So, like the other person who was surprised they didn’t get in with a 3.55 weighted…stats in the middle 50% aren’t always enough to have “no doubt” of getting in. If your 3.64 is weighted, your 4.0-scale GPA may be even lower than the stats listed above. It sucks, but apparently (see upthread) it was fairly competitive this year.
CDK: Yeah, I’m still convinced that’s a mistake. Might be that they don’t want to admit it, I don’t know.
@bodangles I totally get that. But go back a few pages and read my post re: my son. UW 4.0 GPA, ACT 35, SAT2s 800/760, great ECs/letter. And in state. But, somehow, not admitted to main campus for engineering. I just don’t get it; really makes you wonder what they were reading. But, today he got into Delaware (Honors College), and should be in the mix for significant merit. Still with lots of apps pending as well. Just makes me shake my head.
@asaberian Congrats!!! You will love summer! Glad you have found my posts helpful…I learned a lot last year and I hate to see peoplease struggling if I have the ‘answers’ (As much as anyone can) and they don’t have to!
For those who are surprised and/or upset they didn’t get in, I’m so sorry. Keep in mind that it is so difficult to compare GPA’s along admissions because schools weight and grade differently. A 4.0 from one school may not be the same as a 4.0 at others. Test scores are easier to compare obviously. And also, some majors at PSU are FAR more competitive than others. The middle 50% is across all majors. I am sure that middle would go up significantly if it were done just for Smeal or Engineering.
Best of luck to those still waiting!
@jlhpsu thank you!! From what I understand there are two different terms for summer,correct? If I do the second term how much time do you think I will have until the fall semester. I’m also interested in if everyone takes the same classes during the summer or if you get to choose. And if it’s all the same classes what those classes are.
@asaberian summer session for freshman is Second session. Starts end of June and goes thru mid August. If you do LEAP, all kids in your LEAP pride will take same classes. You will not live in same dorm summer to fall though. My D came home for a week and then back up for fall but they let her store her stuff on campus.
@datahound Yes my son called and asked to be reconsidered for DUS. Just wondering IF someone gets summer does it have to be at UP or can they do summer at a branch campus and then go to UP in the fall. @jlhpsu ???
Penn State doesn’t get paid $7-$10k if you go to a branch campus and that is really all summer is about to them. Although they say it is to help a 3.6 GPA student transition to college, but a 3.7 is ok without it…we all know it is about the money. If they could fill their empty dorms with more summer campers and their money, they would suddenly determine that incoming frosh don’t need help with the transition. So the short answer is no, you can’t do summer at a branch.
I would think they also are looking at the rigor of classes a student took in HS. My son had honors calculus and honors physics his junior year. Unfortunately he did just ok in those classes even with the weighting…while other kids had easier classes, never took calc at all and got As. I am wondering if that is part of the decision we just can’t understand when we see these high GPAs and test scores on this discussion getting denied. It sure is baffling and confusing
@Thewaiting4ever It is true that you can’t go to summer at a branch then start fall at UP. They combine the summer/fall students in their admit stats etc…I see a wide range of stats accepted for summer. Some I don’t understand, but while I’m glad they have the summer session, it is true that it is an extra cost…specifically for room and board (because the classes count towards the majors),. I agree with @PennsyDad that PSU, like all schools, is a business. But I also think there are other reasons. Bcause they have branches all over the state, if they allowed summer then straight to UP from there, UP would be inundated. PSU controls it’s numbers for class availability, etc. It’s the reason you go to UP as a freshman or not until junior year. Transfers ftom other schools aren’t considered sophomore year, and only from a branch soph year if the major requires it (very few fit that bill).
@jlhpsu if they set a certain amount of freshman that were eligible for summer start and UP in the fall…the same number that they do now, but allowed the summer portion to be at UP or any branch, it would not inundate UP. It would have no impact on the overall UP numbers. It is all about the money. While I am sure that most kids that go to summer in UP like it…I know all of my son’s friends did…and he has said he wish he went, it is in no way necessary. What is not to like. Take a couple of classes, party, be on your own for the first time in your life and hang out with a bunch of other young people. Sort of like Woodstock; except for your parents having to drop $7-$10k. As I have mentioned before; my son took 6 credits at community college this summer that transferred to PSU for less than $1k and went up to UP on several weekends to stay with friends. He enjoyed the weekends and did very well first semester. He managed to learn how to walk across campus to a classroom building in the fall; even w/o an official summer PSU transition program. I am fine with someone going to summer program, but let’s see it for what it is.
To anyone curious if reapplying to DUS when you’re rejected will get you anywhere, I was rejected mid December from Smeal but emailed asking to reapply under DUS and I was accepted today! My stats are 3.6 W/ 3.3 UW, 27 ACT, OOS from California
Accepted- DUS Summer 2016 UP
SAT’s 1600
ACT’s 24
3.93 GPA (w)
Top 20% class rank
NHS
Lots of AP & Honors classes
EC’s, 2 Varsity sports
Part time job
Several legacy’s (mom, sister, uncles)
Male, in state, public high school
Applied Fall DUS with Summer option to increase chances. Fine with Summer start.
@hjc789 that is good news. My son is hoping now for reevaluation/acceptance to DUS Summer (accepted Altoona College of Eng - Comp Eng). I just hope with the onslaught of others now doing this it won’t make it more difficult. They said about 2 weeks to get a decision.
My S applied to Smeal. This evening we noted that his school of choice changed to DUS and we just noted that he was accepted to DUS for summer session. He has a 3.54(UW, school does not weight) with a 31 ACT, tons of EC and leadership with 3 AP classes and multiple honor classes. Any idea how that would have occured? I find it amusing that he got accepted to Fordham, Tulane, and Michigan State’s business school but Penn State(our state school) moves him to DUS.
They must have updated yesterday’s decisions this morning (Saturday) because…
I’M ACCEPTED!!! Summer 2016 at University Park for Eberly College of Science (Biology)
Applied Sept. 2nd with optional summer option
Stats:
SAT: 1860
SAT IIs: n/a
GPA: 3.686 W, 3.6 UW
Rank: 44/190
Other stats:
EC: JROTC Executive officer, S-1, NHS, LEO Club president, dual enrollment at local community college, 300+ hours of community service
Subjective:
Essays: 9/10. Really good
Teacher Recs: didn’t see
Counselor Rec: didn’t see (probably 9/10)
Hook (if any): sister and uncle are alumni
Location/Person: PIttsburgh
State or Country: PA
School Type: competitive public (top 50 in PA)
Ethnicity: white
Gender: female
Other Factors:
Competition was fierce this year and I was expecting to be accepted for fall but I’m very very excited to be the tiebreaker in my family’s Pitt-PSU rivalry. Huge shoutout to @jlhpsu for all the positive comments and answers along the way! Definitely worth the 5-month wait
I know the competition is high this year but it seems to me a lot of the rejections were out of state people even with good stats, which I mean I can’t necessarily complain it is a PA school. Anyways, rejected from Smeal, and yes I knew my stats were borderline. Reapplied for DUS with summer option. PSU is my top school.
