re: zipbags, what early decision do you mean?
@amomoffour meant to say the November 30 priority deadline.
@sunbeams The Schreyer Honors College at Penn State is very high up my list.
Accepted-College of Engineering
Stats:
ACT: 35C (36E 33M 36R 35S 29W)
SAT IIs: Did not submit
GPA: 3.96W 4.74W
Rank: 2/340
Other stats: 5 on Calc BC, Macro, and Psych. 4 on APUSH and APWH
Subjective:
Essays: Okay I guess, but definitely not outstanding
Teacher Recs: N/A
Counselor Rec: Good?
Hook (if any): First generation
Location/Person:
State or Country: MD
School Type: Public
Ethnicity/Race: White
Gender: male
Other Factors: Varsity lacrosse, club lacrosse, 2 honor societies
General Comments: Really liked PSU when I visited, but worried about out-of-state cost with little merit aid (I doubt I’ll get any need-based aid)
@thesocks9 Congratulations on your acceptance! You seem like a good candidate for Schreyer Honors College. Do you know if UMD has any similar program? I do know that both universities offer excellent engineering programs.
My DD just found out she got accepted to U of D also. Hoping to hear from Penn State soon.
My daughter just got her 2nd acceptance (Towson). Still waiting for her first choice. 
@zipbags Congrats! At least now your daughter has 2 back up schools!
@sunbeams Thanks. As excited as she was to get accepted it just frustrated her more than she hasn’t heard back from PSU. LOL
Just saw this thread and thought I’d add some info about my daughter’s experience although it was 3 years ago when she applied. My D started at PSU main campus in Fall 2013. She had applied at the end of September 2012 and got accepted by first week in November 2012. She applied to the College of Liberal Arts. She did not check off summer start but did end up going to the summer LEAP program and loved it. Her GPA was 3.7 with 1860 SAT ( super scored). She absolutely loves PSU. Good luck to those waiting on their decision!
Anyone knows how often PSU update the portal? Just wondering if we shall check once or twice a day.
@sunbeams their website says that their office of admissions is open from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday so I can’t imagine seeing any changes after 5pm. This, however, of course will not stop me from at least checking once every night before going to bed.
@sunbeams @Nrnjersey124 Actually, they usually update the portal overnight. The other most common time is after 5pm. When the acceptances rolled in last year, they would be posted about 7pm for what that’s worth. Also, for what it’s worth, PSU claims they only update 1x day, but last year we would see a few “rounds” of acceptances in a day. For example, the day my daughter was accepted, there were a bunch posted right around 6…then her acceptance showed up around 7. I think an AM check and a PM check would keep you covered for the day.
@jlhpsu Thanks for the info!
Accepted into Smeal College of Business (Accounting Major) for Fall 2016
Stats:
ACT: 32 (34E, 35M, 32S, 31R, 29W)
SAT IIs: Did not submit any
GPA: 4.76 (weighted)
Rank: Not known in school
Other stats: 5 on AP Calc, 4 on APUSH, 3 on AP Bio
Subjective:
Essays: Common App Essay
Teacher Recs: Good (submitted 2)
Counselor Rec: Good?
Location/Person:
State or Country: PA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Other Factors: Applied November 2
General Comments: Excited for my first acceptance!
Also did anyone else have their SAT and test scores listed as waived? Did not personally happen to me, but a friend is concerned that this may affect her decision if she did submit them. Thanks!
Good luck to everyone else!
@monkeygirl12 Congratulations. Gonna bum people out that you just applied November 2. LOL. Just goes along with all the higher level applicants getting accepted.
Very quick acceptance from branch campuses
Which campus are you attending?