Penn State Early Action for Fall 2025 Admissions

I’m between getting reconsideration for communications or economics. What are anyone’s thoughts on what would be easier for me to get into UP.

Don’t worry, they’re not evaluating applicants who asked for reconsideration.

Most (all?) universities will give their decisions on a single day, with no reconsideration opportunity. It’s less stressful for sure - through there’s always a possibility of checking Dec 23 only. I get why that’s not what people do! It was even worse in previous years because there was no email, students had to check every day and it was even more stressful. :neutral_face: Knowing you’ll get an email that a decision has been made should prevent the compulsive portal checking that’s so detrimental.
My understanding is that this system, as frustrating as it is for us, is the reason they can give answers by December rather than January, and why they can offer reconsideration.
Some universities, with “Rolling” admissions, will go “first come first served” but I think the volume of applications makes that impossible. (that’s what Penn State’s system becomes in the Spring, after Priority and EA decisions have been announced).

There’s reconsideration talk on this forum because students have heard disappointing news and are trying to figure out what to do next. No reconsideration decision has been made yet.

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It’s too late for her to apply for her freshman year, but in the spring of her freshman year, she can apply for her sophomore year. All the information is on their website. I posted it once earlier in this thread as well.

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Super helpful. Thank you!

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I seem to recall she was admitted for DUS. If she’s interested in DUS with Liberal Arts leanings, she can ask about being a Paterno Fellow Aspirant (there’s even a specific cohort in LEAP/summer) and in the Fall take the Schreyer freshman seminar instead of English 15/30H and honors seminars in subjects of interest (economics, history…). This way she’d see if she’s still interested and would benefit from the seminars, if she’s in IBD she’d probably do well. It does mean no Schreyer scholarship though.
After freshman year, academic interests and grades more or less decide who’s still in and who isn’t (a specific GPA and specific grades are required to continue, and of course students change their minds about majors all the time, so not all Aspirants become Paterno Fellows).

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Does Penn State offer merit awards outside of SHC? If so, would it have been included in initial acceptance letter or does it come later like how Pitt awards their merit after acceptances? D25 is in-state and test optional; Fall UP admit, she did not apply for Honors at any colleges - not holding breath for PSU academic merit but was pleasantly surprised to receive in-state merit TO at Pitt so figured maybe a chance at PSU too :wink:

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I would think a pivot from Economics would be easier.

Penn State is super stingy with merit awards.

Beside the 5k the lucky few in Schreyer are automatically awarded and a few competitive scholarships like Millenium, there are specific scholarships in colleges and departments (AG or Mineral Sciences have quite a few thanks to corporate sponsors AFAIK), and there are a few university-wide that you’d hear about if you’re invited to “For the Glory” weekends (though they’re not automatic so if visiting for these weekends is doable, go ahead, but don’t go out of your way to attend because you may engage expenses to visit and not receive anything beside the pleasure of a special day/weekend.)

If you/your child DOES get one, :tada:know it’s special and probably means they really want you/your kid to come (and still may not be enough wrt how much you need :pleading_face:).

By and by, there are no big “merit scholarships for stats” like at many other public universities and there aren’t big need-based programs either.
This is in part due to the “state-related” status, like Cornell’s contract colleges, leaning high cost even for in state students and low financial aid awards relatively speaking.

There’s now a pretty good scholarship system for the true public colleges (PASSHE) and PHEAA grants can be used at PSU, but all in all, if PHEAA is not enough and your kids has the stats for Penn State Schreyer, s/he is likely better off financially applying to Lehigh, Dickinson, Haverford, Muhlenberg… and the other “meet need” colleges in the state. :pleading_face:

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@MYOS1634 I’m sorry to tag you in another post but i cannot for the life of me figure out how to actually start a post!! My son is OOS, admitted to Smeal in 2+2 program at Scranton. He is interested in becoming an athletic director but there’s no specific sports mgt path. Wondering if he should ask to be re-considered for School of Education at UP; or stick with Smeal but ask to move to Altoona which would be more of a campus feel. His stats are fine: 3.7, all honors w/2AP’s, test optional. Thanks!!

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Great explanation, and thank you! She was thrilled to receive merit at Pitt for many of the same reasons you addressed and it seemed much of the merit there typically goes to OOS or high stat kids but we knew little to none about PSU’s merit process. TY!

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My son was admitted to UPitt as well last week. When should we hear about merit from Penn state & UPitt? Ty

My daughter was accepted to Pitt 9/23 and didn’t receive her merit award letter until 11/27 which was the same night as her Penn State acceptance coincidentally. My understanding is that Pitt continues to review admitted students for merit all the way up through the spring. I’ve read somewhere that Pitt is pretty stingy with academic merit (14%) and most going to OOS kids or those with very high test scores. My daughter is in state and applied TO so there’s hope for regular kids too! :wink:

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Take a look at this major - Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, B.S. (Health and Human Development). There are also sports related minors in this program. Other sports related majors are Sports Journalism in Belisario and Smeal Marketing with a focus in Sports Marketing. If you request reconsideration to DUS, you could explore all of these. My son is a Sophomore and is going into Smeal Marketing.

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Correct me if I’m wrong but PSU does give small merit awards at the satellite campuses (more so than UP anyway) correct? My older son started last year directly at Harrisburg and received $4k in merit. It isn’t a ton of money but with the lower cost at these branches it is an added bonus.

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Thank you @MYOS1634
D25 is inclined towards Finance major. Will check this out.

if i’m admitted to UP through reconsideration for communications, can i switch my major to DUS after a semester in hopes of eventually getting to smeal?

Good luck y’all!!

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Typically, for a job in sports management, he’d have to complete a management major and try to have as many internships as possible. Altoona with Smeal premajor+ participation in athletics management there would get him a foot in the door then when he moves to UP he could continue with Smeal and higher level opportunities (depending on what he did at Altoona).
However there are different careers that involve sports.

The Physical Education major is actually hidden in HHD:

He may also be interested in one of these options

+Business minor

Also looking like a solid possibility for his career choices
https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/liberal-arts/labor-human-resources-bs/
Or
https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/liberal-arts/organizational-leadership-bs/#suggestedacademicplantext
+
https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/health-human-development/sport-studies-minor/
Or
https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/health-human-development/kinesiology-minor/

LHR+Sports Studies would likely be closest to what he wants professionally and LHR allows for a pivot. If he checks summer he’d have a shot.

RPT would be more “fun” and easier to get into but more self-contained so more difficult to pivot.

Don’t know expect any merit from Penn State - they’re very stingy. See post #1927 above. If you do get something (between now and January?) :tada::tada:.

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Yes, that’s another benefit to branch campuses compared to UP, in addition to a more personalized education: scholarships!
:tada: Congratulations to your son!

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