<p>Everybody on these Penn State threads keeps chancing each other and putting themselves (and each other) down. I can assure you nobody posting here is an admissions officer at Penn State. According to Penn State's bubble chart, I personally fell into the black dots. I was accepted into University Park this morning. My bottom line is don't waste your time listening to what other people think will happen with your application. There are individual considerations that go into EVERYTHING. I had been killing myself with unnecessary stress since October because of how my stats fit into all of Penn States averages. If you want to see my full stats go look at the 2015 results thread.</p>
<p>I hope I get the same results as you, I think I was in a yellow bubble.</p>
<p>I think your message is very kind and apropos! I’m glad to see your results more in keeping with the many members school’s Naviance charts and personal experiences! A freind of mine who’s an adcom at another NE school said that although PSU has been rising steadily in the rankings…it takes a while for ANY SCHOOL’s reputation to “catch up”. Only a few kids I know in my NJ town HAVE been accepted, and only one was “bubble worthy!”</p>
<p>I think this is one reason I think it’s so helpful for everyone to put their information in the decisions thread. Next year, applicants with ddtlawn’s stats can look at her post and see that they may have the same outcome.</p>
<p>ddtlawn-congratulations to you! Your stats put you on the border between the yellow and the black, but perhaps you got a boost from your minority status (American Indian).</p>
<p>congrats ddtlawn! it’s good to see positive stuff on here. i hope i will have the same fate</p>
<p>Ohhhhhh another bubble chart update! So you were kinda bubble worthy…they’d NEVER budge from that there bubble chart…nahhhhhh not PENN STATE!</p>
<p>“Your stats put you on the border between the yellow and the black, but perhaps you got a boost from your minority status (American Indian).”</p>
<p>OR MAYBE…YOU were qualified and they liked you??? AND your stats are in keeping with plenty of Penn State’s published averages! (REMEMBER-25% of admitted kids are still below that “low” number) It appears that PSU’s MEDIAN “Accepted” UP student would be in the lower half of the yellow bubbles…in what they deem “likely to qualify for another campus”</p>
<p>Total Applications
Freshman
Received: 39089
Accepted: 20011
Percent Accepted: 51.19%
Enrolled: 7241</p>
<p>Test Score Ranges (Mid 50%)
Test Name High Low Avg.
ACT Combined: 29 24 26
ACT English: 30 24 27
ACT Math: 30 25 27
ACT Reading:<br>
ACT Science:<br>
SAT Combined: 1940 1640 1790
SAT I Math: 670 570 620
SAT I Critical Reading: 630 530 580
Recentered SAT scores: No
CLEP Credit: No
Advanced Placement Credit: No
Average GPA: 3.56</p>
<p>Also check out: [Penn</a> State University Profile - SAT Scores and Admissions Data for Penn State University](<a href=“http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegeprofiles/p/PennState.htm]Penn”>Penn State University: Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA)
or: [Pennsylvania</a> State University - University Park, PA: Average SAT and ACT Scores, GPA Requirements and Tuition](<a href=“Welcome schoolaah.com - BlueHost.com”>Welcome schoolaah.com - BlueHost.com)
or: [College</a> Search - Penn State University Park - Penn State - At a Glance](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>Well done ddtlawn, and Congrats, you’re in cause you deserve to be</p>
<p>What are everyone’s stats if they are not already posted? Just curious :)</p>
<p>And if the assumption that Naviance stats aren’t in keeping with the “NEW PENN STATE”, last year 71.6% of kids from our school WERE accepted and the scattergram shows everyone with over 1165 (R&M) accepted (all years…including last) Keep optimistic Everyone!</p>
<p>@imanicollegehelp- Thats the point I’m trying to get across. People are going strictly by that damn bubble chart and the stats being posted on here. Look elsewhere at the acceptance stats. The college board and naviance seem pretty accurate.</p>
<p>My Schools Naviance Stats:</p>
<p>Penn State University Park</p>
<p>Class Apply Admit Enroll
2011 3 1 1
2010 5 4 1
2009 6 4 2
2008 8 4 1 </p>
<p>Large public school in VA.</p>
<p>Since Penn State publishes the bubble chart as a indicator of “chances” of acceptance into Penn State I continue to think it is a good place to start on determining “chances” however that should not be intended to dissuade people from applying. There are instances of people being accepted into UP from the yellow on this chart, and even on the border of the yellow/black, and Penn State’s own chart indicates that yellow means “additional factors” are considered to determine admission in to UP. ECs, minority status, etc. appear to weigh in to the decision.</p>
<p>Another factor that may make the bubble chart inaccurate from year to year is the fact that it represents last years admissions results rather than this years. Penn State UP has to fill up its class from the pool of this years applicants and will issue acceptances out of the best in the current application pool based on its projected yield from the accepted pool.</p>
<p>I called Penn State a couple of times before the application season started to ask about what factors an admission officer takes into account. I was told by an admissions reviewer that the personal statement is only given a brief review to see whether there are any extenuating circumstances, such as death of a parent, that would explain less than stellar grades; or potential red flags.</p>
<p>I had the distinct impression that the process is fairly mechanical and not very holistic. PSU gets so many applications it is hard to imagine they are reading the apps that carefully.</p>
<p>on the whole as far as the bubble chart goes, it has seemed a fairly accurate predictor based on the results posted in this forum so far, but shouldn’t discourage people from “reaching” when they are below the published stats. Just make sure you have a back up plan in case you don’t get accepted at main campus.</p>
<p>Since it’s a fact that people who post on CC are the more motivated, more competitive academic kids, any posts, save for the top 20 most competitive schools will be heavy on the “higher criteria” side. The fact that the bubble chart varies so much from several schools’ Naviance records and published data from College Board (not to mention personal experiences) I firmly believe it should be taken with a HUGE grain of salt. I think PSU might be “dressing for the job they want rather than the job they have.” There is no doubt, it is rising in the standings and as such will be increasing in caliber (this is a trend we’re seeing with almost all state schools in this economy.)</p>
<p>It’s nice when a child gets accepted at a school that he or she might have been told was a ‘reach’, but I don’t think parents should be repeatedly posting about other kids tough-luck chances or when they are accepted, making comments about “minority status”
-" with many of the minority students having been recruited as athletes and sticking together"???
-with those stats, unless PSU has a huge minority preference (and I don’t think it does) then you will be admitted to a branch campus.
-“Tired and Abused, they may consider you an “under-represented minority” which can give you a bump” Congrats</p>
<h2>-“PS I don’t think that being Palestinian or 1st generation college are plus factors for PSU admissions.”</h2>
<p>And I don’t think it’s necessary telling a kid with 31 ACT’s that they’re on PSU’s “lower end” and other posters with the same GPA as your daughter’s that their “GPA was low” for PSU. I personally don’t believe that a kid with a 3.65 GPA “would need a 2000 SAT score” to get into PSU…My advice to that kid would be “aim higher” </p>
<p>When the kids themselves feel it’s necessary to “counteract the negativity” I think the parents should take a cue, and rest assured, the kids applying and their family’s are clever enough to have a “back up plan in case you don’t get accepted.” Thanks for the warning dude!</p>
<p>
Speaking only for myself (and as a URM) my advice was well intentioned. Maybe you are reading either more into the quotes you selected or perhaps something you WANT to see.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/penn-state-university-park/1016986-class-2015-results-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/penn-state-university-park/1016986-class-2015-results-thread.html</a></p>
<p>It would make sense that Penn State is widening its acceptance pool this year because its yield has dropped fairly dramatically. (Fewer students offered admission will attend.) PSU must enroll a full class in order to balance its budget; it is on the cusp of some very difficult times financially. Also, I would expect them to err on the conservative side with the bubble chart because they don’t want to be fielding a lot of phone calls from people who looked at the chart and expected admittance, then were shut out because of one year’s particularly strong applicant pool.</p>
<p>I think its a pretty well known fact colleges have minority preferences. I’m not sure what’s wrong with articulating that? Those who are URM should understand that they can reach higher than their stats would ordinarily suggest.</p>
<p>If you are suspicious of the bubble chart, by all means, don’t pay any attention to it. </p>
<p>Another source of admissions data that you and others might want to consult for “chances” is the common data set available on PSU’s website. Just google “penn state common data set” and look at the data under first time freshman year admissions.</p>
<p>ps- in looking at the common data set- they give you data on SAT and GPA of the Fall 2010 Freshman class.</p>
<p>For instance, the mid 50% SATs are
CR 530-630
M 560-670
Wr 530-640</p>
<p>GPA 3.75 and above 27.3%
GPA 3.5-2.75 29.86%
GPA 3.25-3.49 26.36%
GPA 3.0-3.24 10.19%</p>
<p>What the common data set doesn’t tell you, and what the bubble chart does, it how SAT and GPA come together in the admission decision. A higher GPA counteracts a lower SAT score, and vice versa.</p>
<p>But doesn’t admissions tell us that GPA counts 2/3 with everything else together counting 1/3? Does that “math” agree with what we get from the bubble chart?</p>
<p>this may be a stupid question, but what is the bubble chart and where do I find it?</p>