Penn State Admissions Information
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA (
map)
With over 38,000 undergrads, Penn State is the tenth-largest university in the country. It should come as no surprise, then, that the school hosts students with an incredibly wide range of interests and abilities. With over 800 clubs and organizations, there is rarely a dull moment on campus, where students enjoy activities ranging from a thriving Greek system to a ballroom dance club. Academically, the school attracts bright students from both within Pennsylvania and outside the state. Penn State is home to the world’s largest student-run philanthropy event, THON, which raises money to combat pediatric cancer. More than 15,000 students participate in the event annually, and nearly $8 million was raised in 2010.
The atmosphere in University Park can be summed up by the city’s unofficial nickname: Happy Valley. Penn State is renowned for its school spirit. The school’s Nittany Lions are an NCAA Division I team and regularly attract some of the most devoted fans and talented players in the country. In 2008, ESPN voted Beaver Stadium (the second-largest stadium in the America) as having the #1 Best Student Section, adding that “if you haven’t been to Happy Valley in the fall, you’re missing out on one of the great happenings in all of sports. Quite simply the loudest, most supportive student section in college football.”
Basic Info
| Main Address: |
201 Old Main
University Park, PA 16802-1503 |
|
| Phone Number: |
(814) 865-4700 |
|
| Website: |
www.psu.edu |
|
Characteristics
| Type of school: |
Public |
|
| Type of school: |
Coed |
|
| Setting: |
Suburban, large town |
|
| Athletics: |
NCAA Division I, Intercollegiate, Intramural, Club, Scholarship |
|
| Degrees offered: |
Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral |
|
| Size of undergraduate student body: |
38,630 |
|
| Percent out-of-state: |
25% |
|
| Percent international: |
8% |
|
| Female to Male ratio: |
45:55 |
|
Academic Life
| Student to Professor ratio: |
17:1 |
|
| Most popular majors: |
Business/Marketing (18%)
Engineering (13%)
Communications/Journalism (9%)
Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
Social Sciences (7%)
Education (5%)
Health Professions (5%) |
|
| Special study programs: |
Accelerated Program
Cross-Registration
Distance Learning
Double Major
Dual Enrollment for High School Students
ESL
External Degree Program
Honors Program
Independent Study
Internships
Liberal Arts/Career Combination
ROTC, Air Force
ROTC, Army
ROTC, Navy
Semester at Sea
Student-Designed Major
Study Abroad
Teacher Certification
Visiting/Exchange Student Program
Washington Semester
Weekend College |
|
Campus Life
Housing options:
Coed Housing
Women's Housing
Apartments for Single Students
Special Housing for Disabled Students |
Men's Housing
Apartments for Married Students
Fraternity/Sorority Housing
Special Housing for International Students |
|
Activities:
Academic Groups
Debating Club
Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Groups
Humor Magazine
International Student Groups
Minority Student Groups
Radio Station
Singing Groups
Sororities
Student Film Society
Team Managers |
Chamber Orchestra
Fraternities
Glee Club
Improv Comedy
Literary Magazine
Political Discussion Groups
Religious Groups
Social Service Groups
Speakers Forums
Student Union
Theater Program |
|
Fun Facts
- Ranked #2 Best Career Services
- Ranked #3 Party School
|
- Ranked #2 "Jock Schools"
- Ranked #6 Best College Newspaper
|
|
|
Admissions Information
With an acceptance rate of 52%, Penn State is one of the nation's more competitive state universities. The school receives more than 40,000 applications each year. According to the University's website, admissions officials base two-thirds of their decision on a student's high school GPA. The remaining third is left to other factors, including standardized test scores, class rank, personal statement, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and rigor of high school courses. Penn State requires that students take either the SAT or ACT, and while they only consider the highest score for each section, admissions officials strongly recommend that a student submit all scores for all tests.
While Penn State offers neither Early Decision nor Early Action options, applicants are advised to meet the priority application deadline of November 30 "in order to have the greatest chance at your first choice of college and major." Otherwise, admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis, and there is no closing deadline for applications.
| Admissions address: |
201 Shields Building
University Park, PA 16802 |
|
| Phone number: |
(814) 865-5471 |
|
| Fax number: |
(814) 863-7590 |
|
| Admissions Website: |
http://admissions.psu.edu/facts/studentbody/ |
|
| Email: |
admissions@psu.edu |
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| Contact Person: |
Anne Rohrbach |
|
| Number of first-year applications received: |
40,714 |
|
| Percent of applicants admitted: |
52% |
|
Application Information
| Regular application deadline: |
No closing date (rolling); priority application deadline is November 30. |
|
| Early decision/action deadline: |
Not applicable |
|
| Accepts the Common Application? |
No |
|
| Admission requirements: |
SAT or ACT
Personal statement and activities list recommended (not required) |
|
Application Information
| Standardized test scores required? |
Yes (SAT or ACT) |
|
| Policy regarding SAT score-use: |
Considers highest section score for all test dates; strongly encourages submission of test scores from each test date |
|
| SAT Critical Reading |
530
|
580
|
630
|
82%
|
| SAT Math |
560
|
615
|
670
|
82%
|
| SAT Writing |
540
|
590
|
640
|
82%
|
|
| College Board code: |
2660 |
|
| ACT code: |
3656 |
|
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