So I am planning on attending Penn State Main in the fall as a CS major and just returned home from my two-day New Student Orientation. The first day (yesterday) was full of icebreakers and games to get to know a few of our classmates and, apart from a little social anxiety, I enjoyed it. Today, however, was a completely different story. At the first meeting of the day, we were informed that Main Campus was 107% full! That means that likely every attraction on campus (the library, gyms, pools, etc) would be packed during most “normal” hours. In addition, this almost guarantees that I will get supplemental housing, even though I was earlier informed that this was always a possibility for a late accepter like me. The true source of my anger did not present itself until later in the day when we were making our first-semester class schedules. Apparently, every English 015 class, a gen-ed requirement, was full! This means that I have to take my 2nd-semester Physics class at the same time as Sophmore level calc class! (thanks to APs)
The kicker was that I was informed that my first semester Computer Science Class would only have one class a week in a classroom. The rest of the class will be ONLINE!!! I cannot believe that I am paying this much money and living hours away from my home to take an online class! When I questioned the supervisor he simply said there was not enough room to have classes for all the students.
Because of these occurrences, I feel like the only value I have to this university is the monthly tuition I pay. They accept way too many students purely due to greed. Because of this, everyone has to suffer.
I am seriously considering switching to a satellite campus that is much closer to home. I would not have to pay room and board if I was to commute, and I would be able to attend whichever classes I choose.
Does anyone have any advice?
(Sorry if this sounds like a rant, but I’m just extremely disappointed that my school is so blatantly abusing its students 
)
Most satellite campuses funnel students to UP anyway – you’d just be delaying your time there by two years, not avoiding it.
The probability of getting supplemental housing goes up exponentially the closer to May 1 you accepted. This is true every year.
The thing about college is that you can choose when and where you do things. Pattee/Paterno Library too crowded? Go to the engineering one in Davey, or study in your room, or find a quiet lounge in your dorm, or at a commons. HUB too busy at lunchtime? Eat lunch early or late, or go somewhere else. You have the power to rearrange your habits. Find the hidden gems on campus and use them.
Everyone who lives in a city has to deal with the same exact thing – my internship city has horrific traffic, for example. There are too many humans on this planet. Too bad. Can’t fix it, so we just have to find ways to work around it.
This is typical for a lot of freshman “large lecture” classes at large public universities. The lectures are recorded and can be viewed online. They typically will then have a once a week breakout session with a smaller number of students, where you can ask questions (or work in a lab, etc.).
It’s not a bad thing. All you’re doing in these large lectures are sitting in the back and taking notes. At least with the recorded lectures, you can replay any part of it, and watch it at your convenience.
Once you get past some of these freshman classes, online classes will become much more rare (as a CS major).
One of the key advantages of being at the main campus, is the ability to start making friends as a freshman. In fact, that’s one of your key goals, to start meeting folks and to find your “tribe”. It also gives you a chance to start getting involved with student groups like Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Undergraduate Research Society (URS), or a club for fun (dance, music, sports, etc.).
http://acm.psu.edu/
http://www.urspsu.com/
Of course, there is nothing wrong with saving some $ and attending a regional campus, but don’t underestimate the advantages of attending the main campus.
Good Luck!
However, being at 107% of enrollment capacity (probably due to higher than anticipated yield) means that the OP’s cohort will face more difficulty in getting into classes and selective majors. Even if the OP switches to a branch campus, there will be less space and higher selectivity to switch back to the main campus after two years.
So the only thing this college cares about is the money you bring in? They don’t care about anything else to the smallest degree, just money?
Somehow I suspect that black cloud you’re under is going to follow you around no matter what college you go to…
@bodangles: Yes, but upper-division classes tend to be smaller and more engaging.
OP: Is transfer to Main guaranteed? If so, I certainly would consider it.
“Yes, but upper-division classes tend to be smaller and more engaging.”
I am not sure what part of my post you’re refuting since I didn’t talk about class size, but – in my experience, I haven’t had a core major class smaller than 170 people.
@bodangles, did you purposely change your avatar back to the generic one, or is there a glitch in the system?
@MaineLonghorn It was intentional 
Reason #2856 to go to a small LAC and not an overcrowded sports palace.
I don’t think it’s greed that made the campus oversubscribed. Sometimes they just miscalculate their yield. Could you try this college then transfer to the branch campus if you decide you don’t like it?
OP, wouldn’t surprise me if regional campuses are also pretty full. In a good yield year, U’s often accept students to Main campus with the provision that they start out at a branch to give some relief to main campus numbers. So the 107% could actually be the result of that action and you might be surprised at how full the feeder campuses are. Double check class availability before committing to making the change, if it’s something you’re seriously considering.
On-line CS class shouldn’t be a huge deal - a lot of those classes are taught all on-line. Just be proactive in getting help (office hours, etc.) at the first sign you aren’t totally grasping concepts. This is something I’d recommend to ALL students not just those in your situation - being proactive is a big part the adjustment from HS academics to college.
Also might want to reconsider whether you really want to take AP credit and jump into soph calc with Physics first semester. That might be a good move to give yourself some room to adjust to the number of students and that impact as it seems to be something you’re concerned about.
I understand why you’re concerned but think you’re stuck right now in a real negative attitude that won’t help you make the adjustment to the "real world’ of college. You can mitigate most of the issues you foresee but it will take the right attitude to do it. Best of luck
^ Good point. If OP switches to a branch, it might have to be one of the less popular ones, and housing might straight-up not be available anymore. It’s almost July – there shouldn’t be any seats open anymore.
I don’t think this issue is specific to Penn State. My D went to her NSO in early June and it was the third one offered at her school (not Penn State). There were already some classes full and some where she got one of the last open seats in that particular class. That means all the kids who are going to the later NSO programs are going to have even less choice.
She did have the option for some of her classes to be online but didn’t select them but I can see a lot of kids will not have that same option. We were warned by others to go to the earliest NSO that you could in order to maximize your class choices.
We know some kids who are just going now to their NSO’s at different schools and are running into similar issues. I think that’s one of the expected risks when you go to a large campus like Penn State and others.
It’s rough for incoming freshmen everywhere in terms of getting the classes you want. OP, if they let you change classes on your own, monitor the master schedule. Sometimes sections are added or some kids drop out (as you’re considering). Keep checking up until the day classes start - you may be able to shift things around.
Ask the housing office what they have observed about how long students remain in supplemental housing. At large state Us, a fair number of first year students are long gone by fall break, and even more are missing by Thanksgiving. I wouldn’t worry too much about 107% capacity.