https://housing.psu.edu - this website will provide you with the information that you need to select your living options (cost, location, room type: traditional or renovated. SLOs). Over the past few years, Penn State has renovated many of its older, traditional dorms, thus the term renovated halls. Note that when you make your selection in eLiving, you will choose the housing area (Pollock, North, etc.) but not a specific dorm/hall in that area. The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science is near the West housing.
From the website: A first-year student has until May 1 to accept the offer of admission to Penn State, and will be guaranteed an on-campus housing space. If a first-year student accepts the offer of admission after April 1, the student may not be assigned to a space that reflects the preferences indicated on the HFS Contract. A first-year student may also be assigned to a supplemental housing room – a reduced rate residence hall room that houses four or more people – rather than to a regular double room.
Your first year will include Gen Ed classes and entrance-to-major courses that aren’t likely to be near the engineering buildings. These classes can be all over campus: Forum, Thomas, Willard, etc. East is all freshmen…but West has a lot of engineering students. Either should work well for you. Don’t stress too much. There literally are pluses and minuses to every location. At this late date, you may just be placed where they have room.
@dygibbs well let me tell you it is the most beautiful campus I have been too. Just loved it, the staff and the students are top notch. Everyone looked so happy and they were so nice to stop and give us directions. My son and I both had a wonderful trip. The only issue my son is having Penn State or RPI for EECS. They are both completely different schools, how do you advise a 17 year old, who has worked hard, and is a really good kid.
I’m interested in your input on the SLO. I’m primarily interested in the Paterno Fellows SLO and the Lion Launch Entrepreneurship SLO. Anyone have experience with these. I am not in the Schreyer Honors College, so would that limit my chance of getting in to the Paterno Fellows SLO simply because its harder to schedule honors classes? Also, how committed to Entrepreneurship would I have to be for the Lion Launch SLO?
Hi all. Starting to pull together my daughter’s stuff for summer session. Does anyone know what sort of laundry machines are in the summer-dorms (i.e. HE machines, regular, etc). Not sure if I can just pack a bunch of Tide Pods or go old-school detergent. Thanks !
@laurenmazz Most people use facebook groups, groupme groups and some even use paid roommate boards. Many many people just go in blind. Some summer students find people there they want to live with for the fall.
@blazinamazin2023 , no. And actually housing is limited. Freshmen are guaranteed housing at UP. Sophomores and above have the option to go into a lottery system in fall to determine who will get a spot on campus the following year. Many students decide to live off campus starting sophomore year.
How are the new East Hall dorms?
For those who knew the old and the new ones, what’s changed?
(One guess: furniture is no longer nailed down).
Is noise isolation better?
My daughter lived in Earle its first year with a room overlooking the IM fields and arboretum. Big, clean private-use bathrooms are the best. Every floor has several small bathrooms that you can go into and lock the door. Has a toilet, shower and sink. The furniture in the dorms is movable. Not impressed by the AC, though. Air felt stagnant and not very cold. There are also nice study lounges throughout the newer dorms. My kid felt spoiled there.
Quick Question as I do not recall- can the student submit deposit without selecting housing or must housing choice be selected at the time of the deposit? Thanks!
@krabbiek , From what I recall, you pay the deposit, but then have until May 1st to confirm your housing preferences. That will give you (or your kid) a few months to find a potential roommate on that class’ Facebook group, or go they can go in without a roommate preference and get a random assignment. Re: other preference, you will be given the option to select a first and second choice on the area of housing (East, North, South, Pollack, West, etc.) and whether you want renovated or unrenovated. You can change these preferences up until May 1st. My daughter changed preferred roommates and location several times throughout spring, so you don’t need to feel rushed on this part…paying the deposit now merely put you in line for housing and rooms are assigned in order of when that deposit is paid.
All of these assumes the process hasn’t changed in two years.