GraphicD

My D is applying to the graphic design program at UP (you can't take this major at any other campus other than UP). After talking with a number of her fellow students who have recently received acceptance notification to UP she thinks it might be because these students have requested entrance to Schreyer Honors College and they need to know if they are accepted to UP before filling out the application. Anything to back that up?

Not that the answer matter much for her. I think admissions will table her application until the Graphic Design dept gets back to admissions regarding their take on her submitted poster. If anyone has had experience regarding that I would love to hear it!

klinkmcbear

My daughter entered the graphic design program in the Fall of 2008. In early November, she met with an admissions rep, and was told that her grades/SAT's would definitely get her into UP, but the review of the poster was done completely by the staff in Graphic Design, and it was up to them whether or not she got in. The admissions rep did ask her for an alternate major, so they could offer her admission if her work was not good enough to get into GD. She applied and submitted her poster in early November and received her acceptance in the mail on 12/26. It's been four years, so I'm not sure if this is still relevant or not.

GraphicD

Thanks for the reply klinkmcbear. My daughter's scores are right on the bubble for acceptance to UP. We have made two visits to UP and have spoken to members of the GD program. She is still working on the poster - she wants it to be perfect before she sends it. I wish she would just get it submitted. So from your answer (atleast 4 yrs ago) it looks like she could get accepted before the GD group decide.

noonan706

I received my admission to UP 5 days ago and did not indicate that (and dont intend to) I was going to apply to shreyers.

klinkmcbear

Hi Graphic D,

My daughter didn't get an official acceptance before the poster review - just the admissions rep asking her for another major - saying that she wanted to be able to offer her admission if GD fell through. She said the academic review and poster review were completely independent of each other. Her acceptance on 12/26 was into the GD pre-major, after both GD had reviewed her poster and admissions had done the academic review.

My understanding is that the poster is very important, and that the focus is more on the explanation of the poster than the skill/design itself. Bill Kelly (dept head at the time) actually said jokingly that they should just have students submit the explanation and not bother with the poster. They want to see that you have the thought process to come up with a creative idea and then turn it into something tangible.

Here's the way it was in 2008 - very competitive, admitting only about 25 freshman a year into the "pre-design" program (less than 10% of those who applied), and a similar number of sophomores. From that 50 or so students, 2 years later, they accepted only 17 into the actual graphic design major. My daughter did not make the cut into the junior year, and was totally devastated - but she ended up double majoring in Integrative Arts (with concentrations in GD and Photography) and Communications - Advertising/PR track. She graduated in May and just landed a great job in DC that will utilize some of her GD training - so it ended up turning out perfectly. She had an amazing 4 years - the best part being THON!

Good luck to your daughter!

QuietType

The Schreyer admissions process is completely independent of the general admissions process to PSU. (Of course the student needs to be admitted to PSU before SHC will accept them, but...) The SHC admissions decisions are made in late February - early March. There would be no holdup of the general admissions acceptance process to see if the student also applies to Schreyer.

My recollection is that the graphics students are accepted quite late in the process because of their portfolio/poster review. I remember kids complaining about not hearing of their acceptance into PSU-UP graphics design until January.

GraphicD

Thanks for the insight Klinkmcbear. On one of our visits we met and sat down with Bill Kelly and he describe the poster exhibit just like you its more the idea and getting the idea across to the client. Congrats to your daughter and you for getting thru this process with positive results!