I want to go to Penn State for engineering/physics, but after I listed University park as my starting&ending campus it asks me what’s my alternate campus. Which campus should I choose?
Behrend/Erie and Harrisburg are probably the best branch campuses for STEM majors.
I second the above.
I suggest you check “summer session” if you’re borderline.
If you don’t write down another campus, then if you don’t get into UP for summer or fall you’re not going to Penn state.
I think that it is no longer optional to have an alternate campus listed – even local students are required to put one down, now.
This years application requires an alternate choice campus. My son had to choose a branch on his app. My current JD at UP did not need to choose an alternate campus when she applied fall of 2014.
Altoona is the closest campus to UP, but not as many engineering courses. The upside to that is my son knows at least two engineering students at Altoona that have to go to UP for their sophomore year (along with my son who’s an athletic training major). I’m sure it’s different for the different kinds of engineering, but at Altoona you might have a shot at a 1+3. Ask an advisor though -
@judyvegas I am a current applicant and I did not put a branch campus down. It’s not required.
how difficult would it be for my to get into penn state UP?
weighted gpa: 3.32
sat: 1120
ap psychology, ap Spanish
i have a really good college essay and lots of extracurriculars
checked off summer program
@tbjcr56 Probably fairly difficult – both GPA and SAT kind of low for UP.
@tbjcr56 Very unlikely. Both your GPA and SAT are below the middle 50% which usually means a commonwealth campus. Summer is for kids who JUST BARELY don’t get into UP, who are truly borderline in the middle 50%. Penn State doesn’t care about your EC’s and their essay is just a personal statement and doesn’t hold a lot of weight either. Penn State’s decision is 2/3 GPA and 1/3 test scores
You can take engineering prerequisites at a PSU branch campus or community college (work with an advisor to make sure the classes/credits transfer).
Are you from PA?
There are also a few private schools that have ABET accredited engineering, Gannon, Messiah and Geneva College for example. They might give you some merit and/or need based aid.
Run the net price calculator on their websites to see merit estimate.
CCAC in Pittsburgh has transfer agreements with Pitt I believe. Pitt has a good engineering program and coop program.