
    • Working Professionals
    • Business and Industry
    • Youth and Teens
    • Personal Enrichment
    • Upcoming Offerings
    • Instructor Opportunities

Find Information For:

  • Prospective Students
  • Transfer Students
  • Parents/Families
  • Current Students
  • Alumni/Friends
  • Visitors
  • Community
  • Business/Industry
  • Working Professionals
  • Faculty/Staff

Helpful Links

  • Countdown to Cap and Gown
  • What's Happening
  • Blue Screen
  • Directories
  • Campus Map
  • Directions
  • Course Bulletin
  • Nesbitt Library
  • Inclement Weather
  • PSU Alerts
  • Employment

Connect With Us

  • instagram
  • facebook
  • youtube
  • twitter
  1. Home
  2. Countdown to Cap and Gown

Graduation Checklist

☑︎ Regularly check your Penn State email.

Check your Penn State Office365 email for important announcements, updates for senior events, and news about commencement.

☑︎ Verify your graduation eligibility.

If you think you are eligible to graduate, you must run an Academic Requirement report in LionPath, then discuss the report with your academic adviser. If you have any questions, please contact Heather Paris in the Advising Center.

☑︎ File your intent to graduate.

If all of your degree requirements are met, then you must declare your intent to graduate using the “Apply for Graduation” link within the My Academics page in the LionPATH Student Center. Deadline: Monday, January 23. If you missed the deadline, immediately contact the Registrar’s office at 570-675-9233 or stop in the Murphy Student Services Center.

Questions? Contact the Registrar.

☑︎ Order your regalia.

Contact the Penn State Bookstore (call 570-675-9230 or email Diane Hoyt‑Green or Evelyn Hosey) to order your robe, cap and tassel. You can also order them through the Josten’s website. Deadline: Friday, March 31. Prices:

  • cap/gown/tassel package: $57.00
  • cap: $12.50
  • gown: $39.50
  • tassel: $5.00
     

Note: Don’t use a hot iron on your gown; it may melt! Instead, use a cool iron or hang it in a steamy area to help reduce the wrinkles.

☑︎  Order announcements, rings and more.

If you would like to purchase graduation announcements or thank you notes, contact the Penn State Bookstore by March 31. Personalized announcements can be ordered through Josten’s by March 1.

Class ring orders should be made through Josten’s as well. (Brochures are available at the bookstore.) Other graduation mementoes are available for purchase both through the Bookstore and the Josten’s website at any time.

☑︎  RSVP for graduation ceremony.

Let us know whether you plan to participate in the ceremony. Register online to reserve seats for you and your guests. (Registration form available after March 31.)

☑︎  Get your graduation cord(s), if any.

Academic distinction. All graduates who have earned academic distinction will receive an academic distinction cord to wear at commencement

  • Summa Cum Laude: blue and white cord
  • Magna Cum Laude: blue cord
  • Cum Laude: white cord
     

Military. All graduates who are military veterans, currently serving on active duty, in the reserves, or National Guard, or who will be granted a commission through Penn State Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) will receive a red, white, and blue cord to wear at commencement.

Cords can be obtained at the Grad Finale on Tuesday, April 18. Otherwise, you can pick them up in the Academic Affairs office in Hayfield 202. Cords that haven’t been picked up will be available at the practice immediately prior to commencement.

Please note: Ornamentation representing honorary societies or nationalities is not approved attire for Penn State academic ceremonies.

☑︎  Complete financial aid exit counseling.

If you borrowed student loans, this is a requirement. If you have any questions, please contact Diana Coslett in the Student Financial Aid office, located in the Murphy Center. Read about financial aid resources and info for when you graduate.

☑︎  Fill out your destination survey.

Tell us your plans for next year! We encourage graduating seniors to complete the first Destination Survey, which will be emailed to your Penn State email account during the week of April 17. Students who fill out the survey between April 17 and April 21 will be entered into a drawing to win two half-gallons of ice cream (your choice of flavors), delivered to your address from the Penn State Berkey Creamery! (Three winners will be selected.)

☑︎  Join the Alumni Association.

Consider joining the Penn State Alumni Association, which includes membership in the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Alumni Society. Your first year’s membership is free; in addition, recent graduates get a discount on their membership. Contact Jackie Warnick-Piatt at [email protected] or 570‑675‑9228 and inquire about when the next meeting of the Wilkes-Barre Alumni Society will be held. Come and network with the Society membership and be a part of the largest alumni association in the world!

☑︎  Take care of expiring technology.

For information, see Technology Access After Graduation.

Countdown to Cap and Gown

  • Commencement Information
  • Graduation Checklist
  • Events for Seniors
  • Technology Access After Graduation
Map of Pennsylvania showing Penn State’s 24 locations with Penn State Wilkes-Barre highlighted.

Penn State Wilkes‑Barre

Located on a scenic estate just 13 miles from Wilkes-Barre, Penn State Wilkes-Barre offers four-year baccalaureate degree programs, two-year associate degree programs, and a wide range of professional develop­ment oppor­tunities. Our small classes encourage close inter­action with professors who are committed to helping you be successful.
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • youtube
  • twitter
Give Now Visit Us Apply
  • This is Penn State
    • Chancellor’s Welcome
    • Campus Advisory Board
    • Campus Leadership
    • Mission/Vision/Values
    • Quick Facts
    • Campus History
    • Diversity
    • Sustainability
    • Strategic Communications
    • Contact Us
  • Admissions
    • Why Penn State Wilkes-Barre?
    • Visit Us
    • First-Year Students
    • Transfer Students
    • Adult Students
    • Veterans and Military Students
    • International Students
    • High School Dual Enrollment
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
  • Academics
    • Associate Degrees
    • Bachelor's Degrees
    • 2+2 Plan
    • Minors
    • Certificates
  • Academic Services
  • Student Life
  • Athletics
  • Continuing Education
  • Contact Us
    • Administrative Offices
    • Department Directory
    • Faculty & Staff Directory
    • Employment
  • Online Tools
    • Canvas
    • Email (Office365)
    • ePortfolio
    • LionCash+
    • LionPATH
    • LinkedIn Learning
    • Starfish
    • Voicemail
    • WorkLion
    • Zoom
  • Helpful Links
    • PSUAlerts
    • Blue Screen
    • Class Cancellations
    • Calendar of Events
    • Schedule of Courses
    • Nesbitt Library
    • Directions
    • Campus Map
    • Employment
  • COVID-19 Information
Penn State University
44 University Drive, Dallas, Pennsylvania 18612 (570) 675-2171

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • The Pennsylvania State University © 2023
  • We Are Penn State