Admissions Reps Report: 2025 Updates from Penn State and Pitt

COLLEGES NOT RECEIVING FAFSA INFO UNTIL MID-MARCH WILL SEND OUT AWARDS IN MID-APRIL

Penn State:  42,000 students at University Park, 120,000 apps this year. Apply by 11/1 Early Action.

3.65-3.95 recalculated. Average SAT 1320-1480 ACT 29-33. 

Top majors: Engineering, Business, Nursing, Biology, Psychology. Even in the most competitive colleges like Engineering, Business, Science, Liberal Arts, some majors have less interest than others. Some smaller, more specialized colleges (like Earth & Mineral Sciences and Information Sciences & Technology, majors that are more specialized and thus interest isn't as large). The acceptance rate varies, but the average acceptance for the Smeal College of Business at University Park is 25%. 

We are looking for at least pre-calculus in high school to be eligible for Engineering/Science/STEM fields, as Calculus 1 & 2 are typically first-year requirements for students.

Previously, any student who received an offer to Penn State for a 2+2 program was able to have their application reconsidered for a different academic college at University Park. This year, students are now limited to only one reconsideration for a new program at the University Park campus.

Sports News: Volleyball won National Championship, Wrestling Team #1 

University of Pittsburgh: 3.98 weighted/recalculated: Average SAT 1400 ACT 32. Received over 60,000 applications this year.

Nursing is the most competitive undergraduate school--ranked #4 nationally. Admit rate for the School of Nursing is about 20-25%. For example, as of this morning we have just 5000 apps for nursing and have offered admission to about 1000. The first-year class will enroll about 200 students. The most popular majors are Business, Engineering, Nursing, Health Sciences, Social Sciences. Early deadlines for Honors. Pitt will remain test optional through 2028.

Next week: News from Rutgers, Binghamton, Stony Brook, and UConn!

AI in College Essays?

When I taught English to college freshmen, I always offered a review session before an exam. This was very well-attended: every student, even those I rarely saw, sat there, alert. Students would write down every word I said, anticipating that they could then respond precisely to every test question. 

But the last thing I wanted was for them to parrot back the review. I asked for short essay responses that would prove that students understood the material, could think critically about it, make connections, and express their ideas coherently. That would show me that they were truly getting something out of the course, which required reading works of fiction and non-fiction dealing with politics, relationships, race/ethnicity, and other nuanced topics. No one could possibly “copy” from anyone else to craft an effective answer.

When students use AI, I hope they adhere to that standard.

Students’ ideas and personal experiences should be a reflection of their thought process–AI can’t make those up. If they use AI in other capacities, they have to use it well enough to enhance an effective essay. That means not flattening it out, dulling the tone, and elevating the language to an unrealistic level. So far, I haven’t seen essays that used AI successfully (that I know of).

In a recent Chronicle of Higher Ed webinar about how colleges are using AI, Rick Clark of Georgia Tech added real value to the discussion (he usually does). I am paraphrasing the point he directed to the colleges:

Colleges: build your prompts around what you want to see rather than worrying about students using Chat GPT. We need transparency about this, not secrecy. Even our transition from a paper to a paperless admissions process was a huge change! AI is just a step in the college process evolution--it doesn’t mean that the human mind gets a pass. 

Juniors: Let’s Complete Parent and Student Surveys Soon

These surveys in Naviance, Scoir, or whichever platform your school uses, are the primary sources that high school counselors use to write your letters of recommendation. While counselors would welcome the opportunity to know every student well, the system doesn’t allow this. It’s up to parents and students to fill in all the blanks, and there’s no reason not to do so now.

Counselors are busy with seniors now and won’t likely address these letters until later in 2025, but there are real benefits to thinking about them now. That’s because writing an effective parent/student survey, aka “brag sheet,” can inform the other elements of the application that you complete and create, including the college list, activity list, Common App and supplemental essays, and perhaps the “additional information.” If you apply for scholarships, what you write in your surveys can make that easier too. 

Once these letters are opened in the admissions office, they are reviewed and balanced with other elements in the application. Do they support the story the student tells? Well-written letters allow admissions officers to craft their classes with institutional goals in mind.

Start by opening the surveys and cutting and pasting the questions into a Google Doc. Don’t answer the questions quickly, but really think about them in relation to your child (or yourself). Every person is more than a string of adjectives, and each of those adjectives wouldn’t make your point unless you can support it with an example and story. Though they are referred to as “brag sheets,” I recommend humility, not bragging.

De-stress the college process by finishing this step early, before the application process picks up steam later in the spring. Let me help you write surveys that will create stronger counselor letters!