The 2+2 program is for students who’s application didn’t get approved for fall admit. Every student picked an alternate campus when they applied. Eberly is pretty competitive. Also, as far as pre-med, @MYOS1634 has had some very good advice on that major.
A few things you can do:
Call and ask for reconsideration for summer start if your daughter didn’t select that option in her application…and if you are willing to send her in the summer and she is willing to go.
Call and ask for reconsideration to the undecided major (DUS), with or without summer, but with summer is always a safer choice.
A lot of people don’t realize that NO ONE is “in” a major until the end of sophomore year at Penn State (unless it’s a direct entry major), so starting in DUS and completing the entry to major requirements from there is a perfectly normal trajectory.
If all of that doesn’t work, and your student still wants to attend doing the 2+2, I would not advise doing so at the Scranton campus. Ask to switch to Altoona, Behrend, or Harrisburg which are 4 year colleges in their own right.
For many, starting at a commonwealth campus is a great thing that sets them up for success. The 2+2 at Altoona was amazing fir my son. The kids also make friends in a smaller campus and then all of those friends transition to UP campus with them.
It’s USUALLY related to curriculum rigor and GPA, in relation to other applicants for your particular major.
Oos applicants usually don’t accept branch campuses since most are applying to UP and have similar instate colleges (like CSUs and CCCs for you) with better value. There may be an exception for Erie/Behrend, Harrisburg , and Altoona.
You can just say “forget it”.
Or ask for reconsideration
for Altoona, Erie, or Harrisburg (no need to change anything, highlighting the fact you’re from CA and need a residential campus)
UP, same major, change to summer session (if you didn’t check it before) - see discussion above wrt Summer Session.
UP, change to similar major, such as Anthropological sciences: Biology in CLA; Infectious Diseases in Ag; Geobiology in EMS.
UP, change to DUS (meaning undecided - all other choices are premajors, no one except nursing is “in” their major before a set of courses has been completed. dus students take the same classes as the premajors.
any major above + summer session of you want to be double sure.
Students at the branch campus have smaller classes and it’s a bit less competitive. All students who meet their entrance to major requirements move to UP to finish their major (there’s no question about applying, being admitted, etc.)
Thanks for your concerns. I applied to two other safety schools (UW-Madison and UMiami) and my counselors all consider BC to be in reach (potentially even a safety). Penn State was my first acceptance but it didn’t really feel like one, so now I’m just waiting for that first “true” acceptance. I thought for sure I’d get into UP, even with OOS and competitive major, so I had some doubts about my application bc of it. Hopefully this 2+2 option isn’t a reflection on me and it’s just something the admissions officers are just screwing around with. Idk. Good point abt making sure nothing’s missing - I’ll reach out to my GC on Monday. I submitted two more RD applications today so hopefully that’s not the case.
Good luck! You’ve certainly applied to some competitive schools and the whole Covid situation with enhanced way they are reviewing apps and releasing decisions has added an additional layer of uncertainty.
Smart to double check on your package being complete. I’d think they would not release a decision unless it were. Does your required documents section indicate everything has been checked off?
Yeah on my Penn State portal it does. My school automatically sends first quarter and midterm grades as well (with adjusted GPA). Thanks and good luck to you as well!
I used my ISC grades, and the school had to upload them. Ask them for a copy of your transcript, so that you can self report your grades. I used the common app. @USAer0
Thanks for all your inputs - certainly very confusing, especially since we didnt even know that something like 2+2 even existed. So, from all your responses, i gather that its probably not worth it to go to Scranton all the way from CA. We were considering PennState seriously and was quite high on the list but given what we know now, we are almost ready to move on to other options. Again, thanks for all your inputs.
A key element here is that you’ve automatically a right to call and ask for reconsideration, using the different possibilities I listed. (It’s NOT like the “appeal” process for the UCs - you just call and ask for reconsideration for “z major” or “x major and summer session”).
So, yes, it’s not worth it to go to Scranton from CA, but if you considered PSU seriously, it may be worth it to go to UP for Infectious Disease or Biological Anthropology for a Bio major, or DUS for a Smeal applicant, and thus call for reconsideration for that major with or without summer session. Or, if you already have choices you like better, you can just cross it out.
I agree fully. I have seen a lot of EDs making statements about still waiting, and that is just selfish. Once you know you are not attending a school you should decline to open a spot for an RD or waitlist kid.
I agree.
1° if your ED choice is affordable, you promised to go there. As soon as your financial aid package has been received and Ok’ed with your parents, withdraw all applications and turn down admissions where you’ve been admitted. It’s common courtesy.
2° if you KNOW you’re no longer interested in Penn State because you got acceptances you like better, tell Admissions.
This will allow PSU to know where they still have space and to allocate these places to students asking for reconsideration. Be someone’s Santa Claus this Christmas
However, do not withdraw anything till you have your ED FA package or an affordable acceptance somewhere, and if you DO want to attend call on Monday without delay to ask for reconsideration.
