Opinions/Advice - S just accepted to Penn State Altoona College of Engineering Major Computer Engineering. GPA 89/100 (3.45?w) SAT 1770 - math 640, cr 570) 2 AP 7 honors. lots of ecs. Had really been hoping for UP Summer. Better for him to stay in COE at Altoona doing 2+2 or try to be reevaluated as DUS UP Summer? Pros/Cons?
WOOOHOOO! My S is ACCEPTED!! - College of Engineering UP; Computer Engineering major
Fall 2016 (listed Summer as second option)
GPA : 3.91 W
SAT : 1850
State: PA
School Type: Public ranked #12 in PA
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Gender: Male
7 AP courses 10 Honors
Extracurriculars: Lots of Volunteer and Leadership/mentoring roles
Comment: Feeling so grateful and excited for my son (and the family) We have another son in Happy Valley and now they will experience it together. Good luck to everyone still waiting for a decision.
@Fisherprice111 Glad we heard on the same day!!! Congratulations! Maybe my son will see you there since you have the same major. :)>- =D> <:-P
@mmsharp If you truly want to try for UP, you should call up a Counselor and ask if you can apply DUS for Summer. I am not sure what your chances would be or if changing your application will prevent you from going to Altoona if you are rejected for DUS Summer. Your son’s stats are in the low section of the yellow bubbles on the chart so your chances for UP are not as good as someone at the top of the yellow bubbles IMO. http://educationquicktakes.blogspot.com/2011/02/penn-state-bubble-chart.html
FWIW, I heard many people choose to stay at Altoona after going there because they like it so much.
Looking like this week especially today is engineering so my guess is that next week will be Smeal. Congrats on everyone that the acceptance and good luck to everyone else!
@mmsharp I would call admissions and ask if you ask to be reconsidered for DUS at UP, and will it affect their decision of engineering at Altoona. My S has 3.91 gpa/25 ACT 8 APs and 10 Honor classes, 6 college credits, and he got accepted to a branch campus for Engineering. He hasn’t decided what to do yet. Good luck! and congrats on all the acceptances.
This wait is almost unbearable. Does anyone know if they hold rejections until 1/31 for the priority applicants? It would actually be much kinder to reject early so we can apply elsewhere. Some colleges have January regular decision deadlines.
@crazycat220 I noted that your son’s stats where right on the borderline for UP. Did he choose UP Summer Engineering as an option? Or did he just list an alternative branch campus.?
@AEsports I don’t believe they hold rejections back. My D’s friend got rejected for UP…but, accepted to a branch campus back in Dec. I think it’s just when they get to your app. Reason we haven’t seen many rejections here is that I assume people just don’t want to post their bad news.
My son just got notice he was not accepted to PSU Engineering (Biomedical). I am a realist, but it seems a little odd. Straight 4.0 GPA, ACT 35, SAT2s: Math2 800, Physics 760. Varsity athlete. Good ECs, counselor/teacher recs.
Any thoughts from the crowd?
CDK- shock, almost unbelievable. The chances of errors are rare, but this is a case worth calling about. May be approaching it from the “I was hoping to get feedback about the weaknesses in my application” rather than “are you nuts?” would be the best tact.
@cdk that sounds like a mistake. I would have your son go talk his Guidance Counselor ASAP and ask him/her to call PSU for him and ask what happened? It HAS to be a mistake.
The only other thing I can think of is that b/c those stats seem like ivy stats, PSU doesn’t want to be your sons’ safety? Yield protection is not rampant at state university, though…
In re-reading what he sent me, he was offered to start at a branch campus for 2 years first, which he would have no interest in. He is talking to his guidance counselor and sending an email like @luvthej suggested. Very interested to hear their feedback. He was actually really considering PSU; he loves the school, many great visits, great engineering, and we live in state, 2 hours away. The worst part is that this was his first decision received as well…
@CDK I have never heard of a situation like yours. Please keep us informed and I hope you get proper resolution/understanding of this decision.
Pretty much same thing happened to my son. I’m kinda in shock
@datahound No he didn’t apply for summer because he has a steady paid full time summer internship. We will have to discuss if he wants to be reevaluated for DUS-but not sure if that will matter-or recind his acceptance to engineering at the branch campus. He listed UP first then the branch. Letter said “Due to limitations on the size of the freshman class at University Park and the exceptionally high caliber of recent applicants…” I imagine because lots of other apps came in (recently) with higher stats like they said, also his test scores were just above average. My point to @CDK that seems like an error, I would call and find out.
@crazycat220 you can ask for reconsideration and if you get rejected second time around, you would still have your branch campus acceptance. What’s the name of the branch campus? Do you think you might accept the offer?
@crazycat220 im in a similar situation. I want to go to UP for computer science but got into Harrisburg instead. I don’t know if i should ask to be reconsidered for DUS with a 1700 sat and 3.45 gpa. Will that hurt my path to be a computer science major?
@dragonfire16 I will have to talk to him today, he just found out this morning and the branch is Erie. I would like to find out the % of students that transfer to main for their junior year.
@justins21 if your letter mentions the 2+2 program I don’t beleive it matters which branch you start as long as they have Comp Sci too. For instance, Erie has software engineering- but not at UP, so if he wanted that major he would have to stay there 4 years. On the other hand, if he wanted civil engineering that is only offered at UP not Erie, so I am not 100% sure if he could take classes required for CE for the first two years then transfer. But Comp Science is at most campuses so you are good in that respect! (check PSU Harrisburg web site)
@crazycat220 Thanks for the extra detail. A good paying summer job certainly is important so I can see why he wouldn’t want that as an option. Good luck in figuring out if the 2+2 program will work for him or in his decisions for other colleges that are his “A” list.
@crazycat220 I see. I know for IST 60 percent transfer to main during junior year. I’m not sure about engineering though. Main is really competitive when it comes to first year students. I got into Harrisburg’s IST program and still waiting on my reconsideration decision from University Park.