PASS consists of a preparatory science course taught in tandem with a special counseling seminar.
The course introduc es the students to chemistry and physics topics by means of problem sets, related experiments, and a quiz. The counseling seminar is designed to promote students' ability to monitor, evaluate and adjust their behavior in order to achieve their academic a nd personal goals. The focus of the course and seminar is on developing the problem solving skills, academic habits, discipline and attitudes that will allow students to succeed in science-based fields. Innovative Features PASS focuses not only on the development of problem-solving skills in a scientific context but also on giving students an understanding of the kind of learning that is expected in college, and help in gaining control over their personal lives as it impa cts on their studies. PASS recognizes that many students, used to succeeding through rote memorization, have not learned more complex reasoning skills.