It only works if he requests a less selective major though. I’m not sure why he’d want that …? Indeed, DUS allows him ANY major, it’s like being premajor to anything, which is why it’s so competitive.
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I’d leave it as is unless he wants a major that you can only get into freshman year, like nursing, and I think it is too late to change to that. DUS is perfect, and if he really wants to change then he can ask at New Student Orientation. Otherwise, you do risk losing the UP Fall admission.
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Can you start with DUS and go anywhere? For example - from DUS to Econ or comp sci or engineering? Or only some?
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Anything. DUS is premajor to anything 
Of course he does need to take the appropriate pre-reqs so if he’s considering subjects such as Econ, Engineering, and CS,
he should take a 1st semester courseload that easily allows him to pivot to any of those, ie.,
English 15/30H/137H
Calculus 140 (if he took APcalc& scored 5 he can start in 141)
Econ 104: Macroeconomics
World Language (if he completed 3-4 years: Language 003)
CMPSC 121 (Programming) or 131 (Computational Thinking)- either one counts as a pre-req).
All of these count toward the major or toward gen eds in another major 
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Is it harder to get into certain majors? For example - Purdue makes it really hard to go from undecided to Engineering so you have to apply to engineering. Wondering if we made a mistake not going DUS!
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anyones TO box disappear tonight?
Nothing here
Not just Purdue, basically all top engineering schools don’t allow ‘transfer-in’, simply because it’s almost impossible to meet the course requirement of engineering after a year.
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No, at Penn State, if you take the prerequisites and have the required GPA to get into the major, you can get in. If you are in DUS, then you are able to take the prerequisites the same as if you are in The College of Engineering. You just can’t transfer into the Direct Admit majors, like nursing. You have to get into those freshman year. There are not a lot of Direct Admit majors.
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Accepted for nursing at University Park!! I got my email at 12 am last night and opened it earlier today. I’m in-state
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That was my understanding as well. I wonder if they keep slots “open” in engineering for DUS transfers? We were advised to apply direct to engineering. So, sounds like Penn state is different than other schools where being direct engineering or DUS doesn’t matter. Ugh - wish we would have known as I think Engineering is more competitive to get in?
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It’s selective - you need to take some pre-req classes and pass them: generally English+a few classes that are foundational for your major, such as Calculus and Comp Sci if you want to major in CS, Calculus and Econ if you want to major in Econ, etc.
And you sometimes need a certain GPA: 2.6 for Engineering (except Mechanical Engineering: 3.0), 3.2 for CS.
If you meet the requirements by the end of Sophomore year, you’re in. That’s it. It’s not competitive - they don’t have a limited number of spaces or take the top whatever percent or add interviews or look at your ECs or anything: if you meet the requirements, you’re in.
(…and if you don’t meet the requirements, it’s probably best for you not to imagine yourself in that major, because if you can’t pass Calculus 1, Engineering is probably not in the cards 
.
Btw, there are specific classes for kids who aren’t calculus-ready due to their HS, like it you attended a rural HS where only 8 kids even made it to precalculus, your math foundation probably needs work and you’re given that extra opportunity to level up.)
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Initially, he wanted to apply Smeal but I talked him into applying DUS since Smeal is so competitive. I know it’s unnecessary, but he prefers Smeal if he can get in. I think it’s a goal or accomplishment that he’d be very proud of.
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Thank you!
Eek! That’s a concern!!
Smeal is harder than Engineering, because there are more pre-reqs to pass and the required GPAs range from 3.2 to 3.5.
He won’t be switched to Smeal premajor at UP (he’d be sent to a branch campus) and there’s no difference between DUS and Smeal premajor: exact same classes, exact same pre-reqs, exact same GPA whether you’re DUS or premajor.
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I also responded to the last inquiry that he wanted to apply Smeal but I talked him into DUS due to the competitiveness of Smeal. But he’d like to try for Smeal. Maybe not a good idea.
Don’t worry: You can always ask for reconsideration for DUS if you do not get into UP for Engineering. 
All students are premajor - Engineering premajors don’t have a guaranteed spot. They too need to take the same classes and pass them, and have the required GPA.
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If he’s already been admitted to UP and DUS, it’s exactly the same as Smeal premajor/UP.
If he asked for reconsideration athis point, he would only be directed to Smeal/branch campus.
He can say he got into Smeal premajor at UP if it helps him feel better, for himself and his peers - it’s the exact same (“Smeal intent” shall we say.)
The REAL Smeal admission is Sophomore year: did you take the required classes? do you have the grades? A 3.2 GPA? … Or not?
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