BJack98

Like I said before thank you for the clear insight into my problem.

BJack98

My problem or rather issue is much larger than a CLEP exam if you did not realize it, and whether LPS accepted them or not is highly irrelevant in the scheme of things since the exams were meant to be as you would say "the frosting on the cake" for my application.

BJack98

I'm not trying to be rude or disrespectful to you and I'm extremely happy that you were accepted into the LPS program, which I'm also trying to get accepted to but I clearly have more roadblocks to hurdle in order to get accepted which is why I'm asking for help. I called and the advisors are telling me one thing while the website says another so I'm a tad on edge at the moment.

whatisinevidence

The program is designed for adult non-traditional students. If you are younger than 21, I recommend working, as well as going to community college and getting good grades. After you are 21, you can apply to the program. If you did well in school, write good essays, and get good letters of recommendation, you will get in.

Or, if you want to go to Penn now, why not apply to UPenn CAS as a traditional transfer student?

BJack98

I just had my heart set on Penn and to be particularly honest, I feel like I'm learning nothing at my community college now. I've been working for about 4 years and I just prefer the rolling basis on which applications are accepted in LPS as opposed to one set date to apply to UPenn CAS. On top of that I'm willing to be a part-time student until I'm 21. But I just feel like if I stay at my current community college, I'm basically just wasting my time. The classes aren't taught that well and they don't even have the majors that I'm interested in.

BJack98

And I completely apologize if I seemed snippy earlier, since I called about 7 months ago and I was told that they would consider me if I got some more college credits but called back today and was told that they would only really consider, like you said adult non-traditional students 21 or older when their website clearly elaborates on applications of those who are under 21, so when an advisor told me about the age limitations and said that she thought it said this on the website, of course I was furious since it seemed like she hadn't looked lately.

Evelynnchou

Hi Guys!
Anyone know exactly if international students have the same shots to get in UPenn LPS,
since for the US Visa there is that problem of the encessity to take full-time classes,
also they mention that they need a TOEFL exam result,however it is not written which one is the limit to be considered, is 100 ibt enough?or lower scores are acceptable too?
I will be 21 in a few months and I am already transfering to UTexas, however I am still very interested at UPenn LPS.

whatisinevidence

You can be a full-time student in the LPS program.

Cnote11

What exactly are the average stats of those who are accepted to LPS? I didn't finish high school due to family medical and financial reasons and these issues also caused a blow to my high school GPA. It took me a few years before I was able to put myself in a position to continue my education. I got my GED and scored a near perfect score before beginning community college. As of December, I will have completed 50 credits at community college with a 4.0 GPA. These courses cover a wide spectrum, such as maths, astronomy, logic, various social sciences, multiple psychology courses, art history, ancient history, composition, brain & behavior (biology and anatomy), three french courses, etc. I feel I've taken a fine mix of classes that touch on the various cornerstones of a well-rounded liberal arts education. I haven't taken the SAT but I am considering doing so. Would that be a waste of time and money on my behalf? Does anybody know how heavily weighed it is in the admissions process? If I were to take it, considering the possibility that the SAT practice tests are even remotely close in difficulty to the actual administered test, I feel I would easily score 2100+ if you asked me to take them on the spot without any studying. However, I wonder if scores of those who have been through years of college are perceived differently than those that come from traditional applicants. Does anybody have any clue to what degree taking the SAT post-high school is useful?

Taking these things into consideration, what is the likelihood of me being accepted into LPS?

Wordworker

LPS is a cash cow for Penn. They spend lots of money to recruit students but relatively little to maintain them (no dorms, activities, etc.). So I think admission is mostly based on your perceived ability to do the work. Acceptance stats would vary, depending on the quality of the applicants.

Cnote11

What do you mean by "no dorms"? I'm aware that LPS students do not have their own dorm, and being a small minority of Penn student body they really shouldn't. However, I was told that I would be put up in graduate housing, which to me sounds far better than being in undergraduate dorming. To add, does anybody know if LPS is truly "need-blind" like they claim? If I got in I would qualify for full financial aid and was wondering if this would hurt my chances.

Wordworker

If they said you'd have graduate housing, you'd get a small room in a high-rise apartment, with or without roommates. It's expensive. Frankly, you could get more space more cheaply if you go off-campus.

If they said they're need-blind, I'd believe them, because there could be legal consequences if they lied about it.

Cnote11

Thank you for your replies. I looked into the graduate housing between the time of my post and now. The housing they provide for LPS students is Samson Place and it is indeed quite expensive. We're talking 1,200 per month for a single apartment and 860 per month for sharing PER OCCUPANT. However, this doesn't really deter me since I am eligible for having this completely covered. I could see how this would be a big issue for a lot of students wishing to attend, though. They also told me if I opt for off-campus housing that they would give financial assistance. I'm not sure how true this is and it is definitely something I'll have to look into with greater detail. I've found some places in University Center for decent prices (600 a month) which I may opt to do because of the possibility of someone I know attending LPS or another Philadelphia school. Splitting the rent + internet doesn't seem like it would be too big of a deal.

Again, I appreciate the replies. They have motivated me to continue to dig deeper to make sure that Penn LPS is a strong possibility for myself.

whatisinevidence

I don't think it's accurate to call LPS a 'cash cow'. I am an LPS student, and I received a very generous financial aid offer. I am paying almost no tuition, and cost of living is built into the financial aid package (though some of the cost of living is loans). I live off campus.

Cnote, you should definitely apply, and if your essays and interview are good, you should get in with a 4.0 gpa. With that amount of college work, the SAT is not necessary.

Hhou0701

Hey guys, I have a lot to say so.....buckle up! lol. I'll provide some key points of what I want to get across, and you may take it as you please:

About Me: 32 year old male. Economics Major, Cognitive Science Minor. Graduated from a community college in Minneapolis with an A.A. in Liberals and an Emphasis in Accounting. Started my first semester Fall '12 as a Freshman. Will be a Sophomore next semester.

GPA:
-I transferred in with a 3.79
-Most of my LPS classmates entered the program ranging from 3.5-4.0
-Apply anyway, even if you feel your GPA is not strong. I've heard of a few students being admitted around a 3.0. Rumor has it, there are a few "traditional students" who got in with below a 3.0, but I think they are student athletes.

Financial Aid:
-My package is about 80%-grants & scholarships, 20% Fed. Loans
-LPS doesn't have the same financial power as Penn's Student Aid due to funding, donors, and endowments, but for the most part, they're good at covering your financial needs. Just don't expect much more.
-You may need to take outside personal loans
-You are required to have health insurance to attend Penn. What sucks is, Penn is very picky with what insurance you bring in. It basically has to be top notch medical insurance or they wont accept it. I wish I would have known this before I finalized my financial aid package, so I could have planned things better :-/ Penn Ins. is $3,311 a YEAR!!! It's ridiculous. It does cover A LOT, but it was depressing to see the excess money I had borrowed, as a financial cushion for emergencies, was taken away by my Penn Ins. So, plan accordingly!!!

Housing:
-Graduate dorms are recommended for LPS students. I have a friend who is staying an Sansom East and pays around $850/month. It's about a 9'x13' dorm style room, and he shares a bathroom with his neighboring roommate. I didn't like the feel, because it felt like a jail cell. Maybe it's because I've always lived in a more spacious apartment setting and never had to share a bathroom.
-There are some nicer and larger apt style dorms, but you'd be easily paying $1,000 - $2,500.
-I'm renting off campus (44th/Walnut), and there are many students who do so. I'm paying about $550/month with rent and utilities. I got REALLY lucky! If you can find a place around $600-$750, you are in good shape.
-Try to stay East of 45th street. Some of the neighborhoods are rough and dangerous (between 33rd St.- 45th St. is recommended). I strongly suggest you visit the area and see for yourself before you secure a lease. Penn campus is beautiful though.

Admission:
-LPS looks for students with various professional and personal backgrounds, with the hunger to succeed in a challenging and rich environment. The more unique and interesting you are, the better your chances.
-I don't know the acceptance rate so if anyone can share what they know, I'd greatly appreciate it.
-During New Transfer Student Orientation on 8/30/12, LPS accepted 90 students from all over the world, not just the country.
-It's competitive, but again I don't know how competitive.
-I met one LPS student during orientation who was 19 years old. So, they do take students under 21. I'm sure it depends on the experience of the applicant though.

Transfer in credits:
-Be ready to not get many of your classes transferred, unless you are coming from a very reputable 4-year college.
-I only received 5.5 CU's (5 classes) from ALL the 20 classes I've completed.
-Wharton School of Business doesn't take in ANY business classes from community colleges. Even if you don't plan on taking Wharton classes, all business related courses are evaluated by a dept. at Wharton. I was hoping to get my Accounting & Business classes as electives. NOPE! It was REJECTED!

My Current Experience:
-I truly enjoy the change in environment, culture, and expectations.
-I'm struggling to stay above a 3.0 this first semester. Penn DOES NOT play! Lol. Most classes are very challenging. I took Calc.1 at my Comm. College, and am taking Calc. 1 again at Penn. It's intense! Most 2 and 4-year colleges would consider Penn's Calc. 1 (Math 104) as Calc 2.
-I enjoy the smaller student to teacher ratio. Most of my classes (seminars) have about 15-20 students.
-LPS classes are diverse, traditional and non-traditional students are all mixed in. So you wont feel segregated from the school.
-Day classes are less diverse. Most are 17-20 year olds. Although, most students at Penn are well composed, intelligent, and thoughtful. I haven't seen any students who are not ambitious, and not want to be at Penn.
-Students come from all over the world. I speak 3 languages (English, Khmer, Spanish) and thought I was ahead of the game coming into Penn, but I was wrong. Ha...It seems like 3 is the average numbers of languages spoken by students here. They're mostly great kids, except for the snotty and arrogant rich kids. lol. If you are all about celebrity status; Denzel Washington, Vera Wang, and Donald Trump's kids are current Penn students That's just one little interesting fact.

All-in-all, your school experience is exactly what you make of it. If you work hard and smart, you'd succeed. That goes for any school. I'm slowly adjusting to the challenging environment and enjoying it. The opportunities are endless here at Penn, but YOU will have to go out and search for them. It's competitive and nothing is going to be handed to you on a silver platter. Join a club or an intramural sport to help balance your rigorous course load. I'm on Penn's HYPE Dance Team, and they've done a great job making me feel like family and welcomed. LPS student's CAN'T participate in Collegiate Sports, but club and intramural sports are up for grabs. I tried to join the Penn Crew(Rowing) Team, and trained with them for one month, and later found out that I didn't qualify under the NCAA bylaws. :-/ Coach was great about everything though. The Pottruck Fitness Center (one of Penn's Gym) is AWESOME! As an undergrad student, you pay for it with student fees...so use it!

I was accepted to 5 other Universities and 3 of them offered me decent scholarships. Penn ended up offering me the best aid package of them all, so it was a no brainer for me. The only downfall was the time lost from practically starting fresh again. I have to be in school an extra year because of the limited amount of transferred credits. I'm confident that my time spent here will be well worth it at the end. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. haha. One major reason that convinced me to come to Penn was the Bachelors Degree. At the end of the day, once I graduate, my diploma will say "Bachelors of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania". Just the name alone will separate myself from other schools/job applicants. I know it doesn't apply to all jobs, but most corporations and larger businesses are attracted to the Ivy League brand name.

Remember, this is my personal experience. I hope this helps, and I wish the best of luck to you!