Another class question - my son needs to add a class (first year seminar) - he said they can’t add anything until August.
Anyone know if that’s the case? He’s away at camp and just curious if it truly needs to wait till August. (He’s not really wanting to do anything school related till he absolutely has to.)
Strictly speaking, completing the 137-138 sequence also fulfills the First year seminar requirement, but it can be good to take the FYS related to his major, choosing a section where the professor rating on EateMyProfessor is 4+ or 5+ (and it’s an easy A: do what you’re told and it’s an A - it’s a cushion for many students who discover that college is harder than HS).
Thanks ! Since the college connection session at NSO - he knows he wants to sign up for PSU 16 - FYS for statistics.
Question is - he says he can’t add it till August so no reason to reach out to his advisor now. (Can wait till he’s home from camp and ready to think about school 
) I was just curious if he’s right about that?
(That he can’t add anything until August?)
MYOS1634 - Thanks for all of your help! I know this thread is pretty much over - but now that my freshman is choosing classes for next semester - I have a question that I think you (@MYOS1634 ) and @lucy_van_pelt probably will know the answer too.
DS is in Math 230 now (he did decide to transfer his Calc B/C credits). Hard - but he’s managing - and will be happy to finish it and is glad he did not try to take the Honors version.
He’s planning to take Math 220 next semester. Is the Honors version for Math 220 the same as the Calc Honors classes? - ie, should he not try to take the honors version if he hasn’t taken any other Honors Math classes at PSU?
Appreciate any input / advice relative to 220 / 220H.
Thanks!
I would imagine there are proofs but due to the content being new, it may be more accessible in its Honors form aka “more theoretical” version than the calculus classes (where the H version is really another level from the AP class.)
Very glad he’s holding his own and doing everything he can to succeed in what is a difficult class.
What else is he taking and does he feel he is doing well? Is he enjoying himself and starting to feel like the campus is his home?
Thanks for asking 
he’s definitely working hard - Math 230, CompSci 131, Econ 102, CAS 137H, LA 197 and PSU 16.
I don’t get too much into. The Math 230 class is definitely hard - but I think he has the best professor for it. (Stepanik). And there is a friend from home (also took calc bc at his HS) in his class. But - calc bc was hard too and he made it through he said the professor is a generous grader.
Sounds like comp sci is also a lot of work - and he mentioned that his CAS teacher seems to assign more work than others (I have no idea) - but overall - seems ok. Says he’s “fine”. I think his dorm (Atherton) is quiet and he’s still finding his way - but overall it sounds good. Hopefully Math 230 is the toughest math he will have to take
For next semester - trying to balance a bit better and add in a Gen Ed - and he’s going to do Math 220 (non honors). He’s going to take the Honors version of Accounting instead to get 4 more honors credits and end the year with 10.
And - he got football season tickets - so even if I can’t tell exactly how he is - I think he’s in the right classes in the right place.
And - he’s also a student manager for the baseball team - so all moving in the right direction.
Thanks for asking and thanks for all of your help!
Now that the semester is over - hopping on with an end of semester update
Math 230 was definitely difficult and a lot of work. He’s ending the semester with a B+ for the class. And though he would have preferred an A (or A-) he knows he did the best he could and I think is happy to have it behind him Exam 3 and the final were incredibly difficult.
For him - taking the AP Credits and skipping 141 was worth it Worked hard and did very well in the rest of his classes - and balanced his social life with school work. One proud mama and glad he gets a break for a few weeks now
Thanks for all of the help in here - and if anyone else is looking for Math 230 info in the future - I hope the discussion is helpful.
(The class is also a lot of work - he did all of the homework, went to the LA Sessions, office hours, etc. So just be prepared - it is overall a very difficult class - but not impossible).
thanks for following up! glad to hear that he feels like he made the right decision… I know it gets tough and we have to plow ahead with the best information we have.
good luck on his further studies!
And thanks for your help
He talked to numerous students - and they all told him not to take any Honors math classes (and not to repeat 141). Math 230 prevented him from a first semester 4.0 - but I think the tradeoff was worth it (and he would tell you too that he worked hard for that B+).
Thank you for coming back!
And congratulations 
to him. That’s a HARD class and not only did he survive but he did very well. 
Essentially, I hope to summarize properly: really hard work even for a very well prepared Calc BC student but worth it-- since after a semester he gets to take more interesting, non weedout classes. And a b+ in college is a good grade, especially since he took a sophomore level class as a first semester freshman!
Yes, Honors 140-141 is proof-based and really designed for students who have already taken calculus, plan on going to grad school for a PHD in math or econ or another math field where proofs are expected, and are just into math not as a tool but intrinsically. That would be a very small subset of honors students.
I have a question for anyone in the know for admissions at any college.
A student is deferred and is going to submit a letter of interest and recent grades. Would it help or hurt or not matter if she flew out to the school and went to the admissions office to give a 90 second elevator pitch?
I know this is PSU but this question isn’t specific to PSU. PSU forum appears to have more participants who have facts vs the other schools on here.
I can’t speak to other schools, but at Penn State, I don’t believe it would matter. You would most likely get a random admissions person unless you have a pre-arranged appointment with the right person. Finding the right person is difficult.
Maybe at a smaller school where being deferred is related to ED and yield protection? But again, what if you show up on a day where the admissions staff has an all-day conference. Or someone is sick … it would be risky to try it without an appointment.
Thank you for the quick response. The school is of similar size as PSU so I appreciate your help.
It is definitely a big risk as an appointment really isn’t possible.
It would be expensive and useless, perhaps even counterproductive. Large schools just aren’t personal - they have other excellent qualities but for close knit/personal, a school with under 3,500 students is necessary.
Thanks. I’m trying to gauge that exact thing. I’m not the only person to have thought of this. In fact I did this exact thing to get an internship I wasn’t “qualified” for but that is probably a little different.
I don’t personally know admissions people but at my company someone doing this would be looked upon favorably by our HR people.
It’s a lot different. While standing out is a usually a great thing, pulling a stunt like that at Penn State (or similar) could likely backfire. As others have pointed out, there is simply not enough staff to “receive” unsolicited visitors and no infrastructure to make an elevator pitch. Smaller schools might be able to handle this and many schools (well, at least some) still offer interviews. Again, these are not typically large state flagships but if you’re looking for the personal attention of a meeting, these giant schools are probably not generally a good fit.
Thank you. I think you are probably correct.
I was denied applying to an internship in college because BoozeAllen (former corporate name) wanted students with certain grades. I wasn’t allowed to apply. So I went to their HQ and found the interviewer as he walked into the lobby for work. Pitched him as he walked in. He didn’t say much and just smiled and said thanks for being so interested. The next day I was offered the internship over all the other “qualified” candidates.
I know this is different but the premise still applies if you capture the attention of the right person.
Yes but here you don’t have “the attention" of a person. You have a formula, 9,000 places to fill through complex computations, and a place where showing up would be seen as an intrusion.
Yep, I get it.
seeing it bit late. after taking notes from this forum, my son started preparing for 230-H (he had to take honors class to maintain min honors credit for schreyer’s), 1 month before the start of class. that gave him a tiny bit of edge and didnt fall behind in assignments. class was tough (many practical applications based assignment for honors). he got A. he is taking 2 more sopohore classes in spring 220H and 251 (or 257 I dont remember the number he told me). but Prof was very patient and attended to all querries and clarfied in office hours if approached. he’s happy with PSU/schreyers.