What are Penn State’s admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:
GPA requirements
Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
Application requirements
In this guide we’ll cover what you need to get into Penn State and build a strong application.
School location: University Park, PA
This school is also known as: Penn State University Park, PSU, Penn State
Admissions Rate: 49.1%
If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.
The acceptance rate at Penn State is 49.1%. For every 100 applicants, 49 are admitted.
This means the school is moderately selective. The school expects you to meet their requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but they’re more flexible than other schools. If you exceed their requirements, you have an excellent chance of getting in. But if you don’t, you might be one of the unlucky minority that gets a rejection letter.
Penn State GPA Requirements
Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.
The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school’s average GPA for its current students.
Average GPA: 3.58
The average GPA at Penn State is 3.58.
(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.
With a GPA of 3.58, Penn State requires you to be around average in your high school class. You’ll need a mix of A’s and B’s, and very few C’s. If you have a lower GPA, you can compensate with harder courses like AP or IB classes. This will help boost your weighted GPA and show your ability to take college classes.
If you’re currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.58, you’ll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.
SAT and ACT Requirements
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.
You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to Penn State. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.
Penn State SAT Requirements
Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school’s average score.
Average SAT: 1265
The average SAT score composite at Penn State is a 1265 on the 1600 SAT scale.
This score makes Penn State Competitive for SAT test scores.
For more information visit https://www.psu.edu/