you’d be an academic shoo-in if you apply in September, but you likely wouldn’t get any financial aid, so can you afford 45K out of pocket?
I am stuck between choosing PSU and Lehigh. I’m planning to study history and poli sci and I would like to know if there is anything at PSU that stands out about those programs. I will be doing the Paterno Fellowship as I was offered scholarship money for it and will likely end up in Schreyers too if I choose to go. Also, what is the best residence hall for a freshman looking to study and have some social experience?
Has anyone heard anything about the Engineering Science and Mechanics program? Is it difficult to get into and does it prepare well for grad school?
@dhizzy I don’t know about the programs,but if you haven’t accepted your admission by now, you’re most likely going to get supplemental housing because the admission office said that if students accept their admission in mid-April or later, they’ll be assigned to supplemental housing.
@PSUstudent15 This is really nice of you to do!! I had a question about Honors…I didn’t apply to Schreyer’s through the freshmen application. However, I committed to Penn State and am really interested in applying as a current student next semester. How does that process usually work? I’m in the College of Engineering as an Aerospace Eng major, for reference.
Are there a good number of students who are successful in becoming Scholars after arriving at Penn State? Is it very difficult to do?
Thanks so much again!
Sorry guys, got a little caught up in end of semester/graduation stuff. Totally doesn’t feel real yet!
@dhizzy Hope you made the right choice! Apologies for not getting back earlier, though if you did choose PSU feel free to ask about specifics in those majors. I would take the honors dorms if you can- they’re quite social enough but unlike other dorms, do let you also enjoy the “academic” side more when you want to.
@collegekid3456 Admission wise, it generally takes stats a little higher than the PSU averages (think ~20-30 SAT points/section if I’m remembering my placement results right). I get the sense that PSU engineering is well regarded for grad schools and the abundant research opportunities here definitely play in your favor in terms of getting the substantive research experience that grad schools will value.
@itstheruch You’re probably looking at doing Gateway (https://www.shc.psu.edu/admissions/apply/gateway.cfm). Maintain a high GPA and apply your spring semester freshman year at the earliest. Numbers wise, if I’m remembering right, around 500 people will graduate from Schreyer every year while only 300 are admitted as freshmen. Assuming that 10% attrition out, that gives us roughly 230 students who will become Scholars after arriving at Penn State. I’ll note that process is changing pretty significantly. My advice is that if you really want Schreyer and have any inkling of declaring a liberal arts major, do it and do it through Paterno Fellows. Gateway-ing, at least from what I’ve heard, is pretty hard and requires high GPAs. Paterno Fellows’ is the way easier back door to Schreyer so I’d jump on that if you can.
Feel free to keep firing away- I’ll do my best to stay on this at least through the summer.
@PSUstudent15 I am an incoming freshman , hoping to major in Finance. I am from a different country, and I would like to know how good are the job oppurtuniites when you graduate from Smeal for the international students. I am also in a mind to major in Economics. Can you please tell me about your experience and is Economics a viable major to take if you are looking for a financially viable job?
@ParNeel They’re both pretty viable majors and honestly I think they would do especially well as a double major. As far as Smeal specifically for international students, I can’t really give an answer to that. For Smeal generally, they do quite well. They certainly aren’t perfect yet, but Smeal has been making great inroads at getting students into the top Wall Street firms (for example, GS does OCI here). Other than the top of the pyramid, it shouldn’t be difficult finding a decent job as long as you don’t screw up too badly.
Econ is also a very marketable major since employers recognize the quantitative and analytical skills it requires. I will admit most of my friends have relatively high GPAs, but they have gotten a pretty solid variety of jobs. Off the top of my head, I know people who have gone to investment banks, consulting firms, and pursuing grad degrees (I know you’re looking for financially viable but I thought I’d throw some academia in there 
) My advice here would be to go the B.S. route if you want a job directly after graduation since that seems to be seen as a more grounded and rigorous degree and also to attend Smeal job fairs/networking events whenever possible since a lot of those employers seem to take econ majors too.
Feel free to ask for something more specific
@PSUstudent15 Thank you so much.
Also how cold does it get in State college?
@ParNeel Very cold. We’ve had an especially rough patch of winters lately. This should give you some better data to work with http://www.statecollege.com/demographics/pa_avgweather.php
My question is mostly about classes. Do you know of any good humanities gen eds? I am enrolled in PHIL 103W, i technically don’t have the pre reqs for it (ENG 015 or ENG 030) but it let me sign up anyways. Also, if you took CAS 137H could you give your thoughts on it?
I would also like to know more about CAS 137H if you took it! I’m doing Paterno fellows as an international politics major and I was wondering if you could tell me more about the program? (Difficulty of honors courses, how possible is it to maintain a high gpa, etc) Thanks
Hey 5melissa1234 and Colombiangirl, I’m a rising senior in chemical engineering and took CAS137H as part of the honors college. I enjoyed the class, mainly because it honed my writing and speaking skills (plus my professor was good). However, it was a lot of work at times (I’m a slow writer, and I think the cutoff for an A was a 95). So perhaps that would be a deal-breaker for you?
If someone could choose between 137H and English 30, which would you recommend and why?
Hi MYOS1634. I would ask myself a few questions. Do I think 137H will demand more time than English 30 (I think it will)? Can this time be better spent on classes more applicable to my major, on extracurriculars, or on having some more breathing room for my other classes? Is getting an A of primary or secondary importance? I’m not knocking 137H/138T, and if that’s your thing, then go for it! They certainly were intellectually stimulating, broadened my perspective on communication, etc. However, If I personally hadn’t needed the honors credits, I probably would have opted for English 30. Just my two cents (as a STEM major)
Fischerman perhaps you meant to opt for English 15, since English 30 is an honors course.
Ah, thank you SCbob. That’s my mistake…I guess I completely misunderstood MYOS1634’s question. Oh well
Yes, if you can choose between English 30 (Honors English Composition) and CAS 137H, which is better? CAS 137H sounds cooler, more interesting stuff going on, but “on the ground” if you know people who experienced either one, what did they have to say? Also, imagine this is NOT someone in Engineering.
Not sure if I am reading the intent of the post or the responses correctly, but … SHC students must take ENGL/CAS 137H/138T. ENGL 30 is not a substitute. Likewise, taking it is not a matter of accruing honors credits. They required. The title of ENGL30 is honors composition, but there is no “H” in the number.
Up until 4 years ago, ENGL30 was required of honors students, but then SHC developed 137/138 to replace the ENGL30 and CAS100H series. ENGL30 remained because it served more than just honor students and the english dept wanted to have an advanced composition for freshman- a good idea IMO. However, this does not fulfill SHC requirements.
Please consult your honors advisor.