<p>I'm a high school Junior, Female and White, OOS
GPA unweighted: 3.4
GPA weighted overall: 3.6
GPA weighted Junior Year: 4.0
SAT Score: 1820/1200
Have taken 10 AP/Honor Courses since freshman year - vigorous schedule.</p>
<p>ECs:
Marching Band - 4 Years
Editor of School Newspaper - 2 Years
Secretary of African Concerns Club/Nations to Nations Club - 4 Years
Vice President of Debate Club - 3 Years
Tour Guide at Eleanor Roosevelt's home in Hyde Park, NY. - 2.5 Years, 50 + Hours.</p>
<p>Thank you for any and all comments! I just really don't want to go to a branch school - considering I'm OOS. I will be applying around November 15th - before the priority deadline.</p>
<p>More emphasis is placed on GPA than test scores, although test scores are still strongly considered. If something’s going to keep you out, it’ll be the weighted GPA</p>
<p>Penn State University Park 3.52-3.97
All other campuses 2.98-3.50"</p>
<p>“Penn State bases admission decisions on a variety of factors. The high school grade-point average (GPA) accounts for approximately two-thirds of the decision. The remaining one-third is based on other factors, which may include standardized test scores (students taking the ACT are required to complete and submit the writing component), class rank, the personal statement, and activities list”</p>
<p>So if you’re only in the bottom 25% for the most important thing they look at, it’s not going to be easy. Especially when your SAT score is only about 80 points above the bottom 25% as well.</p>
<p>If you put down summer and undecided I think you increase your chances a lot…</p>
<p>Also I would take the SAT or even ACT again or maybe a test prep program before you take it. If you can get in the 1900s you solidify yourself a little more</p>
<p>I’m curious - if one applies for summer term with the OP’s stats, how much do chances increase? To the point where it would be considered a match instead of a reach?</p>
<p>No, not that much. I think checking the summer box is kind of PSU’s equivalent to EA. If you check that, more times than not it signals that you REALLY want to go to Penn State, and would be willing to blow your last summer with friends to go. But I think thats more used as an icebreaker between applicants.</p>
<p>marissa= I think your GPA, SAT and rigorous coursework make you a good candidate for Penn State main campus. I think it is “match” for you. My daughter had similar stats and was accepted to main campus. Good luck!</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that admission to some colleges and programs is more competitive than others. A GPA that gets you into the College of Liberal Arts may not be enough for Smeal or Engineering.</p>
<p>Yeah thats a good point. A lot of schools have really high GPA’s and SAT scores if they’re big engineering schools (which PSU is) which may or may not reflect what you want to do.</p>
<p>I am talking about the different colleges within Penn State. The admitted applicants at the lower end of the GPA range were probably not applying to Penn State’s College of Engineering or Smeal. It’s unlikely they’d be accepted into either one. (Even the average SAT verbal scores are higher in the College of Engineering than in Liberal Arts.)</p>
<p>It is also worth noting that Penn State provides no admissions preference for PA. residents, which is rare among state flagships.</p>
<p>It is relatively easy to be admitted to most branches. You are guaranteed the right to transfer after 2 years - I don’t know how easy it is to transfer after one. The branches offer much smaller class sizes for freshman classes, so there is some benefit to starting there. If you transfer with friends from the branch to the main, you have a built-in social network when you arrive.</p>
<p>Based upon what I’ve seen posted here on CC, although you are solidly in the yellow bubbles you are likely to be admitted to main campus, unless you apply for a highly competitive major such as business or engineering.</p>
<p>For instance, on 2-21-2012 adb1028 posted his acceptance to Penn State Main, division of Undergraduate studies, with a GPA of 83, only one honors class, and SAT of 1810.</p>
<p>My D was accepted with a 3.7 WGPA and SAT 1890. Penn State uses your best single sitting of the SAT and does not superscore.</p>
<p>I think that you are more than qualified! Good luck!</p>
<p>Based on the numbers, your chances at UP are decent but not great. Retake the SATs and be sure to get your application in early. You might be one of those applicants who is offered admission to UP only if you are willing to start in the summer(and admission to Penn State main campus is worth it) As noted in previous posts, it will also depend on the major to which you are applying: Engineering and Smeal Business are doubtful, Liberal Arts and Undecided more likely. It’s definitely worth applying. Fingers crossed!
BTW your outstanding ECs will carry more weight at a private college or one that does not receive the vast number of applicants that PSU does and can review applications individually.</p>
<p>I’ve seen some posts about students having an easier time getting into PSU Main if they apply for the summer session. Why is this so? I always thought the school year started in late August/early September, and if any students started in the summer, it was due to a conditional acceptance, meaning “we’ll accept you for the fall term if you take summer classes first.”</p>
<p>Thats the point - if you check the box off for Summer Session and you are accepted for Summer Session you MUST attend summer session in order to attend Univ Park. They see you are willing to give up your summer (& ~10k) in order to attend UPark, so you really want to attend and its not just a safety school.</p>
<p>Also, some students actually choose to attend in the summer because of the leap program. It seems like a great program for students who want to get acclamated with the school/campus and who want to get a couple of classes in before the fall. My daughter can’t wait get started! She does not feel like she is giving up her summer at all - rather that she is getting a “head start”! :)</p>
<p>As far as summer session admits, the other “truth” here is that they also tend to have slightly lower statistics than the fall admits. The U is betting that those students who are on the fence as far as academic potential will do better with a smaller start OR will flame out earlier and leave room for the overbooked fall class. And many local students opt to go in the summer even if they are admitted for fall; it’s seen as a way to make your first “real” term easier and it’s cheaper since you can live at home. Every year PSU announces surprise that the freshman yield rate is unusually high, but it’s that way every year so some of it is intentional on PSU’s part.</p>
<p>PSU doesn’t worry about being anyone’s safety school; they don’t have the manpower to micromanage admissions on that level. The school does benefit from having students begin in the summer; it keeps the dorms and classes full which maximizes income from summer session.</p>