<p>If one is accepted to both of these colleges, how is one to choose? I visited Pitt and I loved the campus. I also liked the urban feel to it. I was thinking about majoring in economics and political science. Which school is better to attend?</p>
<p>i have alot of friends who go to both PSU and Pitt so i'm pretty unbiased about both schools. i think it depends how you want your college life to be. i've been told by kids who had PSU as their dream school then went and didn't like it because of the omnipresent party scene; they say there is really nothing else to do socially. On the other hand, i know my Pitt friends had nothing negative to say because the party scene is not the only thing to do. You have a whole city with sporting events, parks, the rivers, restaurants and such to enjoy. As far as academics i'd say both are pretty equal. I might end up minoring in either econ or political science and i'd be happy with either program at either school.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it.</p>
<p>And would you say that both are pretty solid academically? They are pretty good schools right? I looked a great deal at these two schools because both are in state, relatively close, and seem pretty good academics wise. I have a 3.94 GPA and a 1350 SAT, and I just didn't know where else to apply in PA that would fit me. I know I'm not IVY material, but is Pitt solid enough for me?</p>
<p>I hear good things about Schreyers honors college at Penn State. Based on your SAT, I think you would qualify. Pitt also has an honors college. My daughter didn't apply to Penn State because she wanted to be in a city. I think the campuses and culture of each school are different enough that a clear choice will emerge.</p>
<p>With a 3.94 and 1350, et al..., why not try for some other type schools..??..e.g. Wash Univ., Emory, UVa, ....all possibly within reach and very fine schools.</p>
<p>Thanks again for the advice. I do prefer the urban campus, hence why I'm leaning towards Pitt. My parents kind of pushed me towards applying to Pitt and Penn State solely because of the lower in state tuition. For Pitt, they say they award academic scholarships for a 1400 SAT and top 5% of your graduation class. I have a 1350 SAT and am ranked in the top 7% of my class, so I'm right outside both of those categories. And I figured that if I didn't qualify for any scholarships for Pitt, then I wouldn't get anything from any schools outside of the state like it. Oh well, I did visit and I loved the campus. I also have heard nothing but great things from the people I know who go there. I think I would make an acceptable choice if I choose to go to Pitt.</p>
<p>I don't think a 1350 will get accepted into either Pitt's Honors or Penn State Schreyers Honors College. Schreyers has an average SAT of 1475 - Schreyer</a> Honors College - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and I think Pitt has an average of 1430 or something like that. (I've been looking at both schools for my daughter.)</p>
<p>I went to Penn State for both my BA and MS -- a long time ago! I loved Penn State. Yes there is a lot of partying but I think that there is everywhere. I think just as much partying is done by alumni on football weekend then the students. </p>
<p>Both are great schools and the non-honors for both are competitive. I think both have an average SAT in the mid 1200s. (At the main campuses....the branch campuses are much, much easier to get into.)</p>
<p>Pitt and Penn State are definitely solid schools......my daughter has a 1450 (Math and CR), is an AP scholar with honors, has all honors and APs with not a single B.....so a 4.00 weighted GPA. I am insisting that these fine schools remain on her list!! Don't rule out Temple either...it is urban. It's honors school average is lower - maybe 1350 or so --- and it has a medical school, law school, pharmacy school and a few international campuses.</p>
<p>I just visited Pitt last weekend with my daughter and I loved the city atmosphere...it looked like a great place to go to school.</p>
<p>Good luck and I think you'd like either and should definitely get in.....remember both are rolling admission so apply soon. (I keep nagging my daughter to move along faster too.!!)</p>
<p>If you like urban though...Pitt would be best for you. Penn State is not ultra rural but it's not a city. My niece goes to Pitt Johnstown and that campus seems completely isolated.....not much to do at all but it's a beautiful location.</p>
<p>Schreyers doesn't consider standardized test scores. they just accept kids with amazing grades and ECs and that usually have amazing scores too! Also, i think 1400/32 is the minimum for UHC eligibility at Pitt, but it's not set in stone. I think if someone was 1st in their class and had like a 1360 SAT that he/she would still be accepted in UHC.</p>
<p>I was already accepted to Pitt's School of Arts and Sciences. I applied at the end of September and received a decision within the first week of October. I was not given any details about the honor's college. I am almost positive that I am going to enroll at Pitt and just forget about sending an application to Penn State. I am fairly sure that I will go to Pitt and would definitely pick Pitt over Penn State because of the urban campus. </p>
<p>Thanks again for all of the advice.</p>
<p>I don't know that Schreyers doesn't "consider" standardized test scores. I think that they don't have a pre-determined minimum because they realize that there may be amazing kids that don't have amazing scores. However, that said, the average SAT is quite high - 1475 - and they do seem to want students who are at the top of their high school class. Yes I agree that they would consider a student who had a lower SAT who was an exceptional achiever in high school.......or maybe a student who had amazing art ability but didn't perform well in their SATs.</p>
<p>My brother was in the Honors College before it was called Schreyers. He received a BS in 1987 and stayed for a (free) MS in 1989. Then he was accepted into a PhD program (again free) at John Hopkins and managed to be completed debt free when he graduated. </p>
<p>From the website.
"Schreyer Scholars represent the top 5% of students at Penn State, and therefore should also be at the top of their respective high school class. The Schreyer Honors College does not set a minimum standardized test score or grade point average for its applicants. Candidates will be assessed based on the academic and extracurricular documents submitted with the application, as well as responses to essay questions and letters of recommendation. "</p>
<p>penguinsfan71 -- Good for you --- especially for getting your application in so timely. If you like urban then Pitt is definitely a better choice for you. We only visited for a few hours and I really, really liked the city. Did you tour the Cathedral of Learning building....I love old buildings and really liked the different ethnic classrooms....what a great idea. It had a "Harry Potter" sort of feeling to it. My daughter has promised that she will apply this week.</p>
<p>Thanks. And yes, I did get to go inside the cathedral of learning and it was awesome. I loved the whole atmosphere of the campus. Congrats on those stats, those must have taken a lot of work to achieve. As for me, it seems like I'm just out of contention for a lot of stuff, but I am very content and excited to be going to a school like Pitt. Like I've said, I know a good number of people who go there and I have heard nothing but positive reviews about it. I look forward to next year and starting a new chapter in my life and in my education. I hope everyone gets to go to a school that they enjoy.</p>
<p>Penguinsfan - My D is a freshman at Pitt and is really enjoying life at Pitt. She especially loves the PittArts program where you can get discounted tickets to cultural events (some include food). She has only seen one show but said that it's really a great program and she sees herself taking advantage of it as time goes on. She uses the free buses to get all over the city and again hopes to spend more time getting to know the city and all it has to offer. Another thing to mention that Pitt I think does better than Penn State and that is advising. You are required to meet one on one with your professor at least twice a semester. My D is an undecided major and really wanted a school that would help offer advisement and resources to help her decide. At Pitt she also felt there were more internship opportunities which you can take advantage as soon as your freshman year. She did look at Penn State but did not apply.</p>
<p>I am a Pitt parent, as you know, and my daughter loves Pitt. I echo jsmom's comments that the advising at Pitt is excellent. But I have a piece of contrarian advice for you: I think you should apply to Penn State also. </p>
<p>Kids change a lot during senior year, from fall to spring. You may find something that really interests you and decide you want to study it. You may grow and develop in surprising ways. Kids start out wanting a small liberal arts college and then decide they want something bigger. And vice versa. Having a few solid options in April to choose from is really nice. </p>
<p>You Pennsylvania residents are lucky in that you have excellent college options that are really distinct from one another. The Happy Valley experience will really differ from the the Pitt urban experience. By the time April rolls around, you may still want Pitt. And that's fine. You can just decline Penn State at that time, nothing lost besides the application fee. </p>
<p>These days kids go all out, applying to 12, 14, 20 colleges. That I think is a waste of time and money. But applying to a couple of well-chosen colleges is a great idea. Picking where you will attend college is a big decision. Why not have all the options possible? Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>1350 is minimum for Pitt honors college.</p>
<p>I am looking at cost/benefit analysis as a PA resident, and I think Pitt is a great bargain. I won't pay for a school like BU or GWU etc- all of which have their strengths- but I don't feel are worth the mucho extra $$. My S has never been to Pittsburgh (altho D lived there for 2yrs during HS), and I think he would like the city. Great research opportunities for a pre-med.</p>
<p>dufay --- I feel the same way about private schools. I'm sure they're great but as we won't get financial aid I can't imagine paying for the cost of these schools! I'm instate PA and know that both Pitt and PSU are excellent schools.</p>
<p>In our district the top students for two years in a row.....and I say top I mean near perfect SAT and GPA....have gone to PSU Schreyers and the next one went to Pitt. Both had full ride. As it's a given that both of them will continue with higher Education why spend the money on a bachelor's? </p>
<p>My daughter's going to apply to lots of schools (hopefully soon!!). I'm sure she'll get some merit money from many of them but we have to do a cost/benefit analysis too....and it's tough to compare many privates to PSU and Pitt. They are excellent public universities.</p>
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I am looking at cost/benefit analysis as a PA resident, and I think Pitt is a great bargain. I won't pay for a school like BU or GWU etc- all of which have their strengths- but I don't feel are worth the mucho extra $$
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<p>You're right--they're not worth it. I attended BU, and transferred to Temple after a semester. I'm getting at least an equal education for significantly less.</p>
<p>TUOwls2011 - My younger daughter spent the summer at a molecular science program for juniors in high school. She would never have considered Temple....too close...but after the summer she's definitely going to apply. They've already offered her money and honors school. </p>
<p>The 3 large PA public universities - Penn State, Pitt and Temple are great -- especially in the medical sciences. The National Science Foundation grants go these schools because they have the top-notch research scientists.</p>
<p>Go Phillies! They won!!</p>