Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn State is extremely vulnerable to the demographic cliff, as Pennsylvania is facing a big drop in college-age students, particularly in the more rural parts of the state,which provides a huge chunk of its student body. They are closing seven of their campuses, the state government has deprioritized funding Penn State, and overall enrollment has declined a lot. It's big in-state competition for the same above-average students are Pitt and Temple (both are financially supported by the state). Pitt and Temple have both upped their game with campus improvements, better marketing, and newer programming. Penn State is still the same old Penn State it's always been, and it's losing out.

Just look at the DMV area. Lots of families visit and apply to Pitt or Temple (as well a top privates like Penn or Villanova), but not many visit or apply to Penn State.

Per Bethesda Magazine, across the six high schools they track, 928 kids in the 2024 senior class applied to Penn State, 518 were accepted, and 70 enrolled. For Pitt, those numbers were 925, 556, and 38. And for Temple, 231, 135, and 29.

Not very selective for OOS applicants, and crappy yield rate. Another sign of trouble for Penn State. Not enough in-state kids and not much interest out of state.

Penn State is the most popular OOS by both applications and attendance among students from my child's Fairfax high school. The relatively high acceptance rate is misleading because many students are accepted to branch campuses rather than the main campus. Getting into popular majors at University Park (the main campus) is much more competitive. My child had several friends who were devastated when they weren't admitted to the main campus.

Penn State is highly desirable and would likely attract even more students if the OOS tuition weren't so expensive. Penn State is at the top of my child's list, but as a recruited athlete, they're not quite at the Penn State recruitment level. If they decided to forgo playing college sports, they would be thrilled to attend Penn State.

Anonymous wrote:With Michigan State, I don't recall alumni and students coming to the defense of the perpetrators. It was universal revulsion.

At Penn State, their football-obsessed alumni spent years defending the perpetrators, especially Joe Paterno the coach who facilitated and protected Sandusky. And it wasn't just a few crazed fans, but was a majority opinion for years among alumni in surveys. That's the troubling legacy at Penn State.

And of course, it is a lackluster school academically.

Oh, please. You're conflating Sandusky and Paterno in order to smear Penn State alumni. Sandusky was immediately and universally condemned. A lot of people wanted to believe Paterno when he said he had no idea what Sandusky was up to. That was almost certainly wishful thinking, but it wasn't facially implausible for anyone whose familiarity with the matter was limited to a few headlines. Paterno had been an institution at the school for decades, with a glowing reputation. Of course it took longer for a lot of people to accept that he knew and failed to stop or report it.

Anonymous wrote:With Michigan State, I don't recall alumni and students coming to the defense of the perpetrators. It was universal revulsion.

At Penn State, their football-obsessed alumni spent years defending the perpetrators, especially Joe Paterno the coach who facilitated and protected Sandusky. And it wasn't just a few crazed fans, but was a majority opinion for years among alumni in surveys. That's the troubling legacy at Penn State.

And of course, it is a lackluster school academically.

How is it lacklustre? I’ve heard that for some programs/majors it compares to the ivies and/or is better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn State is extremely vulnerable to the demographic cliff, as Pennsylvania is facing a big drop in college-age students, particularly in the more rural parts of the state,which provides a huge chunk of its student body. They are closing seven of their campuses, the state government has deprioritized funding Penn State, and overall enrollment has declined a lot. It's big in-state competition for the same above-average students are Pitt and Temple (both are financially supported by the state). Pitt and Temple have both upped their game with campus improvements, better marketing, and newer programming. Penn State is still the same old Penn State it's always been, and it's losing out.

Just look at the DMV area. Lots of families visit and apply to Pitt or Temple (as well a top privates like Penn or Villanova), but not many visit or apply to Penn State.

Per Bethesda Magazine, across the six high schools they track, 928 kids in the 2024 senior class applied to Penn State, 518 were accepted, and 70 enrolled. For Pitt, those numbers were 925, 556, and 38. And for Temple, 231, 135, and 29.

Not very selective for OOS applicants, and crappy yield rate. Another sign of trouble for Penn State. Not enough in-state kids and not much interest out of state.

With Michigan State, I don't recall alumni and students coming to the defense of the perpetrators. It was universal revulsion.

At Penn State, their football-obsessed alumni spent years defending the perpetrators, especially Joe Paterno the coach who facilitated and protected Sandusky. And it wasn't just a few crazed fans, but was a majority opinion for years among alumni in surveys. That's the troubling legacy at Penn State.

And of course, it is a lackluster school academically.

Anonymous wrote:Penn State is extremely vulnerable to the demographic cliff, as Pennsylvania is facing a big drop in college-age students, particularly in the more rural parts of the state,which provides a huge chunk of its student body. They are closing seven of their campuses, the state government has deprioritized funding Penn State, and overall enrollment has declined a lot. It's big in-state competition for the same above-average students are Pitt and Temple (both are financially supported by the state). Pitt and Temple have both upped their game with campus improvements, better marketing, and newer programming. Penn State is still the same old Penn State it's always been, and it's losing out.

Just look at the DMV area. Lots of families visit and apply to Pitt or Temple (as well a top privates like Penn or Villanova), but not many visit or apply to Penn State.

Per Bethesda Magazine, across the six high schools they track, 928 kids in the 2024 senior class applied to Penn State, 518 were accepted, and 70 enrolled. For Pitt, those numbers were 925, 556, and 38. And for Temple, 231, 135, and 29.

Penn State is extremely vulnerable to the demographic cliff, as Pennsylvania is facing a big drop in college-age students, particularly in the more rural parts of the state,which provides a huge chunk of its student body. They are closing seven of their campuses, the state government has deprioritized funding Penn State, and overall enrollment has declined a lot. It's big in-state competition for the same above-average students are Pitt and Temple (both are financially supported by the state). Pitt and Temple have both upped their game with campus improvements, better marketing, and newer programming. Penn State is still the same old Penn State it's always been, and it's losing out.

Just look at the DMV area. Lots of families visit and apply to Pitt or Temple (as well a top privates like Penn or Villanova), but not many visit or apply to Penn State.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn State lost its luster and prestige over a decade ago and still trying to climb back.

Why?

Sandusky (and Paterno).

After the scandal, the state ramped up its requirements for clearances such as being a parent volunteer. The nickname for this was ‘Sandusky Clearance.”

The university let a top football coach rape young children on campus and in Penn State programs for many years. The state should have shut down the entire place

You feel the same way about Michigan State?

Yes, but seemed worse at Penn State because it was allowed to conintue because the entire university and all of their alumni treated Joe Paterno like he was a god. Instead, he used his power, influence, and clean-cut reputation to harbor and protect a rapist. And much of the school leadership was culpable as well.

I don't believe you. I think it "seemed worse at Penn State" to you because Sandusky was attacking boys, not girls.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn State lost its luster and prestige over a decade ago and still trying to climb back.

Why?

Sandusky (and Paterno).

After the scandal, the state ramped up its requirements for clearances such as being a parent volunteer. The nickname for this was ‘Sandusky Clearance.”

The university let a top football coach rape young children on campus and in Penn State programs for many years. The state should have shut down the entire place

You feel the same way about Michigan State?

Yes, but seemed worse at Penn State because it was allowed to conintue because the entire university and all of their alumni treated Joe Paterno like he was a god. Instead, he used his power, influence, and clean-cut reputation to harbor and protect a rapist. And much of the school leadership was culpable as well.

Anonymous wrote:Stigma still exists.

Just among homophobes.

Stigma still exists.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My rising sophomore loves it. He got in EA and we went to visit over Christmas break. He fell in love immediately, even in dead of winter. Loved the campus and the small town. Liked that he could walk to the small town. He knew it was a big campus, but didn't feel overwhelming. Very clean.
He chose it over South Carolina, NC State, Indiana, Delaware, Vermont, UMass

What were their stats? DC is interested. Not OP.

He had 3.8 weighted (had a bad semester and explained how learned from it) , very high rigor classes 8 APs and then honors plus calculus (not AP). Did test optional. history major. usual clubs and sports. public HS.
Used the optional essay to write a :45 elevator pitch

My daughter is rising senior in the honors college. She was initially disappointed she didn’t get into her dream school Duke but absolutely lives penn state. The school
Spirit is strong, she loves being in the shreyers honors college which had some exclusive career fairs. She got a fantastic summer internship this summer at a biotech firm. Last summer she did a study abroad program in Ireland that the college paid for. She has made so many friends and has worked the alumni network so that she has several job opportunities lined up after graduation. She loves how lively the campus is, how close the downtown area is, and the enormous amount of extracurriculars available. She tells us that it really is Happy Valley! It is a large campus and she thought she would hate it but the honors college and her activities makes it so easy to meet people so it isn’t lonely at all.

Anonymous wrote:My rising sophomore loves it. He got in EA and we went to visit over Christmas break. He fell in love immediately, even in dead of winter. Loved the campus and the small town. Liked that he could walk to the small town. He knew it was a big campus, but didn't feel overwhelming. Very clean.
He chose it over South Carolina, NC State, Indiana, Delaware, Vermont, UMass

What were their stats? DC is interested. Not OP.

My rising sophomore loves it. He got in EA and we went to visit over Christmas break. He fell in love immediately, even in dead of winter. Loved the campus and the small town. Liked that he could walk to the small town. He knew it was a big campus, but didn't feel overwhelming. Very clean.
He chose it over South Carolina, NC State, Indiana, Delaware, Vermont, UMass