Fall 2026 Registration

Students submit course requests during Advance Registration. These results will be released April 14, after the Optimizer runs its reports. Students then finalize their course registration during Add/Drop/Swap.

Advance Registration Checklist

• CLEAR any holds that will prevent registration (i.e. Advising Hold – meet with Major (faculty) or Academic (staff) Advisor).
• ADD courses (with all linked sections: labs, recitations) to your Path@Penn Primary Cart.
  • SUBMIT permission requests for lecture sections of courses in Path@Penn if you have not completed the listed prerequisites or are restricted by level.
    • COMPLETE the ESE Advance Registration Permit Request Form for courses that require permit approval. The form opens at 8am on March 23 and closes at 5pm on April 6.
• WAIT for your permission requests to be reviewed. (Scroll down to “Timeline for Decisions”)
• CONTACT relevant Departments (CIS, MEAM, etc), if you require permission for non-ESE courses.

How do I submit a Path@Penn requests?

The first step is submitting a PR via Path for a waitlist course (see instructions below or official ones from SRFS). 

A PR is always created for a specific course and section. If you created a PR for a recitation but actually need to get into the lecture (or the undergrad version of a cross-listed course but you want the grad version instead), you will have to create a new PR. PRs cannot be edited after the fact.

Find the course in Path and click Add to Primary Cart. Then, click Request permission for this course:

Type why you want to take the course in the Permission Request field; we’ll follow-up with course-specific questions later. For now, just hit Ok…

…and finally, Save Changes. 

At the start of Add/Drop, Waitlisty will be available for you to provide course-specific information like explaining how you satisfy the pre-reqs, why you want to take the course, etc. You must submit a PR via Path@Penn to gain access to the Waitlisty site.

Has my Path request been submitted successfully?

A successfully submitted permit request will be noted as Pending with an hourglass icon:

Timeline for Decisions

After the optimizer review period, Path@Penn will reopen to allow students to register for courses. This is the official start of the Add/Drop when students can change their schedule until the early part of the Fall 2026 semester.

PRs are processed periodically during Advance Registration through the end of the Add/Drop/Swap period. We appreciate your patience as ESE course enrollments fluctuate throughout this time.  

Due to the volume of requests and individual course registration policies, we are unable to notify you of your spot on ESE waitlists and whether or not you will receive permission.

Please do not email the instructor of your requested course unless instructed by ESE staff.

Is day 1 of Advance Registration the best day to request courses?

No, requests are not time-stamped, so there is no advantage in submitting your request on Day 1 vs Day 14 during the Advance Registration period. 

If there are more requests than seats available, students who meet selection criteria will be randomly selected for registration. Students not enrolled in the course can join the waitlist via Waitlisty (when it opens during Add/Drop).

How are course requests granted?

Once Advance Registration closes, the optimizer processes course requests. The course assignment system takes into account the parameters set on the course. The optimizer officially enrolls students provided they meet all applicable parameters (e.g., students in certain majors/programs or certain academic years). 

Course requests do not guarantee registration.

Some course requests may be granted, some may not. Reasons vary case by case, such as:

• Permit required; 
• Exceeds CU limit;
• Time conflicts between requested courses (Lower priority requests will be dropped from the schedule, while higher priority courses will remain);
• Seats outnumber course requests (Students who fulfill the course selection parameters will be randomly chosen by the scheduling system).

It is crucial for students to have backup course plans.

How do I rank courses in Path@Penn?

1. Click on the desired course section to open the Course Details Panel to learn more.
2. Click the Add to Cart button to add that section to the Primary Cart or Alternatives Cart and then click OK.

• • Tip: The Primary Cart includes first choice sections you plan to request. The Alternatives cart holds alternative courses that you request if you don’t get your first choices.

3. Use the Edit Registration Options panel to update the grade mode, credits, or to select a registration priority. Select a first or second alternative or swap the selected section for another section you are already registered for.

• • Use Registration Priority to rank your requests.
    NOTE: Auto priority will rank your advance registrations based on popularity (seats available and number of students requesting the class).
  • The First & Second Alternative drop-downs contain an option for Other… if you would accept any section of the class, as well as any sections you have in your Alternatives Cart.

Classes in the Primary Cart at the close of Advance Registration are considered final. There are no additional steps beyond placing requests in the Primary Cart.

Path@Penn Cart Icons

While course shopping, you may notice some icons in your Path@Penn cart:

• A blue cart indicates that the course is in one of your carts.
• A black check mark shows you are registered.
• A green check mark indicates you passed the course previously.
• A red line shows you are going to drop the section.
• A black pencil shows you are changing the registration options.
• A yellow triangle with an exclamation point shows a warning:
  • Section is full
  • Existing Hold on account
  • Existing Time Conflict with excluded times
  • Missing a required Pre- or Co-requisite
  • Existing Reserve seats (you do not meet the criteria if you see this message)

* For all triangle warnings except Holds, you must submit a PR via Path@Penn to be considered for registration.

Approved Permission Requests

If your PR is approved, you’ll receive a notice from Path. You then have a chance to register for the course in Path. Please resubmit your Cart in Path@Penn to claim permit approvals and processed prerequisite overrides.

If your PR is approved but the class is full, you cannot register.

Due to an inability to revoke approved PRs and, as a result, students sitting on approved-but-unused PRs, waitlist courses are often mildly oversubscribed. Thus, an approved PR is no guarantee that you’ll be able to register for a course. So always use an approved PR right away!

Once you’ve registered for a waitlist class, please be careful not to accidentally drop it. If you do this, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to register again!

Intro to Waitlisty

The Waitlisty system builds on the Permission Request (PR) functionality built into Path@Penn. Sometimes a waitlist course may have open slots, but you are unable to register for that open slot until your PR is approved.

Being on the waitlist means that there is no guarantee that you will be able to register for that course. Because of this, you must have a fallback plan in the event that you cannot take the waitlisted course. For instance, you could tentatively enroll in a different class that will satisfy another degree requirement, and plan to take the waitlisted class in a future semester.

Editing Waitlisty Forms

Unfortunately, students are unable to edit Waitlisty forms once they are submitted. If you withdraw your request, in hopes to edit your response and resubmit it, you will be removed permanently from the waitlist.

Leaving the Waitlist

If you are no longer interested in registering for a waitlist course, you should withdraw your request. You can do so via Waitlisty during Add/Drop.