With a robust support network, academic coaching and dedicated professors, Compass equips Merrimack College students with the skills and tools for a successful college experience. Each year, over 150 freshmen join Compass to unlock and realize their capabilities. The program is part of your tuition and offered at no additional cost.
The Compass Program supports your transition to college by providing opportunities for academic and personal growth and developing the tools for a successful college experience.
Almost a third of Compass first-year students earned over a 3.25 in their first semester at college!
The skills and confidence
you’ll gain in Compass will set you up for long-term success through graduation and beyond.
One-on-one academic coaching allows you to explore different opportunities on campus to enhance your major and personal goals.
Upper-class peer mentors assist you with everything from college advice to tutoring support.
The Compass program has designated learning spaces specifically for classes, studying and group work.
Dedicated Compass professors teach skills for living a purposeful life, including tools that help you navigate professional and personal settings.
Small cohort classes allow you to receive individualized instruction from our dedicated Compass professors.
Regular, small group cohort meetings help you build your network and make friends on campus.
As a Compass participant, you’ll have access to social meet-ups, fun events and workshops. These opportunities help you build your network and make friends across campus.
Each semester, you’ll take Compass courses that meet the general education curriculum requirements all students must fulfill, as well as courses in your major.
The courses taken during your first year as part of Compass count towards the 32 credits that are needed to fulfill Merrimack’s general education requirements.
These courses help you build toward the timely completion of your degree, prepare you for higher-level courses in your major and set you up for long-term success as a dynamic and skilled professional.
You’ll spend your first year immersed in a curriculum of both core and introductory courses in your chosen major. Half of these are taken with your Compass peers in classes that are optimally sized for student success and include coordinated study groups and peer leader support. These courses count towards your general education requirements and go towards your degree completion just like any other courses you’d typically take freshman year.
Compass courses take place during your freshman year, so academically it is only a one year program. However, certain Compass resources—such as academic coaching and the Compass Suite—are available for you to use all four years.
Compass is a community where you are able to get real feedback tailored to your coursework and your specific needs. Whether you’re looking for a helping hand or your next big challenge, the Compass team of dedicated academic coaches, peer leaders, faculty and students are your go-to for whatever you want to tackle next.
Merrimack’s Admission Committee reviews all aspects of an applicant’s admission materials to identify promising candidates for the program. Students selected exhibit the following qualities:
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Orientation Coordinator Jandeliz Hernandez ‘25 helped welcome Merrimack’s newest students during the two-day event.
