UMass Boston

Directions for Student Potential (DSP) is a free six-week program that guides students towards success as a university student and to be engaged in the campus community. Becoming a student in DSP leads students to fulfill their potential for academic success at UMass Boston. In our curriculum, we highly value the knowledge and experience that our students bring with them, and we strive to include them in the development of the courses. In DSP, students also engage in critical reading and writing for college, quantitative reasoning, and community building activities. All our courses provide embedded tutoring, so students have support within the classroom and beyond. In addition to strengthening their college skills, the students have the opportunity to better understand who they are as students and develop study habits that will be beneficial and crucial throughout their college career.

Successful completion of the program guarantees students admission to most majors at UMass Boston in the fall!

Benefits of Joining DSP

• Students will get acquainted with all the different resources that our campus offers including financial aid, academic, holistic, and career advising, housing, internships, scholarships, and much more.
• In collaboration with Student Support Services (SSS), all DSP students will participate in weekly workshops where they will learn about the on-campus resources in depth and will be guided on the process to apply for financial aid and other services.
• In DSP, students will learn about college expectations by experiencing them first-hand in a supportive and caring learning environment with the guidance of instructors, tutors, and staff who are passionate about what they do and want the students to get the most from their UMass Boston experience.
• DSP is an invaluable opportunity to network and expand our students' knowledge about UMass Boston and build a strong foundation and a steady support system.
• Our courses are designed for all levels of English proficiency.
• All DSP students are advised and registered for fall semester classes at UMass Boston before the end of the summer session.