32 ACT, 3.9 UW GPA, 4.35 W GPA. 4 year member of the marching band, in 3 or 4 academic clubs, a fair number of volunteer hours at a food/clothing pantry type of nonprofit. 4 APS other courses were mostly honors. When he got 2+2’d for CS, one of his friends was accepted for DUS and we knew that his friend’s board scores and GPA were not as strong and his classes were not as rigorous, so it occurred to us that if we flipped the major to DUS and asked for a reconsideration, there was at least a chance that he would get admitted to the UP campus, which is exactly what happened. It is curious that he got admitted for the fall without having to go to the summer program which tells me that he was not borderline for DUS at UP but who really knows as the whole procerss is so non-transparent. Oh, I forgot to disclose the HS, he is at Haverford HS.
yes, the higher education system in Pennsylvania is a complete mess and Penn State is very expensive for in-state studernts compared to many states’ flagship schools. It is extremely difficult for most families to pay for PS unless they get a substantial package of merit money and/or financial aid and it does not seem like PSU gives a whole lot of either
No, in this day and age I would not be able to justify the extra $10K/year. It’s pretty much in line cost-wise with other large flagship schools; including Wisco, Maryland, Indiana, etc., though.
I really dislike this way of thinking.
There is no “real” Penn State. ‘WE ARE…Penn State’ applies to the commonwealth campus admits also. I think it’s terrific that Penn State gives a path for students to graduate from Penn State, even if their high school career was less than perfect. It’s a lesson to all that no one thing in life makes you either valuable or not. A congratulations message that they were admitted to a commonwealth campus may be confusing for some, but what is the alternative? Hey, sorry you didn’t get into UP campus so here’s a worse campus for you to go to? A tiny bit of attention span to read the rest of the letter can clear the confusion.
For many, the commonwealth campuses mean that they will be successful in the long run - which is what we want, right? More than 50% of all Penn State graduates started at a commonwealth campus. It may not be right for you or your child, but for many, it’s a good plan and program and to just outright denigrate it seems short-sighted.
I agree that many of the commonwealth campuses could be consolidated etc…but there are others where the Engineering is still ABET accredited, there are dorms, clubs, etc and a student can have a thriving college experience there - for 2, or all 4, years. Not all commonwealths are created equal. Penn State Behrend (Erie) campus ranked 30 in the NATION in Engineering schools, etc…
This idea that Penn State is trying to trick you into thinking that the commonwealth campuses are equal to UP is nonsense. In some cases, with some kinds of students, the commonwealth campuses are PREFERABLE to UP. And lots of students who are “UP or BUST” end up busting right out of college when they realize the rigor of UP campus.
Please also consider your audience. Many students on this forum got the 2+2 and are fine with it. Others may prefer UP and will turn down a 2+2 and I understand that as well. In the end, everyone goes where they ‘fit’.
Ugh…what a TERRIBLE thing to say. EVERYONE who goes to a Penn State campus IS Penn State. You aren’t exiled. You are offered a choice - take it or leave it - but leave out your opinion on those who decide to ‘take it’. There are tons of very successful people out there who started at a commonwealth campus - and some may be your kids’ boss when they graduate. So I’d advise your child to keep their opinions on the commonwealth campuses to themselves if they agree with you. A graduate of engineering at Behrend will be quick to disavow you of your opinion of their top ranked engineering programs, for example.
Geesh…whatever happened to if you can’t say something nice…
Thank you for your continued objective views, accurate information, and positive messages.
This is the true message, as alumni, we hope all new students and families embrace.
@jlhpsu great words. thank you.
I will share that when I attended Penn State (like a thousand years ago), students from commonwealth campuses would come in with a higher gpa than those who started at UP. For anyone planning on grad school, frankly, that may be a way to go. Weed out courses are no joke at UP. A smaller environment may be what a kid needs to jump start college and be successful. They end up benefitting from freshman smaller classes (which can be large at UP), and then the smaller classes at UP as juniors and seniors. Not a bad alternative for some. And certainly the cost factor comes into play.
Best wishes to all who have received decisions and have more decisions to make.
While the Commonwealth Campuses may be a really good fit for some, in my opinion it is not the same thing as UP. The Commonwealth Campuses have differernt professors, a completely different look and feel and are simply just a completely different experience than UP. I am of the view that they are not equivalent to UP, others obviously may have a differernt view. That is not to say that many people who attend the Commonwealth Campuses are not highly succesful, but PS trying to sell the Commonwealth Campuses as somehow equivalent to UP is nothing more than a marketing ploy
Doesn’t Ohio State operate similarly? If you get rejected from Columbus you can park it for a year at a regional campus like Newark then transfer over? Might not be for everyone but it seems like it’s not a completely unique set up.
My son was originally accepted to Penn State Erie Smeal College of Business back in December. He asked for reconsideration and just found out tonight he was accepted as DUS for University Park Fall 2024. My question is if he maintains the high GPA (3.2 or 3.5 I think) and takes the prerequisite classes will he automatically get into Smeal UP when he applies or are there limited seats and he could not get in?
I know this question has been answered way back when but I can’t seem to find it. Thank you!
Yup. marketing ploy. Seriously dude - your kid got in, you can stop complaining now. It’s not a good look.
If your son meets the requirements:
- gpa
- etm classes (entrance to major)
- credit window (min/max)
He will get in.
It is not like other schools where you have to meet that criteria and they may not take everyone. It is not like other schools that have an appeal process.
Meet criteria → in major.
Thank you for your answer. This definitely helps with decision-making. My son doesn’t want to be accepted to the university and then find out his sophomore/junior year that he can’t get into the business program because of space and then might have to transfer. I know he will have to maintain a high GPA for Smeal to get in but I think he can do that.
For what it’s worth, PSU Behrend is the preferred campus for a lot of students at my kids HS in a suburb northwest of Pittsburgh. So many students choose 4 years there, a lot of engineering students. Some may even start at the more local branch, Beaver. Pittsburgh families, in general, tend to stay closer to each other and Behrend is much closer to Pittsburgh than UP. I see this time and time again.
Thanks for this information. As my son is DUS/UP also. My only other question is what is the advantage to getting right into Smeal then besides the Smeal counselor? Is there a chance they won’t be able to get into those pre requisite classes? I feel like there has to be some advantage to getting direct admit to Smeal right?
Nope…not really. The entrance to major classes for Smeal are available to Smeal pre-majors OR DUS students. No difference. They can register for the same classes as soon as their credit window opens. Smeal advisor, being invited to some Smeal only enrichment things like speeches and presentations, and bragging rights are the only benefits to Smeal pre-major than getting into Smeal junior year after DUS.
Nobody said “equivalent”. They are totally different types of college experiences. But your opinion is that one is a bad experience and the other is the preferred experience. I am just reminding you that there is not one fit for every person, which is why the commonwealth campuses exist. Just because YOU don’t see them as a viable option does not mean that others do not - and the acceptance letter should be celebrated for those kids who choose a commonwealth campus just as much as those who want only UP.
A little background…I’ve had 3 kids go to Penn State. Two graduated and one is a junior there now in the college of IST. My oldest was a “UP or Bust” kid. She only wanted UP campus and would not have accepted a commonwealth. Not because it’s lesser, but because she wanted a big school so UP was the best fit for her. She luckily got accepted to UP campus and it wasn’t an issue she needed to consider. She’s doing great now. My son knew immediately that he’d get chewed up and spit out at UP campus and chose to go to Altoona first. He LOVED Altoona and did great and graduated from UP campus in 4 years and is out there adulting. He is also doing great now! My other daughter got into UP campus for Fall and decided to go for summer (which a lot of people complain about also) because she wanted a slightly slower roll out to college life. It worked out great for her and she’s also doing great and on the dean’s list etc…
My point is, my three kids all had different ideas of what they wanted and Penn State was able to accommodate ALL of them. I think that’s terrific! My fourth and last child bucked all trends and went to RIT in Rochester and guess what? He’s also doing great! The right fit for one kid is not the right fit for all.
Penn State is not doing a “marketing ploy” by offering a commonwealth campus when UP is not an option. They are giving another option to graduate from Penn State. I’m not sure how anyone can complain about that when they aren’t forcing you to accept.
Que the objectively superior student and lack of transparency
People have a different opinions about this, which is fine. Best of luck to your children and everyone else no matter which college or campus they attend. Regarding the summer program at PS, I hear that it is realy great and I am going to encourage my son to attend it even though he was admitted without being required to attend the summer program.
I think @jlhpsu explained it well.
You can still get pre-reqs from DUS or Smeal - what helps getting signed up is when you can sign up. Many of those etm classes are big though, so you may not get a choice of time or professor, but it doesn’t matter if DUS or Smeal.
Advantages to Smeal?
-
Smeal advisor (my caveat is do not rely on any advisor - all the info is in the student handbook and I have been a better advisor because I know my kids and how they like to structure classes).
… you can always go to Smeal drop in hours if you desire. -
ability to apply for sapphire leadership program.
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ummmm, I’m still thinking.