yocco I have managed to avoid the obsessive portal checking with a rather simple solution- I did not ask my DD for the portal information. lol I figured that was her job.
I do keep track of things here on Col Conf though! 
@sarah2001
According to Penn State’s common data set from the last application cycle (2018-2019):
Factor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Relative Importance
Rigor of Secondary School Record . .Important
Class Rank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Considered
Academic GPA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Very important
Standardized Test Scores. . . . . . . . . . . .Very important
Application Essay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Considered
Recommendation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Not considered
A great essay would always help.
@jlhpsu , thanks so much for sharing that your kids were admitted at night. It’s nice to have hope throughout the day.
yes, at night…but my daughter who applied to UP didn’t hear until January 26th. This was years ago, she graduated from UP this past may. My son applied straight to Altoona as he wanted to start at a smaller campus first (He’s at UP now) so he heard in early October…but also in the evening.
My youngest daughter is a junior in HS now and wants to go to Penn State. She has the grades for UP, but is considering also starting at a commonwealth because she would be in a tough STEM major. I, personally, am hoping she just applied directly to her campus of choice (Behrend) so that I don’t have to go through this agony next year!
I’m starting to get obsessive about checking. It’s awful. DD applied in Oct for UP DUS with summer start. Numbers are average at best - a 3.5 and a 27 ACT. Thoughts on chances for her? UP is our commonwealth campus but I’m not sure if that matters.
ACCEPTED!!!
I can confirm that updates do (at least) happen at midnight. I checked minutes before midnight and nothing was there. Around 12:02am …there it was!
The white part that says under review turns into a banner shape that spans across the page. (That’s how I knew).
Thank you all so much for listening and sharing, and I’ll be here rooting for all of you. ?
For those with mid-range stats, hang tight (easier said than done, I know). My S20 is instate with stats that fall into UP’s middle range.
He applied mid-Sept, EA to DUS with no summer start.
@Oceanisle That is awesome news!!! All the best to him and his journey!
@fla946 Thank you! And I’m rooting for your son as well!
Can’t wait to hear more good news for those waiting. I’ll definitely be following along. I would also love to know if people have their portals update throughout the day. Saw some DUS acceptances on the Decisions thread last night and clearly more SATs in the 1200s. Yay! C’mon PSU Admissions!
@oceanisle so glad to hear. Congrats!
@OceanIsle congrats to your son! Isn’t it amazing how they can now catch a breath - if this was a first choice or a backup - knowing they have a great option!
@lucyvanpelt Well said! Absolutely true.
@OceanIsle Congratulations!
and congrats to all the otehr acceptances that have popped up lately!
It’s hard when you see a new slew of acceptances and your child is still waiting! Just a few more weeks! It’s not a bad sign if you haven’t yet heard! I’m rooting for you all! ?
It’s hard to read these forums. Of course I’m happy for everyone that got accepted but seeing those high stat acceptances makes me more anxious than I already am… ?
My son finally got his decision as well after midnight!
Applied 8/18
OOS - NJ
SAT - 1270
GPA 4.23
UP campus
College of Information Sciences and Technology with the intended major of Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations.
Accepted for Fall 2020!!!
ACT: n/a
SAT: 1430
GPA: 4.2 W
Rank: 33/198
Extra: Varsity Track, Volunteer Work, NHS, photography & other extras
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Legacy: None
Applied date: Mid October
Applied Early Action?: EA & said summer was an option
Decision date: 12/5
Decision/College: Smeal College for Marketing
Campus: University Park Fall 2020
@sarah2001 hi I would like to tell you that very few students (or parents) post. Take a look at the number of students that post versus the number of admits and you will see that CC is just a small sampling. Hang in there and good luck
@sarah2001 , skibunny2 makes a great point and I would like to add that CC is a self-selecting group that often represents a group populated with many high-stats kids (and their parents) but it’s not at all indicative of the overall pool.
Hope you get good news soon! I know what it feels like to wait and wait while others receive news. I hope yours is right around the corner.
Thank you so much for your well wishes. I will try my best to hold out. ?
Hi everyone! I’m a high school senior who checked this board multiple times a day about when I would hear back or when anyone would hear back Early Action from UP for DUS. I’m happy to say that I got my decision this morning and I got into UP Fall Session! I have a 1280 SAT and a 4.25 Weighted GPA. I hope this helps you guys! Trust me your decision will come!