What major did you apply to originally? Major definitely played a part. If you applied Smeal a 3.99 won’t likely do it for fall. You can absolutely call and ask to be reconsidered for a different major.
You are wrong about there not being a benefit to summer start. TONS of very smart kids get eaten alive at Penn State main campus. It’s a rigorous environment. It is a HUGE benefit to get a few credits out of the way and learn the ins and outs of the campus, make friends, get adjusted…before the big classload and 40,000 students show up in the fall.
My very high achieving daughter got in for fall last year and switched TO summer FROM a fall admit because her two older siblings did the same thing and they loved it. She also loved it and thrived. I’ve actually NEVER heard of any student who’s attended summer who hasn’t benefited and loved it. It’s a universal experience as much as any can be.
I’m sorry you are so disappointed with summer - it is a financial obligation to go in the summer that for sure. Most feel it’s well worth it for the reasons I mentioned above. Keep in mind though, major plays a HUGE role in acceptances. Unless your daughter’s cohorts went to the same high school, applied to the same major with lesser stats and got in for fall, then you can’t compare. I’m curious though, why did your daughter select summer if she wasn’t willing to go in the summer?
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Not really. You can call and ask to be reconsidered for a less selective major or for summer session, but you can’t ask for reconsideration unless the application is changed in some way.
@waitinggame2024 Behrend and Altoona are the two best nursing programs after UP campus. Both use UPMC facilities for clinical.
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Unless you have seen their transcripts and know their backgrounds, you don’t know what Penn State knows.
Test optional is just that. If the scores help you, submit them, if they don’t…don’t. If your test scores are not at the high end, or above, the 75% - for Smeal - then don’t submit them. Smeal is THE MOST COMPETITIVE college at Penn State. Getting a summer offer is a huge accomplishment.
The only applications that get into Pre major Smeal at all are very high stat kids with high test scores IF they submit them. Unless your GPA is off the charts, you can’t submit even middle 50% test scores. Your daughter may not feel like it - but it’s a huge accomplishment to be accepted to Smeal at any time.
Asking for reconsideration to DUS would do the same thing for her though. She would almost certainly get in for fall and she can work towards Smeal the exact same way. I wish more people understood the path and how competitive Smeal actually is.
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There usually aren’t many. The 2+2 is the default rather than a rejection. Which I think is great. It gives every kid a chance - even ones who maybe weren’t as dedicated as they should have been and are taking a little bit longer to ‘get there’. That’s ok.
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Did an admission counselor email back? A counselor emailed my daughter to verify she wanted it, then the portal changed with her new major.
Yes, just a few moments ago he got an email from admissions confirming that he wanted the change. Thanks!
Hi @jlhpsu A question I’ve been trying to understand, but how do we know if our child (they dont recall) submitted directly to Smeal? Is that option specifically available or does it depend on what major is chosen within the application?
What is the 75% SAT for Smeal ?
It will say in their portal what college and major they applied for. Just below where it says your application status.
If they selected a major within Business, they are being reviewed for Smeal. The business majors are: Accounting, Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, Management, Actuarial Science, Risk Management, MIS. (there may be one or two other small ones - google ‘Smeal majors’).
Note: there are some ‘business’ majors not in Smeal. Econ is Liberal Arts, there is no “HR” major, but there is LER (Labor and Employment Relations), which is Liberal Arts.
Again, no one is ‘in’ their major in Smeal until they have completed the ETM (entrance to major) classes - with the required gpa, in a specific credit window. But you can only enter Smeal from “PMAJ_BUS” (pre-major Business) or “PMAJ_DUS” (pre-major Division of Undergraduate Studies). DUS is undecided and you cannot graduate with that as a major.
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No one knows the 75% for Smeal. I think she meant the 75% for Penn State. Not looking it up, but off the top of my head, if your SAT is not at or above the 1400 level, I wouldn’t submit if you are applying to Smeal. Again, this is is not a hard and fast rule, but go check admissions statistics. That SAT score may have moved up with TO - because the lower scores aren’t being submitted.
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Isnt getting a degree in a major that you are interested more important than how one summer is spent ?
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Thank you. I thought Smeal had a different standard.
assuming they have options to get the same major elsewhere.
In that scenario, it probably does not matter summer start or a rejection.
Also for most, cost is an issue with the summer start, which i totally understand.
But if i were to have to forgo a summer or defer a senior trip, i would gladly do. But i understand , it is everyone’s own call to make.
What if they didn’t select a major, just undecided business?
I think that would still be Smeal.
Hi everyone! I have been following along about the TO button. Not entirely sure where to find it but I think it might be missing from my son’s portal tonight. On another note, I discovered he completely forgot to add National Honor Society to his list of honors 
I am actually a little sick about tbh. It is probably too late now but do any of you know if corrections or additions can be made to the common app? Just our luck he has been waiting this long and we just noticed the mistake. Advice appreciated