Change of major/chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Penn State
1

I applied to PSU University Park on Sept. 1st and all of my materials were marked complete around Oct. 1st (My high school took 3 weeks to send out my transcripts). I applied with an intended major of Industrial Engineering. Penn State is my number 1 dream school since I was a little kid and I really want to get in/will do anything to get in. I’m starting to get nervous about my major choice because I know the college of engineering is very competitive. Everything for me matches up with statistics except for my SAT scores. I am terrible at standardized tests. I took the SAT 3 times and studied each time and only improved by 10 points at the most. I am planning on taking the ACT at the end of this month and hopefully doing better. Based on my stats, do you think I should call and switch to undecided? Or wait until I take the ACT to see if my scores are higher for the engineering program?
GPA: 4.0 (on a 4.0 scale, I have never received anything lower than an A-)
SAT: 1850 superscore (M: 650, R: 570 W: 630) , 1810 one sitting (M: 630, R: 570, W: 610)
Class Rank: 11/164

Extra curriculars, volunteer hours, work experience: Competitive Dance for 15 years, Varsity Cheerleading 3 years, Key Club, French Club, NHS, French Honor Society, Track and Field Manager, Buddy Club (founder, helps students with disabilities develop social and learning skills), Cashier at food store 2 years, Vacation Bible School volunteer, Tutoring students for volunteer hours, and Babysitting.

High School Courses: 4 AP courses, dual enrollment, honors courses, etc
I am currently taking classes (while still enrolled in a full high school schedule) at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA though a program called The Dean’s Scholars Program. For this program you have to be nominated by your counselor and apply to the school for which you were nominated. Through this program I can get some of my general credits completed before I even start college.

Hook: Legacy, My mom went to University Park, In-state, women in engineering

I did not put any satellite campuses for second choice, but I did put summer session as an option. What is your advice on what you think I should do? If i were to get denied could I call and ask them to re-evaluate my application for DUS instead of engineering? Will being legacy and a woman in the engineering field help me out and possibly make up for my low SAT scores?
Thanks!

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@jlhpsu what do you think? your replies are very helpful on all threads

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your grades are excellent. Your SAT is, as you know, a little low for engineering. You are actually in the middle 50% for all PSU applicants, but you know that engineering is especially competitive at UP campus.

If you were my child, this is what I would recommend. Apply undecided (DUS). Unless the major is a direct entry major (Nursing, architecture, etc…) you can work on all of the entry to major requirements while you are DUS. No one is actually completely accepted into the industrial engineering program until after sophomore year and they have a 2.6 gpa and they have completed the entry to major classes:
(CHEM 110
MATH 140
MATH 141
MATH 250 (required for major) or MATH 251
PHYS 211
PHYS 212)

Only after doing all of that are you actually IN Industrial Engineering. So, if you apply undecided, you can STILL do all of that in your first two years. DUS Is much less competitive and I think with your stats you would not have to go in the summer.

I would call now and change to DUS rather than waiting for a decision. When you wait, and ask to be reconsidered, you are placed behind the others already in line for a decision. That way they don’t over fill DUS with people who just didn’t make it into their major of choice. They will only consider the major changers after the other applicants have a decision. If you call and change to DUS before your application is even considered, then you are in the first wave (applicants who applied before Nov. 30th). If you wait, you are in the next wave.

That’s my opinion. PSU doesn’t give a lot of credit for legacy - although they do consider it. My D was double legacy and her stats were borderline for UP…she got in for summer. I don’t think her legacy did anything for her.

Anyway, you may very well get in for fall in engineering if you change nothing. But since you can work on all of your entry to major requirements when you are an undecided student - it seems like a no risk proposal to apply DUS instead.

Good luck! I know it’s difficult figuring out the way to best present your application!

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@jlhpsu I changed my major to DUS and got a 29 on the ACT. do you think I have a better chance now?

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I just saw that you got in, so I guess it worked!! Congrats!

6

How competitive is the criminology major at Penn State?