If you are or were or know anyone who was in Penn State 2+2 can you please share your experience. Commonwealth campus experience and transferring to UP experience.
My son has been accepted in 2+2 starting in Harrisburg. Data Science - school of engineering.
My son started at Altoona and transitioned easily to UP campus. The process is seamless as long as you are on track for your given major. My son went to UP after only one year because his major at the time required it, and he sank pretty fast up there. He pulled it together after a horrible semester, but he will be the first to tell you that he wasn’t ready for UP at that time. Staying at Altoona for 2 full years would have been a much better route for my son. He is now finishing up his junior year at UP and doing well.
My daughter started at UP and did fine…but it all depends on the kid.
Engineering at UP is extremely challenging and the first year weed out classes weed out A LOT of students. Engineering at Harrisburg and Behrend campuses are very good and an excellent start at Penn State. Lots of kids stay all 4 years as well.
60% of all Penn State grads started at a commonwealth - it’s a great system that allows all different kinds of kids to become part of the Penn State family. My daughter is applying next year to engineering and while she has the grades to start at UP, she is applying directly to a commonwealth campus because she wants smaller classes and more personal attention during that first year engineering.
Just my two cents, but I see engineering is one of those colleges that, unless you have tippy top stats, students may be more successful starting at a campus like Harrisburg or Behrend/Erie. If what we’ve read on these boards in the past is true, only about 1 in 3 students who start out in engineering actually get through the program. Meeting the engineering entrance-to-major requirements can be super challenging for those programs, especially when you hear about students having to take calc 1 and 2 more than once to pass it. Tackling that at a smaller campus where a student gets smaller class sizes and individual attention should, in theory, gives the average student a better shot at getting beyond the weed out courses so they can get the GPA to declare their major before the credit window closes.
For Penn State engineering, you don’t just need a minimum GPA to get into the major, but you also have to successfully complete several calc/physics courses before the student hits 59 credits. It’s sink or swim…survival of the fittest.
@Sophley - I’m just trying to find out campus experience and transferring to UP experience. Thank you for your input though.
We are in same boat. Son admitted at Harrisburg. Just received financial aid info yesterday.
@NYCDadof2 - if you have not yet visited the Harrisburg campus, I would suggest you do that. Even though smaller, my son loved the campus Accepted Student tour and that helped him with his decision
Has anyone heard about students who transfer to UP after first two years being treated any differently by the students who started their college time at UP?
Junior year most living in off campus apartments so students from branches are just like all other students. 2 years at a branch allow you to have smaller classes and more attention, especially in typical “weed outs.” PSU Main requires an immediate independence and maturity, which not everyone has as a freshman so branches are often a great way to do it.