Anonymous wrote:Honors college is great and a way to make the big campus a little more comfortable for academically inclined students. It is exactly what it seems to be - a quality flagship state school. If that's the environment that your son wants, then it's a great choice.

I agree with this. I have hired graduates from the honors college. Very smart and capable.

One of my friends told me her niece has a 4.0 gpa. I was impressed b/c in my days 4.0 is a straight A with no Bs all through HS. 99 percentile.

Then I discovered with grade inflation nowadays, a 4.0 is approximately 70 percentile.

Cult school!

Is Upitt better?

Getting into PSU on the main campus fall semester is at least as competitive as getting into UMCP

Honors college is great and a way to make the big campus a little more comfortable for academically inclined students. It is exactly what it seems to be - a quality flagship state school. If that's the environment that your son wants, then it's a great choice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For what program?

My impression is that there are a few programs, like Meteorology, where Penn state has an edge. Other than that, it could be more about the overall school spirit/environment and geographic proximity. I have friends that went to Penn State and enjoyed it. But I think it goes back to knowing yourself and what type of college experience you want in terms of geographic location, size, Greek life, rural/urban/suburban, overall work hard/play hard balance, and what you want to study (if you know).

Engineering is a solid program. Not sure if it’s direct admit or weed out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For what program?

My impression is that there are a few programs, like Meteorology, where Penn state has an edge. Other than that, it could be more about the overall school spirit/environment and geographic proximity. I have friends that went to Penn State and enjoyed it. But I think it goes back to knowing yourself and what type of college experience you want in terms of geographic location, size, Greek life, rural/urban/suburban, overall work hard/play hard balance, and what you want to study (if you know).

Greek life?? Not with these kids.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/US/penn-state-fraternity-18-students-charged-connection-pledges/story%3fid=47226888

Anonymous wrote:For what program?

My impression is that there are a few programs, like Meteorology, where Penn state has an edge. Other than that, it could be more about the overall school spirit/environment and geographic proximity. I have friends that went to Penn State and enjoyed it. But I think it goes back to knowing yourself and what type of college experience you want in terms of geographic location, size, Greek life, rural/urban/suburban, overall work hard/play hard balance, and what you want to study (if you know).

Along with Montgomery college and NOVA cc a quality choice.

OP, ignore the crazy people.

If that GPA is weighted, local public, then some of the other schools on your list arent happening and merit aid might be scarce.

Penn State is a solid flagship like many others. You can get a good education there. The engineering school is better than that. If your kid is looking for that flagship-in-the-middle-of-nowhere experience, it is a good one for that. It is expensive, but only you can judge what that means to your family.

I wouldn't pay OOS there instead of in-state for UMCP, but if I were in VA and My kid wasn't into the UVA vibe or Appalachia, I'd apply OOS elsewhere strategically (although probably not PS because the middle of nowhere thing isn't what my family likes)

The question is not whether the school is good enough. The real question is whether the student is committed as self-driven enough to make the most out of college years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Naviance data for W HS for Penn State

2016: 56 applied/52 admitted
2017: 59/38
2018: 74/55

But what were their GPA's and test scores? Seriously, if you have such disdain for a school that's ranked #59 in the country, how do you feel about the other over 1,000 colleges in the U.S? Don't you get that in a country with over 2,000 4 year colleges, #59 is nothing to sneer at?

Average stats: 3.39 GPA and 1291 SAT

Anonymous wrote:Naviance data for W HS for Penn State

2016: 56 applied/52 admitted
2017: 59/38
2018: 74/55

But what were their GPA's and test scores? Seriously, if you have such disdain for a school that's ranked #59 in the country, how do you feel about the other over 1,000 colleges in the U.S? Don't you get that in a country with over 2,000 4 year colleges, #59 is nothing to sneer at?