@lucyvanpelt Thank you for taking the time and providing such a thorough summary of your thoughts…Do you have any theory as to why some were waitlisted yesterday and admissions told @natalie2 that all EA deferred were now in the RD pool for review? I assume they started reviewing the pool and happened to waitlist certain applicants
I applied EA, was deferred, and now it says my application is under review. It still says I have EA status on my portal, who knows if it still matters ? I wonder if they will still be rolling out the “waitlist” decision up till the 31st? Meaning some people who currently have “your application is under review” may end up waitlisted by the end of the week. Also for any veterans who may know, will the portals update on weekends as we move closer to the deadline? (Sunday and Monday mornings)
not sure about the people who where waitlisted yesterday.
@pama3115 not a clue. I could come up with lots of possible scenarios, but unfortunately, I think admissions is sinking this year. I would hope that there actually is logic applied - we may not agree with the logic, but hopefully it is not random.
It is not uncommon for people “In the middle” to be deferred to RD so they know where the “line” is… however, it doesn’t seem that holds true because (if you believe the internet) there are high stats kids who were deferred. I would hope that if there are two kids with virtually same stats, that priority is given to the EA kid.
good luck.
@annao2019 I live relatively close to State College. My opinion, IF the college was aware they should’ve issued the alert to be safe.
@ziveli513 I just wish I could stop checking! For days now my family problems (this among them) have paralyzed me and I stand in front of my computer. I need to get my life back but I am as stuck in a rut as all your portals seem to be! I actually believe our Wait List message will change because I am so in doubt of everything anymore. The only thing I don’t doubt is the pain my son and I are feeling.
@MyaCocoa I feel your pain. Hang in there. More info and more time may mean hope
Maybe admits will come from wait list if you choose to accept
It is possible from what admissions has said today according to previous post today
@lucyvanpelt I am not reading anger in @ziveli513 's recent posts. I am picking up the same confusion and rambling bewilderment I feel - and I think a lot of others feel. My son was wait listed but hadn’t chosen a major that was known as hard to get into or had extra requirements. Maybe if we had a crystal ball he could choose a different major that is more open, but as others have said, who knows what that would be? I don’t think it’s worth it.
I really think that everyone should not take the words typed here and read into mood, attitude, mental health status, or busy-ness (or lack of) in life. No one knows what another goes through. If something has been explained repeatedly, no need to drain one’s battery taking it upon oneself to repeat it. Just keep scrolling if someone’s post is off-putting.
Hello Everyone,
I’ve been following this group since he beginning, but this is my first post. Just to give those of you on the waitlist some hope, I know at least 2 kids who will probably decline their Mechanical Engineering offers once their other plans are solidified. One is trying to get in to a program in Germany, an another is probably going to UMD if he gets in. So waitlist spots could very likely open up.
My son applied 10/15 and was admitted to UP Summer on 12/1, and we were shocked to hear so early (he applied for summer as first choice as we’ve heard nothing but great things about the LEAP program).
This is definitely not the first time a delay like this has happened. My older son applied by the priority date back in 2016, and although promised a decision by Christmas, was notified that it would take longer due to high demand. He ultimately decided to go somewhere else (mainly due to being recruited for a sport) and is a very happy junior. It all works out! There are plenty of schools out there.
Good luck to everyone still waiting!
Hoagie, jimmies, soda! (Philly suburbs) 
It seems like all of the waitlists from yesterday were OOS. @jcs1918, were you an OOS applicant as well? I can’t help but wonder if yesterday they pushed out the OOS waitlists, and they might follow that up with the in-state waitlists soon, before they push out the remaining acceptances.
I am just searching for patterns where there may be none!
TO ALL ABOVE: For what is is worth, my son applied 10/22 EA. Was “under review”, then in the “group deferred to priority” and was “wait listed” yesterday. So all EA are not still under review or being considered by any means, at least based on our result.
@MyaCocoa thank u, well said
Looking at the decisions on the other page and someone with a 1040 SAT got in and people with 1400s do not. Scratching my head.
@comicstorm: what major? Did you use commonapp or the “websiteapp”? Are you OOS?
Hypothesis: They might have decided that WL is a way to gauge interest from OOS students applying through commonapp.
It seems rotten to me though. Commonapp strictly prohibits applicants being treated differently than ‘own app’ and WL as a way to gauge interest is cruel. So, I don’t know whether the hypothesis is plausible but regardless they clearly for in over their heads. (Question: why didn’t they hire and train enough people when they zzw the numbers November 1st?)
@natalie2 Thanks for posting what admissions told you regarding the portal changes yesterday. My son has been waiting as long as your daughter. He’s been under review since 9/8, Early Action, was changed to the deferred to priority 1/31, then had all the update changes yesterday. He’s been DUS Fall wth Summer Session marked for 2nd choice from the start, so no calls to admissions to change his major that could possibly contribute to delay. He was so excited when that 1st message came out yesterday saying to check back soon. I’ve passed on the info that he’s only now(or soon) going to be looked at and to continue this lesson in patience to hang in there until next week.
It doesn’t seem like a lot of DUS decisions have been released. Only aware of a few very high stat DUS acceptances I also have only seen Summer Starts from applicants that said they chose that is a 1st choice. I’m wondering if DUS is one of the last to hear since so many apply that way plus adding in the applicants that ask to switch if they were given the 2+2, plus the ones that get nervous regarding their chances with their initial major selected that ask to switch.
I’m sorry to those that received Waitlist decision yesterday. My son knows at least a dozen kids from his HS that won’t be accepting their offers from Penn State. I feel like there will be room for some of the waitlist.
@marniefaerie my son was waitlisted and we are instate.
My daughter applied on 10/15 EA to a specific major not DUS. She was also deferred to priority and as of this morning is under review. We are OOS. Unfortunately I don’t think there’s any rhyme or reason to the way decisions are being released.
Hypothesis: They might have decided that WL is a way to gauge interest (from OOS ??) students applying through commonapp.
It seems rotten to me though. Commonapp strictly prohibits applicants being treated differently than ‘own app’ and WL as a way to gauge interest is cruel. So, I don’t know whether the hypothesis is plausible but regardless they clearly got in over their heads. (Question: why didn’t they hire and train enough people when they saw the numbers November 1st?)
This is bewildering.
There was a difference between Common App and direct school app - the essay! We chose to go direct and still my son’s application is ‘under review’. So it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.
My daughter applied directly to Penn State via their website in August. At the time, the common app didn’t seem updated with the current year’s info (if I am remembering correctly), so even though she had a common app set up, she started from scratch on MyPennState.
Still no decision, five, almost six months later.
She applied to nursing, so there was a short nursing-related essay required on the Penn State app.