The Entrance to Major requirements are the same for pre-Smeal and DUS majors.
1 Like
Yes. Anyone who meets the requirements can declare the major.
The only advantages I see are a Smeal-specialized adviser rather than a random general adviser and for the highest stats applicants, the Sapphire program.
There is no priority registration etc - Schreyer offers that (as well as special courses for some pre-reqs, especially the seminars for micro and macro v. Huge lecture hall lectures, and specialized advising…) but admission to Smeal, on its own, doesn’t give the same advantages.
2 Likes
What TO button are you referring to? In the Common App?
1 Like
Actually, never mind. I found the answer. Still says under review. And TO section is still there.
1 Like
Has anyone heard of any TO acceptances yet? I tried to scroll back through and checked the other site, but I think I have only found high stats kids, no TO.
I have not seen them yet. And what is the other site?
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/t/penn-state-fall-2024-decision-thread-decisions-only/
It’s just decisions and stats. I warn you… it’s very depressing if your kid has only above average stats. Everyone on there is like a 1550 SAT, etc. LOL
2 Likes
Agree
The decision thread will likely be the highest stat applicants at this point because high stat kids hear early.
Take a look at last years decision thread and you will see many more typical applicants as it gets closer to the decision deadline.
That being said, the average GPA of accepted freshmen is close to a 3.7, so it’s not an ‘easy’ school to get into.
2 Likes
Yep. My kid sent in a 1310 thinking that it was good as it was 10 points above the average based on last years CDS and now I am wondering if I made a big mistake. 1310 was admitted in 2021 but now… This moving target on stats is killing me.
I just removed my kid’s 1330 SAT to TO… but he is applying to Chemical Engineering. He has a 3.84 GPA with lots of APs. I figured the 1330, although I thought was really good, won’t help him.
1 Like
My kid sent in his 1340 (670,670 split) for UP DUS
Can we assume that’s a 3.7 unweighted? It’s always confusing, because some people post weighted and others unweighted. Plus, most college have their own method of recalculating unweighted grades, given that there is no standard weighting system for all high schools. So when someone lists their weighted high school GPA, the colleges they’re applying to might very well recalculate that student’s grade anyway.
Confirms that the “really high stats”, hear first. Basically those for whom it’s a safety, probably aiming for Schreyer in case they don’t get into Penn or Stanford and for whom it’s a no commission, no discussion, no brainer admit .
1 Like
I think it’s “3.7 as reweighted by Penn State” (they remove stuff like phys ed, health, teacher’s aide… and focus on the 5 core subjects).
2 Likes
Some places I looked said we should submit, so we did so. My kid has only taken honors and AP courses (accept PE and Health - even her electives are honors), but she has had a couple of B- so she has an obvious swing between unweighted and weighted. The 4 on the AP Gov I am hoping helps as well
That makes sense to focus on the core subjects. But I would hope they still look at the rigor of the classes over GPA. My son is in private school and they have 4 levels of classes: general, college prep, honors, and AP/DE. I’ve heard the colleges should be getting something from each high school showing what the high school offers and the levels of classes and rigor of each
1 Like
2 Likes
I have no clue what my son’s unweighted GPA is. Weighted it is 4.09. I would hate to think that taking advanced classes and getting As and Bs would hurt him vs taking the general level classes and getting straight As
2 Likes
Rigor is paramount, sorry I should have specified. Number of honors/AP/DE, in which subjects, etc. And with that rigor a majority of A/A-'s.
General level classes would really hurt where honors/AP are offered. That’s why you see in the Spring “I had a 4.0 and didn’t get in, what happened?”
2 Likes