Hi all,
I will be a senior for the 2019-2020 school year. I was wondering if someone could chance me for the College of Education at University Park. This will be for the class of 2024
ACT: did not take
SAT: 1410 (720 RW, 690 M)
GPA: 98 W, 96 UW
Rank: 28/330
Extra: 5 APs (2 senior year), 3 honors (1 senior year), German Club, will have at least taken ENGL 15 at a satellite campus
State Residency: PA
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Scrutinizing the Penn State website a bit more, I have found something I seem to have missed: I wouldn’t actually enter this specific college until after my sophomore year at Penn State. Therefore, my question is now: Do I have a shot at getting admitted to University Park, not specifically the College of Education?
You seem to have a good shot, my advice is to apply as early as possible and DUS to help boost your chances, plus you can switch into the COE from DUS. Good luck!
@dc8869 I’m not sure I would advocate applying to DUS. If you know want Education, then apply directly to that. I’m not convinced that DUS is easier to get into than Education.
I agree, Education is likely easier to get into than DUS.
Apply directly.
Which major in the college of education?
Also, don’t take English 15 - your SAT scores qualify you for English30 and you’d have a shot at Schreyer if you have good rigor and interesting extracurricular activities.
Do try and take a social science/history course, why not history of education?
Thanks for the info, everyone! @MYOS1634 - I wanted to do World Languages (Spanish, probably…). My ECs aren’t that interesting (German Club) and I’m not in the highest level math available to me due to 7th grade me being dumb. I signed up for ENGL 15 because at my local Penn State campus it fit well into my schedule next year (at least timewise) and I wanted to save money (because the ETC program is 50% less money per credit vs taking ENGL 30 as a freshman and paying the full amount per credit.)
Well then register for ENG30, not 15… It won’t demonstrate anything and won’t get you credit since your SAT score indicates you must take ENG30 - and for admissions purpose, taking the easier English class, isn’t very positive. You could take German History at a local campus, try taking Spanish 1 there?
You could combine Spanish with another language (German since you’re in German 5!?) to make yourself more employable.
The study abroad program sounds quite interesting and would likely be a good topic for your admissions essay.
What will matter is your being in Precalculus senior year; having taken each of bio, chem, and physics at any level; being in German 5; taking rigorous courses in Humanities and Social sciences.
@MYOS1634 I’m registered for Precalc for my senior year, as well as AP Physics (I took AP Bio in 10th grade and got a 4 on the exam, and took Honors Chem in 11th grade). The reason why I didn’t sign up for the ENGL 30 class is because it would interfere with me taking German 5 (technically AP German, I guess) as well as the rest of my AP/honors classes because they’re all only available in the morning (only available at one time due to low registration.) I did take APUSH last year and am waiting on the score, as well as AP Lang. I have also taken up to Spanish 4, if that counts for anything.
Yes it’s very good - especially if you have two Foreign Languages and want to be a world language teacher.
The application asks questions about math classes taken, Foreign languages (you’ll check each and what level reached), total number of honors /AP classes. The classes in Germany all count as honors if you were CBYX.
The trifecta in science and 2 AP sciences is also important. (Total number of APs, Dual enrollment, and honors counts for admission).
Any other dual enrollment class you could take.
@MYOS1634 i didn’t sign up for CBYX because i didn’t know what it was until reading your post just now and looking it up
^Sorry about that. I realize I confused you with another poster who is also in AP German/German5 but went to Germany for an exchange 
Did you go to Germany? (out of curiosity) Or do you watch German TV shows…?
Have you been a tutor (ESL tutor for Spanish speaking kids in your school or in elementary school or at the community center…?) A camp counselor? A bible camp teacher? If so, it’d matter too.
Everything else stands. 2 foreign languages at high level, having precalculus + bio/chem/physics will give you points for curriculum rigor. If you can take 3 AP’s senior year, or take an easy dual enrollment class this summer plus 2 during the year, it’d up your rigor to 10 honors/AP/Dual Enrollment.
Don’t mess up your ssay and by applying in August you’d be nearly sure to hear by October.
@MYOS1634 I’ll be going to Germany this summer for a vacation, but I’ve not many other things that would be beneficial to my application. I did sign up to tutor kids at my school, but I only got one kid to tutor and he stopped showing up about three weeks in. I think the only other AP class at my school that I qualify for might be AP Euro, but I’m not sure.
The fact only one kid showed up doesn’t matter - what matters is that you tried. Are you signed up for next year? Could you volunteer, say, at a nearby elementary or middle school with Spanish speaking kids?
What did you take last year and what are you going to take next year?
Basically the only thing they could find fault with is rigor, because being 10+ in the honors/AP/DE category is important.
Are there other courses than ENG15 that you could take through DE?
As you know, you’ll have to take 2 math classes, 2 classes each in Humanities, Art, and Social Science - why not try and tackle these?
Which branch is nearby?
Any chance you could take a Summer Session 2 class there (would it be covered by the 50% discount you mentioned upthread)?
@MYOS1634 last year I took Hon. Chem, Spanish 4, German 3, Algebra 2 (regular bc honors was at the same time as Spanish 4), APUSH, AP Lang, and Gym/Speech. Next year I’ll be taking Hon. Precalc, AP German, AP Physics, and Gym/Personal Finance (one semester each - same with speech). I emailed the counselor what class would be available for me to take (because I have an extra period and I’m trying to fill it.) Mont Alto is the branch that’s nearby for me.
@dc8869 I’m no expert, but I do have an incoming freshman to the College of Education. Your stats look great. His SAT score is lower than yours, his GPA is 3.8 unweighted/5.54 weighted. Took 4 AP’s, the rest Honors except for regular math /regular chem (completed Calc senior year). I think if you want to teach, apply directly to CoE - they offer an undecided major with the college if you’re unsure which age group you want to teach. They do start scheduling you in education courses your first semester, so it’s a good idea to go straight in. Also, it’s the 3rd smallest college within PSU, so you get very personalized attention, and the advisors seem to be wonderful and very accessible. I also think being a male interested in education helps, but that’s just my opinion. Good luck!
@penmom222 Thank you so much for the info! I think I’ll be applying directly to CoE - I just love everything about education and I’d love to be able contribute to it as a career. It sounds like Penn State is an even more solid choice as a college - at least the CoE - than I originally thought! Congrats on your son getting into Penn State, btw
@dc8869 You should try to go to one of the CoE open house days/campus tour in the fall if you are not too far away. They’ll list the dates on the PSU website, but they fill up really fast. Also, apply by the early action deadline! Good luck!! ?