I got accepted into UP for engineering and went test optional. I think my ec’s was my strongest point.
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We got the same email stating that my daughter’s application can’t be re-reviewed since the new major she requested (Global Pathways. Originally Poli Sci), is in the same college, requesting same UP Campus and Fall start. They said that the reconsideration has to have at least one thing that’s different from the original acceptance. So requesting a different major doesn’t work unless it’s in a different college. She replied and asked for DUS. I guess we hope for the best. If not, we just move on since she has other colleges that want her and waiting to hear back from our own State University.
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His school does only weighted GPA with 4 max. 3.4/4 and if regular weightage is applied it should be around 3.75-3.8. 7AP’s, 3 AP scores (5, 5, 4), 11 Honor classes, one sport (3yrs) another (1 yr), few clubs and 150 plus voluntary hours in the same institution over 2 years. Has taken/taking required math classes including calculus. Comes from a top 25 school in our state and his school grading is usually rigorous. He got B in AP classes but 5 in AP exams! I assume his recommendation letters were good (as he waived his right to see). His essay was on a topic unrelated to academics and how he integrated it with a person he met and how his understanding of the topic evolved over time during his school years. I thought it was good and unique. The standardized tests with Math score of 760 was very helpful and highlighted his true potential much more than GPA. He also got into Pitt Engineering and waiting on many others. Hope this helps.
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He got an email - apparently he only checked off that he wanted to be reconsidered for UP and they need more. He is planning on majoring in Poli Sci, with a BS, not a BA. And my mistake - it was Behrend he got into. We are out of state - and his GPA is 3.75. As far as DE, he’s taking English Comp, Biology, and US Government. For APs, he’s taken World History (not credit there) and then AP Lang, AP US History, AP Statistics, AP Environmental Science, and AP Seminar. This year he’s taking AP Research and AP Music Theory. All of his other classes are honors.
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And he doesn’t want to consider any other majors other than Poli Sci (hard-headed). Would rather just go to Behrend, but that just doesn’t make sense OOS.
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FYI for those that submitted reconsideration form after getting an undesirable outcome.
- PSU will only consider the review for your first choice campus; system doesn’t allow them to save the request w/o second choice, but it’s ignored.
- You don’t necessarily need to request a less competitive major, especially if you never requested it in the first place, and if you are already offered fall/summer start at UP. If you believe you’re competitive for your requested major/campus, you can request it. Applicable for those with a genuine change of heart.
- If your review request is approved, and in the unlikely event of them offering you a second choice campus, you can always keep your original offer.
- The reviews will happen only after all the EA applicants are dispositioned for their original choice.
The above isn’t my opinion or speculation, but confirmed by PSU admissions in an email.
Hope it helps.
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If he will only apply to Poli Sci and UP then the only thing he can change is checking Summer instead of Fall.
He can also check Harrisburg as a campus, it’d make more sense for Poli sci than Behrend, which is more STEM-centric (with solid 4-year Engineering &CS degrees). But Harrisburg from OOS makes very little sense. With his stats I assume he has or will have excellent other choices.
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Bottom line all great schools… as a parent / observer… I remain a HUGE fan of SHC that’s all can really state. All great points!
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Thank you for this, it’s really important.
However, this part of their messaging
“You don’t necessarily need to request a less competitive major, especially if you never requested it in the first place, and if you are already offered fall/summer start at UP. If you believe you’re competitive…”
seems a bit disingenuous on their part. If you’re already offered Fall at UP you’re not going to request reconsideration and if you checked Summer start and can’t attend you’re in a different situation than someone who already requested Fall or Summer for a major, didn’t get in, and want to try studying something similar but less selective.
You don’t need to do it if you’re not interested in something else, of course, and sure, if you believe you’re competitive, you don’t have to request a less competitive major, you can just keep the same major&request Summer or accept a branch campus. Applying for a less selective major and/or summer rather than just Summer has been a successful strategy for years (and also how some majors have students who discover them and find them interesting whereas they hadn’t considered them before.) The difficulty is in identifying the proper less competitive major that best matches a person’s strengths and it is not guarantee at all, just a second chance.
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Agreed, @MYOS1634
This doesnt apply for typical scenarios where you were not offered your first choice.
It’s more for someone who’s let’s say offered Smeal with a fall start at UP. But, now feels they want to keep their options open and wants to request a DUS with a fall start at UP; and vice-versa. Just an example. Point simply is that there’s no ground rule that the requested major has to be less/more competitive, it will depend on why you are requesting a change.
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It seems that when you request reconsideration they really want you to check both Fall and Summer or just Summer, then - changing a major or not (depends on how attached you are to the major - discovering something isn’t bad and it’s rather easy to pivot, which most freshmen do.)
My now junior daughter is a Schreyer scholar and she is also a huge fan. She has had great opportunities because of it and there’s so much she hasn’t even taken advantage of yet. The honors classes have been her favorite . The professors have been excellent and they treat the Schreyer students almost like collaborators. My high school senior who has also been admitted to UP decided not to apply to Schreyer. I totally support that too. Good luck to your son! Hopefully he has very strong essays for Schreyer. That’s what it will come down to.
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My son wants SHC too. Say he loves the big feel of campus but also u would get the scholarly atmosphere as well. best of both worlds. he said if I could ED anywhere it would be PSU HSC. It’s his dream. I hope there is a chance for the kids 
to get into
Good luck 
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Good luck!!! This is stressful… and so too is the wait for SHC as well!!!
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I can’t believe there’s all this reconsideration talk when some of us are still waiting for our initial decision! This process is beyond maddening. It’s the first school we expect to hear from, and if they’re all like this (I do NOT think that will be the case) I will go insane! Why is admissions already reconsidering decisions before sending out all of the EA decisions?? This is bananas.
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I have heard the essay part is key multiple times!!! He did spend a LOT of time on them… and methodically completed/reworked a short answer question per day and essay … so I roughly think he was able to hit submit by like August 17th or so. His entire application was done in June/July… so as soon as he got to SHC quest/essay he could jam on those and get his application in ASAP (while still putting in a solid two weeks of writing essays/questions).
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That’s great! Basically gpa and sat are neutral in this case because everyone bothering to apply to SHC is high achieving. They are looking for students that will make the honors program more interesting, professors want to work with them and that they will push themselves outside the box.
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They are not processing any reconsideration requests before all EA applications are dispositioned.
Can totally relate to the frustration, we were the the same boat less than 3 days ago.
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My D25 skipped submitting the SHC application.
Being an IBDP candidate she was highly interested but at the same time hit a mental block to write any more essays at that point.
She did write an excellent optional PSU essay, but I think it’s not even considered for admission decision.
Have we missed the bus for SHC application now? Don’t see the application anymore on the portal
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It was due Dec 2nd.
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