UNIVERSITY PARK – As the number of applications to Penn State’s 20 undergraduate campuses point to another record year, and interest in the University Park campus stands at an all-time high, the University has, for the first time in its long history, established an admission wait list for Penn State University Park.
“We are receiving applications at a record rate, which is testament to the quality of the Penn State experience and the value of the Penn State degree,” said Randall C. Deike, Penn State’s associate vice president for enrollment management and executive director for undergraduate admissions. “The University Park wait list will be limited to high-achieving students who submitted complete application materials after Nov. 30, Penn State’s recommended application filing date. We will send a letter about the wait list to these students in the coming week.”
The wait list will allow the Undergraduate Admissions Office to continue working with this select group of students, keeping them under consideration for University Park admission if space becomes available, or working with them to find an alternate starting campus within the Penn State campus system. Placement on the wait list is determined by the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Students may not request placement on the wait list for University Park.
The Undergraduate Admissions Office hopes to notify wait-listed students as soon as possible about admission to University Park, but students will receive a final response from the office no later than June 1.
If space does not become available at University Park, students will be contacted regarding an offer of admission to an alternate campus choice. At that time, admission to some campuses may be limited, but admission counselors will help students explore their Penn State options and identify a campus with the best fit for them.
“An important message that we want students to receive is that there is a place for them at Penn State,” Deike said. “The Penn State experience does not always start at University Park, but our unique approach to the undergraduate experience affords students the opportunity to complete their degree at the University Park campus.”
If at any time, students do not wish to remain on the wait list, the Admissions Office can immediately offer those students admission to a campus other than University Park. If students choose this path, they will join the 60 percent of Penn State students who each year begin their degrees at a Penn State campus other than University Park, and after their sophomore year, complete their Penn State degrees at University Park.
If students on the wait list have questions, or would like to discuss an offer of admission to a campus other than University Park, they may contact Penn State’s Undergraduate Admissions Office at (814) 865-5471.
