IB+ high GPA + ACT score + Seal of Biliteracy for Poli Sci all seem to indicate very high odds of admission. He should apply to Schreyer and, if admitted, apply to The Globe (special housing with IR/Poli sci/news focus).
Iām sure heās hoping for Eccles though, which would be hard to beat unless he wants a new environment.
(OTOH Schreyer is among the top Honors colleges nationally in terms of offerings and opportunities, OTOH Penn State scholarships are puny.
)
Make sure the score is submitted with the application and the SRAR files by Oct 15 (check the inputs before he submits).
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We also attended SASD and it confirmed for my S26 that Penn State is by far his #1.
We have a couple of questionsā¦
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I know that there will be an option to indicate that he is willing to consider starting in the summer. But, is there an option to indicate that a summer start is his preference?
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If S26 applies via the common app and includes his common app essay, is there an additional (āoptional ā) Penn State supplemental essay? And, if the expectation is to submit both the common app essay and the additional Penn State essay, is the recommendation to treat the supplemental essay as a āWhy Penn Stateā essay (instead of a second common app style personal essay)?
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Does Penn State use the GPA from the transcript or do they recalculate based on SRAR?
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Will Penn State consider any AP scores in their application evaluation (particularly for a test optional applicant)? If yes, do we need to send an official score report or will they use the self-reported scores in the common app?
Any help with these questions would be appreciated!
Not a long shot but a coin flip (I can detail why if you wish). Increasing his math score (SAT OR ACT) would help, as would checking summer.
The issue with summer is the cost 
(imho itās so expensive) but as of yet I havenāt met a student who regretted doing LEAP. If youāre able and willing to pay for summer LEAP, you can talk to him about it, if heād still be interested in UP if he werenāt admitted for Fall but for Summer. He can check both on his application, will be considered for both, and if they wonāt admit him for Fall theyāll consider him for Summer before considering him for a branch campus.
My son is doing his Summer LEAP session right now. I knew he was going to be on the ragged edge of direct admission to University Park for 2025 fall start in the college of Liberal Arts as his SAT score was mid 1200s. Grades were solid and he had lots of AP and honors courses but the SAT wasnāt as strong as Iād have liked.
Heās obviously really glad he allowed himself to be talked into checking āsummerā because originally he was not enthusiastic. Heās singing a different tune now thatās he on campus. Besides enjoying the social aspects, heās easing into the 6 credits and getting the hang of what a collegiate study routine needs to look like. Along with the other summer starts (around 2000 I think?), heās enjoying the less hectic pace of acclimating to college life before the insanity of 40,000 undergrads descending on campus starts next month.
The added cost can be a factor. But it was the right choice for him. He had other good college acceptances in hand but has no regrets about Summer at UPark.
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Thank you for the reply. He is definitely looking for a new environment, so we support him getting out of Utah for college and are financially prepared on that front. Heās trying to bump his ACT up a little further, and he is set to take it first weekend of September. What is the significance of your recommended Oct 15 submission vs the normal Nov 1 EA deadline?
As long as it is not a burden, I would love to read your insights! I would be very supportive of paying for summer session if it helped to ease his transition and odds of overall success.
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The Nov 1 deadline means that everything must have been received by that date. Each year students whose scores arrive after Nov1 or whose SRAR has been submitted but not processed end up pushed to the (more competitive) Priority round (Dec1) and hear back in January or February!
So, better safe than sorry IMHO: submit by Oct 15 and youāre sure everything will be received and processed āon timeā. (They may have changed this policy but until now thatās how theyāve done it. If thereās a change Iāll post it on this thread.)
The Sept 6 ACT results should get in on time; he can submit the one he does have, then update his application if the Sept score is higher.
My viewpoint is that getting the SRAR completed by Oct 15 is relatively easy to do and good ROI versus the risk. The SRAR uses transcript 9-11 (+ any HS class taken in MS such as Foreign language 1 or 2, Biology, Algebra1ā¦) so thereās no need to wait till the last minute to fill it out, all students should have it by August 1. Youāll also enter your senior year courses which would matter for their evaluating rigor and whether your course choices match what you want for a major - if applying for a STEM major did you take or are you taking Precalculus or calculus? If you want Engineering and your school offers it, have you taken any sort of Physics? If applying for foreign language, have you taken the highest level offered at your HS? (Etc )
However the student shouldnāt hurry when filling the SRAR out - itās not difficult but meticulous/fastidious so having someone review it to make sure nothingās been overlooked, no line skipped, is important since it becomes a key element in the evaluation.
(The decision is 2/3 GPA Ć Rigor, 1/3 everything else: test scores, statement, ECs..)
If applying through CommonApp(or even if using the PSU app), the statement is more a Why Iām qualified for what I want to study and why PSU is the best place for me for that path (including everything such as visit, SASD, specific courses or majors, clubs, groups, Schreyer/Sapphire/Paterno Fellows/Millenium/special programs, connection through Thon or legacyā¦) ā¦keeping in mind itās a tiny part of the decision.
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I am going to re-iterate a few things above from @MYOS1634
PAY ATTENTION TO DEADLINES AND BUILD IN EXTRA DAYS OF TIMING!
- Find a quiet night and sit down with your kid and do the SRAR. There are always nuancesā¦ ādo I enter it as this or that?ā āIt is a .4 credit class for me, but that isnāt an option, how do I enter it?ā and you, as a parent, can assist and come up with the best answer. Be a double check!!!
This is not helicopter parenting. This is a second set of eyes ensuring accuracy. No different than when I ask someone to proof read an important email or document.
DO IT EARLY!
It takes a few days to get the SRAR login and get it uploaded. Why wait? It can be done August 15th when you have the senior schedule in hand. Wouldnāt it feel good to see that green checkmark on the application showing SRAR received early?
Ensure the SAT/ACT results will be completed in time if this is an important factor and ensure they get sent. On Oct. 25th, if there are not green checks showing all aspects of application complete, that is the time to start making phone calls.
=> lecture over. just trying to save heartache. Every year, we see people MAD at Penn State because their kid did not hear by Dec. 24th. And 85-90% of the time, their application was not complete and they thought āoh, it doesnāt matter if SAT or SRAR wasnāt received by Nov. 1st, everything else was.ā (ftr, some of the time Penn State screwed up, but not near as much as is reported on Dec. 24th).
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highly recommend summer. and yes, there is a place that you can list it as a first choice semester start. If in doubt, call admissions when application is complete and verify which semester is listed as first choice. But know that if you put summer as first choice, you cannot switch to fall later if a change of heart.
And if you put summer as an option, be prepared to go. Donāt come back and say āwell, we have a family vacation, etcā because then their is heartache and re-consideration requests and chaos.
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Thank you for this information on summer start. Very helpful! I will be sure to triple check that my S26 understands the commitment he is making by checking summer start as his preference.
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Thank you for this information. One point of clarificationā¦if applying through Common App, would you replace the common app personal statement (I.e. main essay) that will be submitted to all schools with the Penn state specific statement (that you described above)? Or submit your main common app essay/statement plus also this Penn state specific statement?
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Does Penn State value AP over dual enrollment when evaluating rigor?
Yes.
Keep in mind either essay is very marginal in the decision. RigorĆGPA (grades) are 2/3 of the decision, everything else (essay, ECs, test scores..) are the last third.
Recalculating using the same criteria for all is the point. Thatās why itās important to review all inputs before submitting.
AP scores are test scores (ie., an external evaluation that isnāt school-dependent) and itās highly recommended to include them somewhere if theyāre 4 or 5.
Email Admissions to ask if they prefer AP scores to be sent directly or if they use the self reported scores from the CommonApp because I donāt know for sure.
If you hear back, would you be kind enough to post whether they have a preference or require one over the other? 
If Summer Start is his preference, he would check āSummerā only, not Fall and Summer. Because his application is reviewed only once, an added benefit would be to hear faster. However you canāt go back and ask for Fall later.
Iām not 100% sure so better check with admissions directly.
However AFAIK you just leave the CommonApp essay āinā and add your PSU statement. Others may want to chime in?
Thank you for all of your responses to my questions. This has been so helpful!
We will reach out to admissions on a few of these questions and will be happy share any information with group.
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Would appreciate feedback about SAT - to submit or not? OOS student.
3.6 uw/4.2 weighted core gpa
1270 SAT (650 math/620 reading) - taking again August but letās assume it doesnāt improve for this post
14 APs, rest are honors and dual enrollment
All A/Bs but pretty even mix
Would gladly go for summer, but because of cost will check Fall box also. Wants to study math, but assuming will/should choose DUS first since isnāt 100% sure.
Any insights appreciated!
Did Penn State get rid of their supplemental essay
Thereās no supplemental essay AFAIK, just the Personal Statement and Activities sections.
The GPA is borderline but the score is a bit low for submitting. Hopefully he gets 650+ on each section in August - heās close.
What % students go to 4-year colleges at his HS?
What AP exams has he taken and can he submit the scores if he got 4-5s?
Thanks for the reply. Hopefully August performance on SAT is best yet.
According to the school profile, 42% matriculated to 4 year colleges (45% matriculated to 2 year institutions).
AP scores arenāt great unfortunately so likely would not want to submit.
Does selecting Summer option only (and not checking Fall) increase chances? Or only gets a possible sooner response?
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