When will I hear back?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Penn State
1

I applied yesterday and I believe I am a competitive applicant. When will I hear back?

2

You’ll hear back by January 30th. Some may hear sooner but for anyone that applies before November 30th, they usually give a date of January 30. My son applied first week of September last year and heard back last week of January.

3

Thanks. That’s what I thought, but they are “semi-rolling” or something like that. Hoping I hear back a lot sooner, but not getting my hopes up…

4

It’s a modified rolling admission. It just means anyone applying before Nov 30 will definitely hear back by January 31
http://admissions.psu.edu/apply/deadlines/

5

Thanks so much!

6

I know student at my sons school, which is in PA hear much earlier than January. Most student heard back before thanksgiving. We have about 50-60 students go to UP every year. I am hoping my son hears back before christmas

7

@mainlinemom the vast majority of students won’t hear until December or more likely January. Perhaps your child goes to a school where everyone is super high stats, but in general, only very high stat kids will hear before December. I think hoping for before Christmas if your son is a high stat kid is pretty reasonable. Although I will say in following this over the last few years, there are PLENTY of 4.0 + students who don’t hear until January. It’s such a crap shoot and I wish PSU did things differently. The decisions, they will tell you, are completely random. In no order. Not by school applied to or high school attended. I’m not sure how accurate that it, but that’s what they say.

Most kids in my daughter’s high school heard in late December through late January. My daughter didn’t hear until January 26 after having applied Sept 2. It was an unbearably long wait. Hang in there and good luck!

8

Hi @jihpsu My son does go to a very competitive school in PA. it makes me mad sometimes. Alot of these kids use PSU as a back up to Ivies. My son just wants to get into PSU. I think they accept about 1/3 of the senior class and about 50 go each year. Last year alot of my sons friends Knew before Thanksgiving. i am not putting much hope in that for my son. I just hate all the waiting.

9

For everyone that is asking about acceptances and comparing to prior years: last year, Penn State admitted too many students in the process by accident. Therefore, students received an acceptance when it should have either been a straight rejection or 2+2 plan. Since these kids didn’t think they’d get into UP, they immediately accepted and Penn State’s incoming class was too big. This year, to make sure they don’t overfill, they are waiting until the end of November to send out acceptances to ensure that the issue from last year doesn’t happen again. I have talked with many PSU students who were accepted very early in the process and were “competitive applicants”, but this year I wouldn’t expect to hear until December. I know it’s a long wait, and the process is very flawed (it technically isn’t rolling admissions at this point, more of an early/priority deadline), but all we can do is wait for our decisions. I applied first week of September, competitive applicant as well, hoping to hear back very soon! Best of luck to everyone.