<p>I live in CT. 3.52 UW GPA. 1940 on the SATs. I have taken Honors English 1, Honors English 2, AP English 3, Honors Biology, Honors Chemistry, Honors Physics, Honors Geometry and Honors Algebra 2. Senior year I will be taking AP English 4, AP Physics, Honors Govt/Economics, and Honors Spanish 4. Received a 5 on AP English 3 exam. I've done drama club, student council, multicultural club, business club, journalism club, ambassadors, NHS, and i was chair of the blood drive this year. Ranked 21 of my class (not good, i know) and go to a Catholic High School with about 110 students in my grade. I am Haitian American and first generation. Ive done 75 hours of community service throughout high school. </p>
<p>Do you think i'll get in? Its my top choice. I plan on majoring in business. I want to be on the University park campus, i am coming from out of state (Connecticut)</p>
<p>sop520 I think your grades/scores are good but I wonder whether you have taken enough math. The PSU application does ask for what level math you have taken. You haven’t taken trig/precalculus- which might be an issue for the business school.</p>
<p>oh that’s good. You didn’t list that in your senior year courses and I wondered why you were not taking math! Well I think you have a very good chance. </p>
<p>I’d love to hear why PSU is your first choice and not U Conn which is your instate school and would be much less expensive. What is it that attracts you to PSU?</p>
<p>I just listed my honors/APs up top, thats why i didnt put that in, but thank you!</p>
<p>And the reasons I prefer Penn State to Uconn are:
Academics- Penn State’s Business program is ranked much higher and it is the top school job recruiters go to.
School spirit- For some reason, i LOVE the sense of pride that Penn Staters have in their school. I never loved high school or middle school, and I feel like itd be great to have that feeling that school really is your home and to be so proud of it. I really feel like I’d be happy if I went there.
Location- I visited UCONN, and as nice as the school was, I could not imagine myself going there. It’s a gorgeous campus, but just not for me.
Size- Though they are both large schools, I actually like how big Penn State is because it’s a pretty good representation of the real world. After graduating, I’ll be used to independence and responsibility in a large setting.</p>
<p>sop520- be aware that at large state schools like Penn State certain majors are controlled, meaning they will only take a limited number into the major, and you won’t find out until you are sophomore if you are accepted into your desired major. Here is a link to give you more info about the enrollment controls in Smeal. Just thought you should know, since recently a current student was posting about not being able to get into the Finance major that he wanted. [Division</a> of Undergraduate Studies: Advising Updates](<a href=“http://dus.psu.edu/updates/numbr570.htm]Division”>http://dus.psu.edu/updates/numbr570.htm)</p>
<p>You may also want to look into U Del as an alternate choice- it has plenty of school spirit too!</p>
<p>I’m not sure it is entirely accurate to say they only take a limited number into the major. For example, in Smeal
So, if you maintain a B average your sophomore year, you are guaranteed admission to your major of choice (3.5 for Finance). I think it might be more accurate to say that there is a minimum GPA requirement for guaranteed admission to the majors with enrollment controls. If more students meet the minimum than there are spots, they are all accepted.</p>
<p>That’s the way I read it. That’s the way it works in the College of Engineering, where there are sometimes more accepted than the enrollment cap would indicate. I imagine if the numbers of students guaranteed admission got to be much higher than the target the minimum GPA would increased (like bioengineering, which has a 3.3 minimum).</p>
<p>1moremom- you are correct. I spoke with an advisor in Smeal who told me the following:</p>
<p>For all Smeal business majors, you must have a 3.2 (3.5 for finance) at the end of the fall of sophomore year and also at the end of the spring term of sophomore year. If you meet that GPA and have taken all the required courses, with a C or above, then you are guaranteed entrance to major. If more than the “quota” for each major fulfill the requirements, then Smeal will accomodate the larger number of students (guaranteed).</p>
<p>The advisor also told me that typically finance and accounting majors “fill up” with those who meet the GPA requirements, while some other majors do not “fill up” and therefore will take some students with below 3.2 GPA (starting with the highest GPAs and working downward). Those students who don’t get placed in any Smeal major can transfer into business related fields in schools other than Smeal.</p>
<p>I have to add, the enrollment caps in engineering served as a real motivator for my son. Entrance to his major happens after freshman year and he did not have a real second choice. He knew that he needed to buckle down right away his first semester at PSU to insure that he had the necessary GPA.</p>