My older son goes to Penn State. He got in DUS, summer start with a 3.65. My younger son desperately wants to go to PSU with his brother. He had some unfortunate circumstances his freshman year which put him behind (emergency surgery- out for 2 weeks of school). Then his sophomore year decided to take Latin- against my recommendation lol) and ended with a C. He’s going into his Junior year and we think if all goes well; he’ll end with a 3.2/3.3. Not great but not terrible. He’s a smart kid. He’s not a knockoff kid. He tries hard and never complains. With his stats; what are the chances he’d get in summer start at UP? He’s undecided on major but are there any majors that are less competitive/desirable where he’d have a better chance of getting in? Also coming from a very rigors private school. Classes are 90 min each and they do not give out honors or AP unless the teachers recommend it. Just an FYI
I would start first with his counseling team at the high school since they are familiar with the stats involved for your school.
Agree with @aunt_bea , the counselors at your private school will be the best source of information.
Talk to your private school - a 3.2 there might be different than a 3.2 elewhere.
But it sounds like he’s below a 3.2 now.
I’ll say this - if you want to go somewhere, and PSU while selective, isn’t overly so and they show 7% of kids with a 3.25 or less and 19% with a 3.5 or less (likely weighted) - but if you want to go somewhere, especially a school that’s not overly selective, then you’ll apply.
No one can truly say yes no - but you also can’t say he’ll have a 3.2-3.3. You don’t know.
If he applies and gets in, great.
If he applies and doesn’t, that’s why you apply to alternatives - which may be a CC or branch so he can transfer in, or he might find and love his own experience elsewhere.
I don’t think anyone can give you an answer today (or even in a year) but I wouldn’t load up pressure on him for Junior year - like if you get straight As maybe you have a chance.
Hopefully the student does well - and then the chips will fall where they may.
Best of luck to him.
Right now, the general consensus is that below 3.5 means a branch campus.
There are exceptions but, assuming your private school is a “known quantity” in PA, for your son to be one of these exceptions he would need to take DE classes to increase rigor (since his school didn’t allow him to take honors/AP classes in 10-11th grade) and do exceptionally well on the SAT/ACT.
2/3 of the decision is GPA×rigor generally defined as the number of honors/DE/APs and/or years in math, science, world language (precalc or calc, bio/chem/physics+1, FL4). The remaining 1/3 is mostly SAT/ACT score and if the applicant’s borderline other factors such as ECs. He should also use the PSU app to tailor his statement to them specifically ( vs. Commonapp essay) in case he’s in that borderline category where the essay comes into play.
For an easier-to-get-into major look into College of Agriculture - does he have any ECs that make any of these majors a good choice?
Thank you. We are OOS if that makes it any better lol
As for EC’s; he’s played football, lacrosse and track in HS. Tons of service hours, entrepreneurship club, among other minor things.
I’m not sure it does one way or another. If he does well this year and scores high on the SAT, who knows?
It’s unfortunate for him that PSU factors GPA more than test score - Pitt uses both equally. Some universities don’t use 9th grade results at all (Canadian universities, California Polys..) and may be of interest?
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is the only California public university that includes grades from 9th grade in recalculated HS GPA. However, subject requirements can only be fulfilled with C or higher grades, including in courses taken in 9th grade.
He can go to a branch like Brandywine, get good grades, and then transfer over to State College.
Since the family lives out of state, it’s not a good choice - there are typically better, less expensive in state choices for non PA students, something psu admissions are well-aware of.
This student has about a year to build a list with two safeties they like and a few targets, then they can add as many reaches as they wish, including PSU 
Sorry, I missed that.
In addition to checking with the guidance counselor, I would start next year by encouraging the student to expand horizons past PSU to forge their own college path. There are plenty of colleges (many with a big college/sports vibe similar to PSU if that is desired) who would welcome a student with a 3.2 GPA from a rigorous HS with open arms.
For any student I believe it is important to create a well balanced application list with reach,match,and safety schools that appear affordable and that the student would be excited to attend. I imagine the guidance counselor will help with this as well.
I think it’s less about Penn State and more the brother. I was looking to see if there was a two year school nearby. I don’t see one other than a technical community college 9 miles away. Perhaps someone knows of one.
Anyway, OP can check back in a year with further grades and know PSU will be on the list as a reach.
Yes. He absolutely loves Penn state but he’d go anywhere to be with his brother. They are attached at the hip and have been since they were very little. He has plenty of schools that he could “easily” get into (most in the south) which would be totally fine. But being close to home is a major draw with Penn state as well. Hopefully this year he does well and well where he lands in a year.
There are schools he’s get into in PA. Temple, Penn State branches, PASSHE schools like Millersville. Lock Haven appears a bit less than hour by bus. May be one to look into.
For major flagship types, WVU is 3 hours away. And UDel is a bit farther.
It could be the boys grow independently during the four years - which can also be a very good thing.
How much older is the PSU student ?
Checking out the college of Agriculture is not a bad idea. I know I have shared before that a family member of mine got his degree from our flagship’s Ag college (due to failing grades in foreign language making him ineligible for the other colleges) and has ended up being the most financially successful of all of us. He had no previous interest in agriculture, but has enjoyed being a commodities trader.
I also agree with @tsbna44 that it’s not a bad idea to check out community colleges in the area. Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Centre County is just a 12 minute drive away. He could perhaps live in private dorms near the Penn State campus? I have known students who lived in the private dorms of our flagship who attended a 2 year college ~5 miles away, and had a good experience.
I attended college with a sibling (we overlapped for two years). We were not “joined at the hip”, either growing up or in college. It was the right place for both of us and it worked fine. But don’t idealize what their relationship will be like, might be like, could be like if they both end up at the same college. A college junior has activities, a friend group, study partners from their tough classes, a job. Maybe one of these will be right for the sibling or maybe not. But don’t let your imagination get the best of you. They likely won’t be hanging out together every evening; they won’t be taking the same classes, they won’t be dating sisters or even best friends who want to double date all the time. And they won’t be working the same job handing out towels at the gym or answering the IT hotline or providing extra keys for kids who locked themselves out of their dorm.
Ride home together at Thanksgiving? Absolutely. But keep your expectations in check and make sure BOTH kids are on board.
Honestly, the only thing that I hear about your son’s desire for college is that he wants to be with his older brother. A lot of growing up can happen in the next couple of years, but if I were you, I’d try to focus conversations on what he wants to do with his life, how he wants to earn his living, what he wants to get out of college aside from simply following his brother to be with him, and see if he can formulate some future plans that are based on more than just being at the same school as his brother.
But no, he doesn’t sound as if he is going to be able to get into Penn State main campus, and it’s in a pretty isolated area (State College), so there’s really no reason to go there other than Penn State main campus.
The other thing to consider is that the campus is huge and his older brother will have well established routines and friendships by the time your younger son starts. My brother ended up at the same large college I attended and (after his first week or so) we only met up when we specifically made plans (not all that often). Given that Penn State seems like a big reach, I’d talk to younger son about benefits of making his own path in college.