Why did I not get in?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Penn State
1

I applied to Smeal and I was not offered admission

Weighted GPA: 3.56
Unweighted GPA: 3.4

5 APs
5 honors classes

I have only ever had As and Bs on my transcript

SAT: 1920

Math: 670
CR: 640
Writing: 610

Class rank: Top 25%
PA resident

4x Varsity Cross Country
4x Varsity Lacrosse
2x Varsity Cross Country Captain
250+ hours of volunteer work

I have seen people with a lot lower stats get in. Is there anything I can do to change my admission decision because Penn State was one of my top choices. I already got into school like Temple, UDEL, Fordham, Drexel, and Pitt. I’m confused as to why I didn’t get in.

2

GPA, probably.

http://admissions.psu.edu/apply/statistics/
3.55 unweighted was the 25th percentile for the class of 2018. I’d imagine Smeal’s requirements to be competitive are even higher.

3

@bodangles can I re-apply as DUS?

4

Everyone in the results thread seems to be doing so. You could try. So many people trying backdoor methods of getting in (can I reapply for summer? Can I reapply for DUS? Can I reapply and tell them how many legacies are in my family?) might make it competitive, though. Good luck! You have good other choices even if this doesn’t work out.