My son applied Computer Science at UP. I did not know it was one of the most competitive majors. Now I am unsure if he should keep it or try to change it. GPA 3.5 ACT 30. He did apply EA summer enrollment.
to be blunt there is no way of giving you an honest answer.
I have no way of knowing what is GPA calculates to. Hopefully I can share some info that will allow you to figure out if that was the right choice (and give you a suggestion if you feel it’s not)
- According to PSU Admissions stats to Univ Park (I don’t know how to link)
Mid range GPA 3.55-3.97
Mid range ACT 28-32
But I have attended 3 years of Engineering Open houses and they clearly state that their GPA and SAT/ACT are generally higher.
With that being said there are also requirements re Math and Science too. How many honors and AP Classes, etc
Do kids with lower GPA and scores get in? Yes they do!
I tend to believe that it does depend on your high school normal stats, rigor of classes and some other things that I haven’t discovered. - What really is his 3.5?? Did he take really challenging classes? Does his school tend to give lower grades? (Yes this is a thing)
- Does your school use Naviance? Try to identify the kids that would have applied to Engineering or Smeal and see how he compares
Now if your concerned you could call Admissions to see if he could possibly switch his college choice without losing his EA (if he applied in time) status.
I would then suggest having him research IST or DUS to see his options.
You could also wait until he receives his decision and then ask for a reconsideration to one of those colleges too. The downside is Those colleges could be closer to full by that time.
I wish you well in your decision.
If he wants CS he should keep it…it will be difficult, maybe not possible, to change his major to CS later.
Make sure he is applying to a balanced list of schools, including at least one affordable safety.
Good luck.
Have him look carefully at the requirements for the CS major and the requirements for the different IST majors. If he prefers those in IST, it’s generally easier to get into.
Has he taken precalculus? Regular or honors? Calculus? Honors, AB, BC? Physics? Honors, 1, C? Gets his background in computer science?
Roughly speaking, I’d say(based on experience and some see tufr I saw at some point) there are tiers:
Toughest to get into, best for 3.75/1400 kids: Smeal, Engineering
Good if you have an above average (for psu) GPA and the pre-requisites: Liberal Arts, Communication, IST
Easiest to get into: agriculture, education
I know you are specifically looking for admissions information, but this may be helpful. This is Fall enrollment, at UP, all classes (undergraduate only). (Note, that it is not degrees conferred… that is a separate data point).
Agricultural Sciences 2,018
Arts & Architecture 1,162
Business 4,876
Communications 12,589
Earth and Mineral Sci 1,627
Education 1,390
Engineering 8,014
Health and Human Dev 4,252
Info Sciences & Tech 1,778
Liberal Arts 5,133
Nursing 589
Science 3,496
@lucyvanpelt Is that Communications number correct? Wow! I had no idea. Far and away the biggest college at PSU.
S19 is enjoying his private school experience at EMS. ?
eeek, no it isn’t. good catch. Should be 2, 589. Apparently, I got a little excited!
(this is where I wish I could edit!)
Agricultural Sciences …2,018
Arts & Architecture … 1,162
Business … 4,876
Communications … 2,589
Earth and Mineral Sci … 1,627
Education … 1,390
Engineering …8,014
Health and Human Dev… 4,252
Info Sciences & Tech …1,778
Liberal Arts …5,133
Nursing …589
Science… 3,496
@STEM2017 Glad to hear that he is happy…aren’t you happy NOT to be going through this angst this year!
@STEM2017 My daughter is waiting to hear if she’s been accepted to EMS. I’m glad your son is enjoying his time in the college. ?