<p>I’m going to take S to look at Penn State at some point. Not the size that I think he would like (although he hasn’t seen one like this yet), but has a program that is of interest to him. Pricey for OOS, but “cheap” compared to the privates… anyone know about merit aid at PSU? Honors program?</p>
<p>A few pages back the school profile was mentioned. I pulled our high schools profile and I have to say…I don’t feel so good! I knew we were a competitive high school, but this is just crazy! 41% of the students have an unweighted GPA of 3.51- 4.00 and if you look at weighted gpa 14% have over a 4.51. 28% have a 4.01 -4.5, so my D is in the top 42% of the class weighted and top 41% of the class unweighted. What happens when schools look at this? Do they realize that it is just a high school filled with crazy high achievers, or do the kids get penalized because they aren’t in the top 10 or even 25th percent? </p>
<p>Also, our hs offers 26 AP classes. With that many classes offered, how can the guidance counselor check off most rigorous course load unless the kid takes all ap classes. </p>
<p>The only positive thing I can see for my D in looking at the school profile is that she is significantly above the mean on the SAT critical reading and writing sections of the SAT.</p>
<p>MDMom, my son is ranked 30th out of 68. The first 10-15 kids are separated by less than a point and the next 5 or so by a point. </p>
<p>I have to believe that the schools he is applying to know his school and can put his gpa in perspective.</p>
<p>PSU main campus is considered a reach for most B students and merit aid is unheard of unless you are the very top of the heap. My son has applied to PSU - Main because of their outstanding IST program but I’m not sure how much of a chance he has even though he is taking a PSU class right now at one of their satellite campuses.</p>
<p>mdmom - look at our Naviance scattergram for Penn State - most of our students are admitted. I do believe that our hs is known for being a very rigorous public hs - and our students are judged accordingly. From an application standpoint - I like that Penn State is rolling and does not require teacher recs unless you are applying to the honors college. I know we discuss quite a wide range of students when we discuss “B” students - but for those coming from a rigorous hs - I do see Penn State as a safety school for a B/B+ student.</p>
<p>I read that Penn State was one of the top schools that recruiters go to.</p>
<p>Penn State has a very helpful chart that shows how likely acceptance is based on weighted GPA and SAT scores. Check out:
<a href=“http://admissions.psu.edu/info/counselors/bubble_chart.pdf[/url]”>http://admissions.psu.edu/info/counselors/bubble_chart.pdf</a>.</p>
<p>It seems like a lot of B and B+ students from our school get in. It’s easier to get into than UMCP instate. The rolling admissions are a big plus. Some kids have already heard. People who attend love this school with a lifelong passion. It’s a good choice for a kid who wants a large rah-rah school, loves football, can handle the cold, and doesn’t mind being in a small town.</p>
<p>Rockvillemom, Does your HS scattergram lump all the PSU campuses together? As you can see from this site [Middle</a> 50% GPA & SAT Range - Penn State Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://admissions.psu.edu/academics/majors/requirements/50percent/]Middle”>http://admissions.psu.edu/academics/majors/requirements/50percent/) the admit gpa’s are higher at the Main campus. It’s a great college but as with all state schools, except for majors that are not at one’s own State colleges, I’m not sure it’s worth the extra money. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great college but I’m not sure it’s any better then ones own flagship school. My own husband wanted my son to look at University of Maryland for our son because he heard that a lot of the techy businesses recruit there! ;)</p>
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<p>I have definitely posted this before somewhere on CC, but most Naviance programs do not delineate main campus PSU from satellite campuses (altoona, etc)…very, very difficult to get a read on acceptance chances based on that; the chart noted above is probably more accurate…</p>
<p>For our public HS though, a “B” student unweighted without a ton of AP and honors classes is not getting into Penn State main campus unless their SAT is super competitive and out of line with their grades…and, yes, PEnn State OOS is probably just as expensive as the lower priced privates on this thread (actually more expensive than Elon right now)</p>
<p>kathiep: I agree that PSU is probably not worth the extra money over University of Maryland instate. Some of the kids I know who’ve gone chose it over the Maryland Freshman Connection program. The kids in Freshman Connection don’t get on campus housing and have to take classes in the late afternoon and evening first semester. Other kids just want to go somewhere different, or have family connections to Penn State.</p>
<p>mdmomfromli, where did you find your school’s profile? Are these available on the web or do you need to ask the school?</p>
<p>Our HS profile is on the school website – under the guidance dept tab. Our HS also has a ton of AP and IB courses – but how many can you realistically take? I’m thinking S will have 3 for jr year and 3-4 for sr year…it’s a heavy course load! (My B+/A- student took 2 junior year and 2 senior year)</p>
<p>Freshman Connection at UMDCP. My D was accepted to this but didn’t want to do it. My BFF’s D did decide to do Freshman Connection - she is in an apt (suite) with three other girls in the program and is thrilled with the school.</p>
<p>PSU - I would be looking at this as a safety for my Jewish “A” student – thanks for the chart that confirms this. Wonder if you get into an honors program if you get merit aid. Will have to put that on my list to ask when we visit. The alumni network is quite impressive there.</p>
<p>mhc48, some schools put their profile on their website. Some put it under lock and key. 
I had to ask to see our school’s.</p>
<p>A belated but heartfelt congrats to mdcissp’s son!</p>
<p>heck, I’m on our school board and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the profile sent to the schools…certainly not on our website! Will ask that it be provided to our school board and also be available on our website.</p>
<p>rodney - our hs does break out all of the Penn State campuses in Naviance. So, in 2010, 97 applied and 92 were accepted. The average wgpa was a 3.84 and the average ACT was a 26. KInd of funny - I would never consider a school this large for S2 - but this does fit him well! Just as another example - 3 students applied to the Altoona campus - all 3 were accepted. Average wgpa of 3.36 and average ACT of 24. It does seem that - at least for our hs - Penn State as OOS is an easier admit than in-state at UMD-CP.</p>
<p>Our hs Profile is on-line. But I’m sure that if you ask to see it - your GC will at least show it to you.</p>
<p>In a perfect world - it would be acceptances all the time. But since there will be some deferrals on the horizon - want to suggest some strategies.</p>
<p>Think of a deferral as a “not quite yet”. The door is still open - you just need to convince the college to let you in! I suggest the following steps:</p>
<p>Send more grades, assuming they are good, of course. First quarter grades or first trimester grades - fax or e-mail directly to the regional rep if you know who it is for your state.</p>
<p>Same thing with test scores - if they were a little low and you just tested again in October or November - send the official scores through College Board or ACT - but also - send a fax of your copy directly to your regional rep. Attach a cover sheet re-stating your interest in this college.</p>
<p>Has your child just rcvd an award? Or had some other major accomplishment - lead in the school play, etc. Send info on this - school newspaper clipping, etc.</p>
<p>If the college does not require teacher recs and you did not send one - send one now. If you sent one already - send another one.</p>
<p>If the college does not have the “Why XYZ college essay” - do a short one now. Just a few paragraphs confirming your interest in the college, why you are a great fit for them, what you can contribute to the campus, etc. </p>
<p>I realize that if it is a large university - you may not have a regional rep to send these things to - in that case - I would do the head of admissions. But most mid-sized or smaller schools will have a rep for your state - that’s the person you want to contact.</p>
<p>I like the idea of spacing these things out. Rather than sending everything at once - think marketing campaign - send something every 2-3 weeks. This allows you to keep your name in front of the regional rep for a sustained period of time. But don’t over do it - we’re going for gentle persistence - not stalkerdom!</p>
<p>And, don’t promise to attend - that seems a little desperate and kids are known to have reneged on such statements.</p>
<p>Hope these tips help - if anyone else has ideas or anecdotal experience in this area - please chime in.</p>
<p>My feeling is that while there is no guarantee - if you do some of these things - at least you know you have given it your all and there will be no regrets.</p>
<p>Wow- - I missed 3 days and so many posts!
mdcissp, CONGRATULATIONS to your son! That is absolutely wonderful news and you must be thrilled!</p>
<p>Regarding Penn State: The students that I know who have been admitted are in-state, but there are definitely “B” students in the mix. It is really helpful to apply early. If you are even thinking about it remotely and can afford the application fee, apply in November, asap, for a better chance of admission. Also, indicate that you are willing to start summer term. This really helps with admission, and the students who start summer term enjoy it. There is a smaller group of students there, but it is a good way to get acclimated. They will most likely have to switch dorms after summer term, but often they meet someone summer term that they want to request as a roommate for fall and spring terms.
PSU Honors (Schreyer): Outstanding education, probably the best public honors college in the country, emulated by all of the others, and the admissions standards are extremely high. The average combined reading and math SAT is something around 1480, third only to Harvard and Yale, last I checked. The students get a $3500 scholarship, and a few are selected for full tuition scholarships, I believe, especially in the sciences. The poster who asked about this can pm me for more info. RM, you can also pm me if you want to know more about how PSU creates smaller communities within the larger university.</p>
<p>Regarding RM’s excellent advice regarding deferrals, my S2 was deferred and emailed his regional admissions officer once a month, each time telling him about a new award, activity, or honor. Each time, he said that this school remained his first choice and that he would attend if admitted. He was absolutely sure about this so he felt comfortable saying this. He also ended each email with a question, “forcing” the admissions officer to respond. Looking back, he could tell from these responses that this admissions officer was really pulling for him! He was admitted.</p>
<p>My S1, after being deferred, asked for some other people to write recommendations. (Well, actually, one of those people asked my son if he could write the recommendation, and said this in the recommendation.) He wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper and sent this in to the admissions office. Fortunately for him, his letter was picked up on some blogs and he sent these in as well. I have no idea whether these were even read, but my son figured that it couldn’t hurt. He was also admitted.</p>
<p>Send me some strength please…I am now on D2 with this process!</p>
<p>"Hillel at Syracuse University celebrated its 60th anniversary last month with special events featuring alumni and celebrities.</p>
<p>Founded in 1951, Hillel at Syracuse University seeks to create meaningful opportunities for students to explore social, educational, cultural, and religious programs which add value to their collegiate experience. The Miriam Loewy Friend Hillel Program at the Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life serves as the center for Jewish life on the campus of Syracuse University.</p>
<p>The celebration began with “An Evening with Max Weinberg” on Thursday October 15. Weinberg, the E Street Band drummer who was the bandleader on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien for 17 years, spoke about his life, career, and Jewish identity in a program sponsored by the university and Hillel.</p>
<p>The next day featured an alumni panel on the history of Jewish life on Syracuse’s campus. The event, called “Spanning the Decades of Jewish Life” brought alumni who graduated at various points in Hillel at Syracuse’s history from 1950 to 2010. This panel was followed by the presentation of an Orange Circle Award to Hillel at Syracuse by former Syracuse football player Floyd Little."</p>
<p>^^it’s not all roses…</p>
<p>[</a>" + pageTitle + "](<a href=“http://www.dailyorange.com/student-association-denied-funding-for-hillel-concert-prompts-questions-debate-1.1339175]”>http://www.dailyorange.com/student-association-denied-funding-for-hillel-concert-prompts-questions-debate-1.1339175)</p>
<p>[</a>" + pageTitle + "](<a href=“http://www.dailyorange.com/student-association-lack-of-funding-for-hillel-los-colores-draws-discontent-1.1372919]”>http://www.dailyorange.com/student-association-lack-of-funding-for-hillel-los-colores-draws-discontent-1.1372919)</p>
<p>[</a>" + pageTitle + "](<a href=“http://www.dailyorange.com/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-hillel-administration-frustrated-by-sa-finance-board-decisions-1.1751724]”>http://www.dailyorange.com/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-hillel-administration-frustrated-by-sa-finance-board-decisions-1.1751724)</p>
<p>The third article is the most recent…mind you, alot of SU organizations have been having issues with funding…</p>
<p>From my daughter’s perspective, SU Hillel is much bigger and much more intense than she can handle…she is not really involved in any measurable sense; with over 3,000 members, it’s more like a small college in and of itself and extremely difficult to form any meaningful connections…</p>
<p>edit: no idea why the links are showing up like that but they work…</p>
<p>Thanks, Rodney. I am wondering from other posters: how much Hillel funding comes from the university, how much from the local community, how much from other Federations, how much from fundraising efforts with alumni and parents?
I keep wondering this when people bring up Hillels at very small colleges in small towns or rural areas where there is not a significant Jewish population - is their funding sustainable and if it is, how are they doing it?</p>