<p>I'm going into my Senior year, and University Park is my first choice for colleges. I currently have around a 3.5 UW GPA and a 4.0 W GPA. I've taken 4 AP classes so far and the rest were Honors mixed in with some of the mandatory regular classes needed for graduation. I will be taking 3 more APs and 1 more Honors class Senior year. I will most likely have all As at the end of the first quarter of Senior year, so that should bump up my GPA some more as well. I've taken the SAT two times, both without studying at all, and got 1690 the first time and 1760 the second time. I'm taking it a third time in September which I'm actually going to study for and should realistically get at least 1900. I will be also taking the ACT for the first time as well in September or October.</p>
<p>I want to be a Finance major as well, but I wouldn’t be against applying to DUS as I’ve heard it’s easier to be admitted then. I also wouldn’t be against doing the summer session if it would mean being admitted easier. I don’t think it’d be that bad to do just a class or two during the summer, tell me if I’m wrong though.</p>
<p>I am going to be a freshman at Penn State UP this fall and I am also trying to become a finance major. I got denied from the business school but was accepted into the DUS program. I think that you need to raise your test scores because that was the main thing that held me back when i applied. I didn’t really want to do summer so I just chose to do DUS. Also, I spoke to an admissions person and they said that this year they received the most applications and it was the most competitive year for admission. I assume next year will be the same so I would say do a lot of extra curriculars and bring up your scores and you’ll be good. </p>
<p>My Stats…
ACT - 28
UW GPA - 3.6
W GPA - 3.8
EC - a lot
National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society
2 AP class</p>
<p>Do you think me taking 7 AP classes will make that much of a difference? I believe they take course rigor into somewhat strong consideration as well. Also, if you would’ve done the summer session, do you think you would’ve been accepted into Smeal?</p>
<p>I have no idea about the 7 AP classes. I assume that they will take that into consideration when reviewing your file but I have no idea how much that helps. I’m sure it will help a lot though. I actually applied only to Smeal Fall at first and was denied completely. Then I heard that people were changing to the summer session and being accepted so I called admissions and they told me that switching to summer wouldn’t help and that I would not be accepted either way. But, she told me that if I wanted I could do DUS and that it would be the same thing as pre-business as long as I kept up my grades and took the right classes. I would suggest putting DUS as a backup for your application because it is basically the same thing as all the people that were accepted into Smeal. You have to take the same classes and you have to have the same GPA in order to get into Smeal junior year. </p>
<p>I was out of state accepted to Smeal for Fall 2014. Im attending in the fall. I am fairly confident in saying that they weigh your SAT scores the heaviest, like its the deciding factor. I had a 3.75 W gpa and a 1890 SAT score (1290 reading and math). I wasnt in clubs or national honors and didnt have too many extra curriculars. Also I only took 1 honors class and 2 APs in high school. And I was accepted into smeal. I have met people with GPAs way way higher than mine with better extra curriculars who were denied from smeal because theyre SATs were lower than 1800. And transfering into smeal once if your admitted undecided it is very very hard to do once your denied, you cant get in at all. So if you want your best chance of getting into smeal it is imperative that you have a good SAT score. </p>
<p>That definitely makes it sound like it’s all about the SAT score then.</p>
<p>Apply as early as possible. That would be my advice. </p>
<p>I’m heading off to PSU in the fall, and I’ve been accepted into Smeal. My scores aren’t fancy. 1880 SAT (1220/1600), took 6 APs (3 of them weren’t accepted), so I’m going in with 16 credits already under my belt. UW GPA was about a 3.4, W GPA: 3.5. I was in a couple extra curriculars, but not the president/vice of any of them. The thing I did was apply early in November–which is probably why I accepted. I think back and cringe at myself for not putting down DUS instead of Smeal, but hey, it worked out for me. . </p>
<p>What @DudeInCollege said about DUS is completely false. DUS and pre-smeal have the same requirements and have to take the same classes. There is no real advantage to being in pre-smeal except that you have business advisors. You are garunteed a spot in Smeal junior year regardless of whether you are in DUS or pre-smeal as long as you have a 3.2 for all business majors other than finance (3.5).</p>
<p>So instead of applying for Smeal, should I just save the hassle and apply to DUS straight away? Or should I still apply to Smeal and have DUS as a backup?</p>
<p>I mean it’s up to you but if you are sure that you want to do business you should try and get into Smeal. Having business advisors freshman year and sophomore year would help a lot if that is what you want to do. If you aren’t 100% sure that you want to go into business I would apply to DUS. The good thing about DUS is that you have the ability to go into any major junior year after being exposed to all of the majors. </p>
<p>Does the application allow you select a first choice major (ie Smeal) and a second choice (ie DUS) or would you have to wait to be rejected from Smeal/Business and then call Admissions and ask to be reconsidered for DUS?</p>
<p>Does the application allow you select a first choice major (ie Smeal) and a second choice (ie DUS) or would you have to wait to be rejected from Smeal/Business and then call Admissions and ask to be reconsidered for DUS?</p>
<p>You can put a first and second choice for major. You can also put a first and second choice for campus. I didn’t even know what DUS was when I applied so I only put one major (business) and one campus. If you only put one major like I did you can always call admissions when you get declined and ask about what else you can do. That is when they explained what DUS was.</p>
<p>Thanks. I was aware of a second campus option; as well as a summer start option, on the application…but did not know about a second major option. </p>
<p>Bump up your SAT scores for Smeal but apply to the B school as your first choice major because you never know who will read your application and find something special. It is worth the risk and just place DUS as your second choice which you should be qualified for.</p>
<p>I just obtained a copy of the admissions application and I don’t see where there is a spot to select a second major. Am I missing something?</p>
<p>When you get to the part on the application where it says major you should be able to have a choice 1 and choice 2.</p>