I keep reading about 700 kids in a class, difficulty making it into a major, waiting endlessly for shuttles. It sounds so chaotic and overwhelming. Do kids just get lost in the shuffle?
What are some positives? We will visit soon for the first time with S20 and I’d like to go with renewed positive anticipation versus slowly growing apprehension. 
Thanks!
My daughter is in her second year there and it was not my first choice for her. (We are not a PSU family and had similar concerns as you did…) But it was hers, and it has been a great experience for her.
Like anything, it is not perfect, nor is it a perfect fit for every student - and I am sure someone could easily describe it as you do above.
My perspective:
Yes, some classes are huge but somehow it works out (but this would be problematic for other students, like my son). 700 is the rare extreme. Classes get smaller in the major over time. Also there are a lot of resources, such as office hours, smaller break out sessions, and Lion Tutors for many intro courses. However, no one will hold your hand, which I think encourages students to take charge of their destiny.
Yes, some majors have tough requirements (e.g., the business school requires a certain GPA and grades in specific entrance-to-major courses). A hurdle for sure and you need to have back up plans. But it is under the student’s control and he/she needs to be fully aware of this.
Yes, the buses can be crowded but my daughter has never felt the need to take it. The campus is very walkable and self-contained. You just need to plan accordingly. Bonus: lots of ‘steps’ on the Fitbit :). (Uber is also an option if you need to get to the grocery stores and other places further off campus)
On the big plus side: The excitement is contagious. Most students are extremely excited to be there and to participate in all that the school has to offer. Football game days are electric. Other sporting events are also fun to attend. THON is a major event. There are so many clubs to join. Greek life is there but not dominant. There are great speakers and concerts there all the time. The career fairs are huge. The adjacent downtown area is geared towards young people - lots of food options and shops.
One key to success at any large campus is to make the school smaller - just find some activities to focus on instead of staying on the outskirts and looking in at the masses.
My daughter has learned how to navigate the challenges associated with a large university. She is blossoming there and has also found a place she calls home for these 4 years. I had my doubts 2 years ago but she has surprised me!!
Good luck on your visit!
Ok so with current junior student- we had no pre love of Penn State - no hate either. She thought she wanted small, but I forced her to look. It was everything she was looking for except the large classes. She was very concerned (she needs one on one with teachers to understand). Engineer major- I think she had two classes that were large - she has spent a lot of time in office hours, does free tutoring, did Lion tutors as a freshman). Will have to say she has had incredible professors and TA’s that are always willing to spend time with a student. There are study sessions set up for those large classes too- in her experience Penn State really supports the success of a student. BUT not every student takes advantage of theses programs.
Now re GPA requirements- there’s no easy way to say this- you will not be successful in the later classes if your grades are below that level. There are exceptions to that rule and they do consider that in the decision. Also I am pretty sure they just changed a policy that benefits students- I think that starting this summer if you retake a class the lower grade is not computed into your GPA- but research because it will go into effect this summer.
Now to be really honest- you will need that GPA to get a job and that is probably my daughter’s “biggest reason why she went there”. The employment rate of graduates is exceptionally high.
Her next reason was “she wanted to feel safe walking around”, next “she wanted enough clubs that she could be a leader from the start”, she wanted diverse social options football, concerts, parties, bars etc”, she wanted “outdoor activities hiking, biking, etc” , she wanted to live in a rural area.
She never realized that PSU is an incredible supportive community and would probably now state that is the reason why someone should attend.
I am a Penn Stater, so is my husband. Our daughter graduated last spring and our son is a junior there now. My niece and nephew are also Penn Staters. I have two more kids coming up the pike and they may or may not attend Penn State. The reason they may not attend even though we are a huge Penn State family? It’s not for everyone. But for those who thrive in that environment, there is no place better in my opinion.
Penn State is a huge school. They will NOT hold your hand. If you need every professor to know your name and for the professors to reach out to you when you are struggling - then it’s probably not the best place. There can be huge classes. My son was lost in one of them because HE didn’t use the resources available. Again, no hand-holding. But he got through it and it taught him some independence that I’m not sure he would have gotten anywhere else. The huge classes are for the general ed classes that everyone takes. The major classes are much, much smaller. The professors in those big classes WILL know your name…if you go to office hours, get involved in research, stand out in some way. The academics are impressive. The opportunities endless…if you get out of your dorm and find them.
I love Penn State. I truly do. But it has to be the right place for the student. My junior daughter is touring and looking at schools all over the country because I recognize Penn State is not for everyone and there are certainly other wonderful schools out there. My daughter who is considering starting at Behrend because she wants a small school, but loves Penn State and is conflicted. Penn State accommodates those types of students also by having the commonwealth system.
The town is just, well, the best. It’s a quintessential campus and college town and is geared towards the students. There is always something to do and someone to do it with. There is a niche group for just about every type of student. If you love D1 sports, you are in heaven, and yet I’ve been there during football games where I’ve seen students on the HUB lawn acting out medieval fights, and those two groups of students aren’t even exclusive to each other. There is something for everyone.
People love Penn State. We’ve been called a cult. We’re not, but I’m ok with people recognizing how much people love it. There is a reason so many people do. It’s not perfect. It’s a big school with all of the ‘big school problems’. But for the right student, it will deliver in a big, big way.
Penn State spirit and pride. Yes, I get the cult vibe too at times as people are intensely committed to the community. The Penn State experience doesn’t end at graduation, but follows you throughout life. Most metro areas have alumni association chapters with social and networking events. Some even offer “send off” events to incoming freshmen coming from their area. In search of a job? Penn Staters look out for other Penn Staters. Wherever my kids go, they will likely find Penn Staters. They will always feel like part of a strong community…with a strong identity. They will always feel like they belong.
I like to warn students about the rigor because some show up and think it’s going to be a football-party school. For some majors, you have to hit the ground running, be proactive about getting help, and be disciplined. These are also the qualities of a successful adult. Some kids come here and don’t even go to class…and then blame the professor when they can’t beg their way out of a failing grade.
We were shocked when our daughter chose Penn State. A very quiet, studious kid - we never thought a big rah-rah school would be in her future. We visited and she said “I love it!” and she got in EA and said: “I’m done. That’s where I want to go.” She loved that she could create her own college experience there - she was a double major in CS and French; she worked in the entomology lab studying bee wings; she was a THON captain for two years; she traveled to Besancon, France one summer and the rest of her summers were filled with fantastic internships. She was very active in the Society of Women Engineers and just all around loved the spirit and enthusiasm of the kids. She has remained a die hard Penn Stater - she now lives and works in Boston and there’s a bar there that screens all the Penn State football games and she never misses one. The networking alone was a huge plus - she had really strong paid internships from her sophomore year on and at one women engineering conference she literally ran out of resumes and had to print more. In fact, at one conference, someone told her a recruiter was on the lookout for Penn Staters! Just all the way around a great experience for her.
full disclosure: I am a Penn Stater. My husband is a Penn Stater. I have a sophomore there and an incoming freshman and in two years… another.
I know it is an expensive public school. But - we are in-state - we see the value. We’ve both been very successful since college and it wasn’t high school that set us up. My sophomore is studying abroad right now. Had an internship last summer (she found on her own)… has an internship planned for this summer (from on-campus recruiting) and had another offer for this summer that she turned down (on-campus job fair).
Penn Staters do look out for each other. When 2011 and Sandusky happened, my husband made sure that his company hired more Penn Staters than ever. And they did. (and maybe more than any other university).
But… before that job … you get a really fun four years on campus. It may be in the middle of nowhere, but when you put 40k students there, they are their own city. Just pay attention to THON in the next few weeks - it is an amazing campus-unifying experience. We all wish there was no need for THON, but as long as there is, we will support its mission.
It IS cold in winter. Walks CAN be far (that’s why you learn to cut through buildings!). Classes CAN be large. But - as a freshman, one of her professors encouraged them to go to the Career Fair to see how others act, what to wear and what to carry, and practice on someone who doesn’t have a line. (for the record, I gave her the same advice, but it is much better coming from a professor). As a sophomore, my D had a professor reach out to her and encourage her to come to office hours with her resume. He told her he would reach out to his contacts for internship opportunities. wow. (she already had an offer at this point). (And I was once told… if you sit in the front of a big classroom, you have no clue how many people are behind you).
it IS hard to find that group, so I encourage every kid to join SOMETHING freshman year. And it will become smaller. It is a place that can be many different things - for different kids and even for kids as they grow as college students while they are there.
good luck with the decision!
Ok need to say downsides
If you are physically challenged (in wheelchair or on crutches) some of the older buildings are “less handicap friendly”- those big doors are very heavy to open. On the flip side everyone (well really the male students) go out of their way to help you- and will still say hi three years later!
The Health Centers hours are ridiculous- but my daughter found Emergency Care close by.
Cell phone service near the hospital is lousy, but if your student is in Emergency they will transfer your phone call to their room.
My daughter hated the food- she used the kitchen (pretty sure every dorm has one- hers was in the basement- but went to dining hall to be social.
The common areas in West could use a small facelift.
I hated the fact that there were urinals in the female bathrooms in west- yeah they say so they can switch to accommodate different genders- but it makes you feel that you’re only temporary- better idea cover them up with something useful!!!
We are not Penn Staters, but both our children are recent grads. We have, however, lived here a long , long time (we are “local” but not “townies” because we weren’t born here)
The good parts : there are fabulous non-competitive opportunities such as notable speakers, awesome concerts, field-defining instructors, world class performances. The course offerings are wide and varied. Housing for freshmen is adequate and comfortable for the most part. Academics are top notch, supported by tutoring for anybody smart enough to connect. There is a lot to do for those who don’t care about sports, no matter the public perception otherwise. Colleges have great internal programs like Women in Engineering or Student Film Org, to name two. I have lived other places, but we love it here. Campus is safe, transportation is easy.
The bad parts: there are fabulous but highly competitive opportunities : desirable courses fill fast, high visibility/highly publicized internships and activities are real, but your chances of getting one are not great. Same with THON (and it is heresy to critcize THON). Advising is quite poor. Apologies to the PSU alum, but the devotion to PSU often sails right past normal, hurtles past cult, and lands in completely crazypantsland.
What every single prospect family needs to assess is this : Penn State is an academically rigorous school that will not hold your hand or even put up a directional sign. If your student is not ALREADY a self-starter; an independant thinker, a problem solver with a mind of their own, this school could well eat them for lunch. Academically and socially, there are many ways to go sideways and nobody will issue warnings. People come and admire the beautiful campus, the shiny students, the name recognition and think it’s a party school, a flagship, a sports school — and they neglect to see it is a difficult school to get in to, and a lot of work to graduate , as well.
But 700-person courses? Least of your worries. When you come to visit, bring a warm coat and sensible shoes!