<p>Hey, I got accepted to the Eberly College of Science at University Park and Ive never been to PSU. My 2 aunts went there and loved it, and I only applied bc my dad made me. Now, its starting to sound really interesting and I wanted to know what you think is great about Penn state. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>You should definately schedule a time to visit the school. I did and sure LOVED it!</p>
<p>I just visited penn state this past weekend and it is absolutely wonderful! you should definetely go see ut for yourself...before going I read everything there was to know about it and beleive me....once you see it, it is even better! The students are very fun, polite, eager to learn, down-to-earth, and very proud of their school. The campus is gorgeous...you would think that 35,000 undergrads is too much, but surprisingly the campus is the perfect size. Social life is awesome. College ave separates the campus from the downtown area and basically the town is built for psu. You see college students everywhere...it's great! As far as academics go they are so great. I got to meet some profs and they seemed very willing to help. There are countless co-op, research, internship opportunities...even for freshmen...you just have to ask! PSU is such a great school. You'll never run out of things to do and you'll have the time of your life!</p>
<p>I agree with the previous responders that you must visit UP in order to appreciate it. It was the last college my daughter visited, and one of only two campuses where she instinctively knew she could belong. You may find it an amazing place...or be totally turned off. The only way you'll know is to go there and find out for yourself.</p>
<p>Yes, go visit! Then you can tell if it's a good fit for you. My son had it close to the BOTTOM of his list until he visited. Really liked it after our visit. He's there now and loves it. You DO need to be pretty independent though - there's very little hand holding. He reports that school spirit is about as high as you can imagine. His classes are good - mix of great, good and not so good teachers (like most places). He works hard and does well. LOVES the football games. Is involved with THON, intramural and club sports. Check it out for yourself.</p>
<p>Visiting will help. Its a great school with an ample amount of opportunities.</p>
<p>cbgb did u go to the MEP Panel on Sat.?</p>
<p>CH121S yes I did. Were you there?</p>
<p>I was on the Panel ;).</p>
<p>I was in the same boat as you last June. My dad was forcing me to go visit PSU and I was not happy about it. Suffice to say that I fell in love with it within an hour, and PSU/Schreyer is probably (read: definitely) where I'll be spending the next four years. The only way to really know if you'll like it is to visit, and it really is one of a kind!</p>
<p>My daughter also originally had no intention of checking out Penn State--it was too big, too much of a party school, too far out in the middle of nowhere, etc., etc. My husband insisted that she should at least visit it once. So she registered for an info session and tour last April, albeit grudgingly. However, once we got up there, it was a whole different story: the campus was so attractive and well-laid out(even the drive up was gorgeous, especially after we got off the interstate routes), the students that we encountered--even the random ones that we stopped to ask directions were really friendly--seemed pleasant and intelligent. She was so impressed with all of the resources and opportunities that were available at PSU: In particular she really likes the wide variety of Study Abroad opportunities. Besides the U, itself, we explored State College a bit and it's a great college town, with a nice variety of shops and restuarants. So, by the end of that day last April, D had made up her mind that not only would she apply to Penn State, but that it was one of her top choices.</p>
<p>I definitely agree with the other posters that you should visit the campus, if at all possible, to get a true sense of it.</p>
<p>Funny how the sentiments seem to run in one direction with respect to reactions to visiting the campus. </p>
<p>My son and I went up last AUgust for the "Day in the SUmmer" visitation )9which I highly recommend for oyu soon-to-be seniors). I had never been there and I was expecting a very large, sprawling campus, high rise dorms to house the multitudes, and a relatively low level of energy and enthisiasm from the staff at this large "state" institution. </p>
<p>But our experience was completely the opposite. The people running the event were very friendly and approachable. The campus was squeeky clean - no litter. The Smeal business building is brand new and wouldbe the envy of any college, public or private. The event was very well organized and a pleasure to attend. In short, we had absolutely nothing negative about our overnight visit, and left feeling that PSU had surged to the top of the list.</p>
<p>By contrast, we went to an information session at a prestigious private college in the Philadelphia area. The session was relatively poorly organized, and the admissions committee rep seemed to have the attitude of "it's nice that you've come, but we're an elite school with 5 times more apps than we need so apply if you want to...". Very little attempt to "sell" the school. We might have caught a bad day, but the juxtaposition with the positive energy we found at Penn State was remarkable. </p>
<p>The process of applying (and being accepted) at PSU and everything that went along with it was very user friendly as well. I spoke with the admissions office several times and they could not have been nicer or more cooperative. </p>
<p>My son will be attending PSU in the fall and, based on the full range of experiences from the initial visititation to submitting the info for the housing and meal plan selections, we are looking forward to a very positive experience. </p>
<p>All that being said, a school of this size is NOT for everyone. But my point is to say that it does not FEEL big - good execution from the admin staff, no high rise dorms, etc. </p>
<p>For those of you on the fence about checking out Penn State, I strongly encourage you to do so. There's a reason they call it "Happy Valley".</p>
<p>Ahah yeah I definately agree with everyone saying to visit PSU. Last year around March I was sure I was going to Case Western Reserve Uni (I was on these boards a lot around that time ;)) until I visited Penn State via Achievers Weekend. I visited both schools a week apart (both free luckily for me) and found that I loved Penn State's atmosphere and all around friendliness. I am very happy with my decision as of right now.</p>
<p>And for those worried about opportunities; I am doing research along with having a job in an office this spring (both received w/ the help of the college of eng.) and an internship this summer through a company I interviewed with at the career fair this past fall. Ive also had offers from Intel and a government agency-so hirers seem to love Penn State :).</p>
<p>Any questions you can message me or post on this board!</p>
<p>Funny that you say that, hvccgolf, because I experienced EXACTLY the same thing at another school that I won't name, but has "Pennsylvania" in it's title. It was basically 45 minutes of "we don't need to give you any reason to go here, just apply so we can reject you."</p>
<p>Hint: it's an Ivy lol</p>
<p>hvcc- golf And wsantivasi: LOL - Same here! I thought it was just me!
Plus I saw a kid on campus with one of those "We're not Penn State" t-shirts.
My son did NOT apply - guess their pitch worked!</p>
<p>That's funny, when I was a sophomore I was going to buy one, b/c back then UNNAMED SCHOOL was my first choice, but now I want to destroy every one of those shirts. PSU is far superior to UNNAMED SCHOOL! I didn't apply either! Go Lions!!!</p>
<p>Why is it that we have all had literally the same experience with the same two schools? That's so weird!</p>
<p>im attending Penn state this summer and been wanting to go there for years. i really found that there is some king of hidden appeal that floats around campus. It brings thousand there every football season as if it was mecca(even during bad seasons) and the campus is great and well laid out (but it does snow alot and is very hot in the summer) Its got great apidemics and programs (yet sterotyped as a state school status sometimes) its got programs that help kids connect and find groups like the summer leap and countless clubs (but still a huge school, 11th largest). to me, it really seems that penn state is exactly what you expect of a college, but then its not, its something but at the same time its another thing. ahaha, i dont know where im going with this, but penn state is really something else. to be bringing in all these kids, they gotta be doinging something right. i cant wait</p>
<p>Good comments all. To those reading these threads that are visting, or will be visting, colleges, the message is clear: Take the extra time to go SEE these colleges that MIGHT be attractive to you. Your college decision will rest to a material degree on gut feel, and you need to visit to get that internal sense for what the school's about. Don;t try to skimp on time and travel time if possible.</p>
<p>Indeed, as hvccgolf notes, many of these decisions fall on "gut feel." The challenge is to get away from gut feel and make an informed decision that has less to do with who gave the campus tour and more to do with what will add real value and change to who you are.</p>
<p>WhistlePig - I said gut feel will have a "material" impact on the decision, not drive it. My point is that trying to sit at a keyboard and read threads like this, read US News lists and college books, etc. is part of the process. But getting out to see these places is just as, if not more, critical. </p>
<p>In many of these threads I sense many kids and parents trying to "intellectualize" their way through the decision process - what is the student teacher ratio? Where does it rank in such and such a survey? How many Nobel winners on the faculty, etc? That will only take you so far. At the end of the day, ideallly, you take that information, go visit the school and see if the mental concept and due dilgence dovetails with the gut feel that comes from a personal visit. Then a decision can be made with more confidence. </p>
<p>I referenced a prestigous school at which we had a less-than-desirable experience when we visited the school. On paper, this school is a dream college for many high achieving kids - great reputation, beautiful location, etc. But, for whatever reason, neigher he or I came away with a positive feeling from our visit. The maintenance of the campus was substandard, the admissions staff was indifferent, and at $45K per year we did not want to come away with negative or indifferent feelings about the place - we wanted to EMBRACE it. LOVE it. But, alas, we came away feeling that it was not the right fit. No problem - that was why we invested a day to visit the place.</p>
<p>Good points, all.</p>