Thank you! If he sends an email, should it be sent directly to his local AO? He played a major role in our community’s Teen Mental Health awareness campaign and the creation of a hotline. It’s indicated under his EC’s but not much room for further explanation. Could he add this information to the email as well? This is a driving factor to his interest in psychology.
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Yes - I’m not sure it will be used/read but it certainly can’t hurt and it makes sense, establishes a good reason for his major. 
(Also pretty impressive 
)
3.54 unweighted 4.5 weighted. 30 ACT (31 R, 31 E, 28 M, 31 S) submitted. 14 AP/College in high school classes. 2 sports, NHS, etc., job, involved in ecs at school He applied undecided for UP, fall session, but got 2+2. Wants main campus. He was going to apply to the business school but school counselor recommended he go DUS, which honestly would have been the best for him bc he is unsure of his major and was also considering psychology. Bright kid but lacks self confidence and now feels like he’s not good enough as he’s heard about others’ similar stats getting into UP. He’s convinced there is some part of his application that wasn’t good enough, I Think the error was not checking the box for summer session and going DUS, I guess? We were told by more than one person that DUS would be a way to get into UP easier than business since his unweighted is low. I feel like I really failed him here. Can anyone recommend the best course of action? His school counselor was no help. Should he reapply undecided check the summer session box? Or, reapply as a psychology or other major for the fall? I appreciate anyone’s help. This is so stressful.
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Thank you so much! I really appreciate your guidance and support here. We are so lucky to have you in this forum.
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My heart goes out to your kid. I’ve always believed that academic GPA isn’t a true reflection of a student’s real caliber, intellectual curiosity and future success. It’s unfortunate though that for most colleges it’s one of the most important factors.
Now, coming to the point: I believe your kid has decent UW GPA, excellent rigor driving the weighted GPA, decent ACT score, great ECs. I believe he should go through the re-consideration request with a summer start with DUS, but, I’d defer to @MYOS1634 for advise on alternate major.
Please do not let the kid doubt himself or his application. He’s got this.
And please don’t blame yourself - we are all trying to do the best for our deserving kids… in the end they will land at a place where they will fly… that I am sure. Good luck!
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I don’t know where to be begin but I was accepted into University Park for Computer Engineering 
. My stats were 3.2 UW 4.2 W and went TO.
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If a student got into MechE but in the 2+2 program but is actually interested in engineering overall (could be happy in another engineering discipline), is there a sense that being reconsidered under a different Engineering major would potentially be easier to get into the University Park campus? Do they accept by major or by school overall? Or is his best shot at getting into UP campus by picking a completely different major? Shows interest in civil, but I think that is more of just being familiar with what it is. Any ideas would be appreciated!
Admitted to college of engineering, UP
4.5 wgpa
6 AP
4 years Spanish
All required math, physics
1450 SAT
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Senior year- honors Calculus, Honors Physics, AP Econ. He resubmitted now with Psychology AB major with summer option. He took AP Psych last year I think got an 85. And had Positive Psych too so showing interest in major but honestly he’s just trying to get in main campus and then figure out path. If he couldn’t get in with undecided (including summer) Im guessing this is a long shot but trying to stay positive for him. He wrote an email to admissions too trying to make his case.
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Thank you so much for responding! Trying to be positive for him.
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2 years back engineers were notified in November… so it maybe is a one time thing.
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Congratulations!!! Do you mind sharing stats?
thank you! he has a 3.75 GPA lots of honors and one AP. I wish we didn’t have to select a second campus on the reconsideration because he will only go if he gets UP. But they wouldn’t allow us to submit without selecting a second campus choice.
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Just FYI, when we submitted a reconsideration we were told we are not allowed to add our test scores. So if you applied test optional you have to stay test optional for the reconsideration according to admissions.
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This may not be what you’re looking for but if your student likes science check out the school of Agricultural Sciences. Some really cool majors in there.
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There are excellent ABET-accredited Engineering majors in EMS and in Ag.
They’re just as difficult and well-known in the professional world but aren’t as competitive to get into because students may not know about them.
Or he could pick Civil Engineering if he’s interested in it, it may be a tad less selective than MechE but I am really not sure it’d make a difference 
https://www.engr.psu.edu/academics/undergraduate/prospective/majors-minors-certificates.aspx
DO check “summer” only (not Fall) if he wants Engineering&UP above a specific Engineering major and you can afford to send him to LEAP (the special summer session for rising freshmen). It will make a big difference for a would-be engineer “on the bubble” not only to get in but to persist/survive.
That being said, Engineering at UP is pretty unforgiving - it’s not worse than elsewhere but you have to be mentally ready to know where to ask for help, be very autonomous, ready to struggle with a problem and spend 8 hours outside of class on just one class, use office hours, attend review sessions, etc. Summer will help with this: when Fall comes around they will know where to ask for help and know it’s normal, the difference between those who ask and those who don’t often the difference in passing or not.
Behrend or Altoona offer a more supportive environment, even if it’s not where students want to be socially. And of course branch campuses don’t make sense from OOS.
Good to know. Thanks.
That’s probably why the TO button disappears 
.
I don’t see how it could hurt though, just like first quarter transcript, if you mention it in the email explaining you want to be reconsidered for a new major.
Even if it’s not reviewed, you’ll know you did everything possible.
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My son was admitted 2x2 at Brandywine, but they don’t offer his degree there and he will be going in with 15 credits from his DE classes and 19 credits from his AP scores - so he would basically be 2 semesters ahead. He applied for reconsideration to UP based on the degree aspect. Do they take into account all of the DE and AP credits? I worry that he will insist on going 2x2 if they deny reconsideration and then he’ll only have 1 - 1.5 years at UP to complete his major requirements.
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yes agree. I did tell them my score in the email before I knew they wouldn’t be able to take it. We shall see!
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So, each Engineering subspecialty major has different admissions criteria? I was under the assumption that all of Engineering was considered equally. And if the former is true, how are we to know which Engineering majors are more/less selective? Confusing 