She went test optional.
Applied DUS and willing to do a summer start and was given 2+2. I would like to apply for a reconsideration request and truly not sure what I want to do or what I should major in. Suggestions? I do not want to be an engineer and have no interest in Smeal.
3.6 gpa. 1140 I am thinking about applying to law school in the future. Thank you.
I have one friend got in 3 weeks ago. Is actuarial science good at Penn State?
3.6 weighted or unweighted?
My DD got in 2X2 Erie. How can she apply for reconsideration to UP? She applied as a psych major but is now leaning more toward business. She has a 3.84W, TO, OOS, some interesting ECs and an amazing story. I think she would enter as any major just be in UP. Thank you!
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Weighted.
Yes. A lot of recruitment, strong network in NYC and Philly where many financial and insurance firms are. Also unique in that AS is in the business school, where most others have the program in Sciences/math/dept.
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Anecdotally, I worked in the insurance industry for decades and the one actuary from PSU I knew was considered to be one of our best.
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I think it would be hard to get reconsideration for UP and Smeal. She needs to try for a less sought after major. Did she put summer start as an option?
In order to suggest the best major for you instead of DUS, can you answer these questions:
1/ what’s your senior year schedule?
2/ looking at 10th&11th grade, which were the hardest/highest level classes you took where you got an A?
3/ what’s the math/English breakdown on your SAT?
4/ did you write about wanting to go to law school in your personal statement?
In general, barring special circumstances, if your unweighted GPA is under 3.5 odds are you’ll be offered 2+2 though.
Thank you!
Yes, it’s considered topnotch and HIGHLY recruited. It’s more mathy than the other Smeal majors so strong HS math performance is expected, with as many advanced (post precalculus) classes as available.
https://undergrad.smeal.psu.edu/majors/actuarial-science
It also exists within the Math BS
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Thank you so much. I am not sure if it is proper to ask here, how is the job market for AS currently? I heard that entry-level jobs are kind of hard to find.
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Thanks, I am considering switching to AS if I choose Penn State in May… still thinking.
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Smeal is out of reach if she didn’t get Psychology. She could ask for reconsideration for Belisario/Communication undecided or Belisario/Media Studies?
Or Community/Communication in college of Ag??
Depends on what her unweighted GPA is and whether she’s taken a lot of APs or equivalent.
Haven’t really been involved in recruiting but a couple things happened:
- Companies figured out they could hire someone with a PhD in math in Bangalore for around half what they paid someone with a BS in the US
- A fair amount of actuarial analysis is rote number crunching which seems ripe for an AI solution. Truly great actuaries apply judgment to the numbers but to be honest a lot of the ones just are capable of the basic level. A buddy of mine who runs the actuarial team at a major firm said they were aggressively pursuing this option.
I suspect companies will always still need US based actuaries but the old days of floors full of guys with slide rules are long gone.
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To be fair that’s been true for 20+ years and hiring of PSU actuaries hasn’t really suffered. (Actually, they wish they could graduate more )
An issue with AI is mistakes. And actuaries can’t afford mistakes. An actuary will thus be needed to go over whatever the AI crunches…
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Agreed. But I’d say that if you’re majoring in AS you better learn AS in the context of AI or face obsolescence.
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My kid was accepted to UP last night! History major. Summer session. I can breathe a bit better now.
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Thank you. I don’t think she would go for Smeal. She had a lot of now resolved medical issues so her hs trajectory is not straightforward. Just one AP and two DE/ECE. UW 3.8. Senior 1st quarter grades were 3.87 UW. Her first semester grades will be weighted and should be around 4.2W. How does she even go about applying for reconsideration?
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