Having Spanish 4 and all the key social science/science courses is a plus for you. Not having calculus and not having a math SAT score is a minus.
The process has changed this year as you know so I think you have a shot. 60-40?
They don’t know for this year because the process has been changed and the number of places switched from the DUS pre Smeal (which almost no longer exist) and the Smeal premajors (greater numbers).
I imagine 1400+ would be the score expectation but we really have NO baseline yet. Well only know once people start posting their results.
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What was it last year when fewer students were admitted?
I can’t get into lion path. Does that mean no decision has been made?
My son got an email saying there was an update to his account. Then when he logged in there was an error message, but someone shared the direct Lionpath link here where he saw his acceptance letter. But it was all kicked off by him receiving that email around 10MT last night, which is consistent with how others here have described things.
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For straight Smeal, probably 1450+, 1480-1500. Smeal was even more selective than Engineering; most students who applied directly from HS were denied and had to ask for reconsideration/DUS. This path has now closed but many more students will now be admitted directly.
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Can say more how the DUS to smeal path closed? Are DUS students not allowed to apply to smeal after year 1 or 2? Or is just harder to get in after 1 or 2 years???
Here’s the link to read about it: https://undergrad.smeal.psu.edu/smeal-direct-faq Specifically:
“A limited opportunity, called Smeal Second-Year Entry, will exist for students from other colleges and campuses at Penn State, including the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), to apply to Smeal at the end of their first year, subject to availability and through a competitive process. Smeal Second-Year Entry students are guaranteed a Smeal major, but are not guaranteed their first-choice major. ”
So there will be a competitive application process and only limited slots open and likely only certain Smeal majors will be options for any of the Smeal Second Year entry students.
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You can still ask for reconsideration/DUS if denied from Smeal direct admission, but it no longer will be a primary path for Smeal like it used to.
The Smeal direct admits will choose their majors based on their GPA, like now, with a guaranteed major.
DUS students with the required pre-requisite courses and grades will compete for the seats left, in the Smeal majors that still have seats.
First year Smeal pre-reqs and Econ pre-reqs are similar (English 15 or 30H, Math 110 or 140 aka Business Calc or Calc 1, Stats 200, Foreign Language 2&3, Micro Econ, Macro Econ, a freshman seminar, and 2-3 gen eds). Students would also likely be able to pivot to other CLA majors such as Human Resources& Labor Management and, by taking a COM course as part of their gen eds can probably pivot to Communication, by taking AGBM 170 or Soc 1 pivot to Agribusiness…
So, it looks like if you aren’t a direct admit then you need to apply to Smeal after your second year. What happens to the students at a branch who are “business “majors for example? Are they guaranteed a Smeal seat if they have the GPA? Or are they in competition with students who are already at UP and trying to transfer into Smeal?
In the FAQ it states:
Q: How will the student experience differ under Smeal Direct?
A: Students admitted through Smeal Direct at University Park and at all Commonwealth campuses immediately join the Smeal community, gaining early access to Smeal resources, support services, and peer networks.
so that means even if you start at a Commonwealth Campus, you’re considered Smeal if you applied and were accepted through Smeal Direct.
In addition to other reasons for this change, looks like they are trying to attract more Smeal students to the Commonwealth Campuses.
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Public. In state.
I saw on reddit that at least one international student received an acceptance to Smeal at UP yesterday.
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Saw that too. Was hard to believe
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I noticed with other schools the international students get notified a couple weeks ahead of the domestic students. Perhaps that means some decisions coming out in the next few weeks for Smeal?
Also know some in state students who got acceptance letters to Smeal this past Friday. High stat students from my understanding. The wait is so hard.
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I also saw one 2+2 acceptance for Smeal for an OOS. Not sure of their stats though. And yes, wait is hard and it is tough not reading into likely randomness, lol.
Seems like that contradicts sending out admits for high stats kids
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I know someone that got in for psychology and one for political science both in state. We are waiting on DUS.
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2+2 admissions start in October.
The rest should all be high stats for their major.
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