^{The old post got archived like three months ago, so here's a repost for the sake of opening comments back up}

Please take some time to read this before making a new post on this sub. You have been warned.

As your beloved /r/PennStateUniversity overlords moderators, we deal with a ridiculous amount of reposts. So. Many. Reposts. (Reddit, when are you going to improve your search function?) So out of our sheer benevolence and utter boredom, we thought it would be cool to make an FAQ thread addressing all these endlessly reposted and often-asked questions.

Yes, this means all further reposts will be removed with extreme prejudice.

Most Frequent Reposts and Questions:

- Best Gen Eds:

See this thread.

​

- What do I do if I received an academic integrity violation?

See this thread.

​

- Best On-Campus Jobs?

See this thread.

​

- What's Penn State like? I want to apply / applied / am applying and have never visited.

Here's some nice, high quality threads on what State College is like, freshman FAQs, common prospective student questions, why you should go to Penn State, why you should do LEAP, and the best on campus jobs (#2). See these awesome non-Reddit links for more on what Penn State is like. If you have any other questions, join the Discord linked in the sidebar to get your question answered more quickly - there's almost always someone online who can answer it immediately.

​

- How do I find out about events going on around campus?

For career/academic events, keep an eye on your Penn State email. Your college and most organizations on campus are pretty desperate for people to go to their events - so go to them! You'll probably get emails from your college, Penn State Today, the Multicultural Resource Center, and more on a regular basis. You'll also find flyers in your residence hall, commons buildings, and almost every bulletin board on campus.

For other events, most organizations make a semi-decent effort to publicize their events, and by signing up for some email lists at the involvement fair (please go) you'll end up on their lists for event outreach. Don't be that dude who signs your friend up for every single club's email list, though.

Lastly, restrooms in the HUB, residence halls, and certain other buildings have event-related newsletters posted in each stall. Some nice reading while you do your business!

​

- How do I connect to [x] WiFi network?

For students, go here for your main devices and here for your dorm-related smart devices. For guests, if you're a university student, eduroam is probably the way to go (it likely works with your own university's login). For visitors, try connecting to the new psu-guest network on campus.

​

- What are the job or internship prospects for my major?

It greatly varies - and it depends on the person. Penn State boasts the largest alumni network in the world, and looking for Penn State alumni at companies you apply for is helpful - especially recruiters. Most departments and colleges maintain some kind of job statistics database and career assistance program, so try looking there for resources like how to write a resume, how to apply for jobs, and etc. I will say the IST career site is the best of them all though. Overall, you determine your own future, and Penn State will only help you with that.

​

- How do I get help with my classes?

There's a ton of resources on campus to help you out with classes if you're struggling or need help. Professors usually offer TAs, office hours, tutoring, and maybe even a message board to help you succeed in their courses. Past that, Penn State Tutoring, LionTutors, and others are great resources. Your tuition is paying for Penn State Tutoring, TAs, and office hours, so make sure to make the most out of those.

​

- What do I do if I'm going to fail a course?

Easy answer: you should drop or late drop it, if you've already tried your best to improve. Keep in mind there are deadlines for dropping and late dropping (see the Academic Calendar for details) and that LDs appear on your transcript. Employers typically don't mind 1-2 non-major-related late drops, but more than that will probably hurt. Do keep in mind your GPA and your financial aid when looking at dropping a course though - as well as losing full time status below 12 credits. If you can't late drop or drop the course, look at grade forgiveness - a great new policy that only recently came through.

​

- How do I check my academic requirements?

A simple Google Search for "psu academic requirements (major)" will usually do the trick - each college has lists of ETM and major requirements for each of their majors! To easily check your progress towards the requirements, you can create a What-If Report in LionPATH that will tell you what your progress is :)

​

- What are the best dorms on campus?

That's a really subjective question, and everyone has their own opinion on it. While we do plan for a post covering this extensively eventually, here's a quick summary of the pros and cons of each residence area (if you have any suggestions for additions, let us know):

East Halls

West Halls

North Halls

South / Pollock Halls (they're like the same area lmao)

​

- I got into [x] branch campus and want to go to University Park. Can I transfer?

Short answer: no, otherwise branch campuses would be a ghost town. You probably won't be able to switch to main campus until junior year (2 2 plan) so make the most out of your two years at your branch. Most branch campuses have their redeeming characteristics - particularly Behrend - and you can live your college life to the fullest at a branch campus just as well. Main campus is no further than three or four hours from any branch, so you can still drive up to main for football, partying, and to get the Penn State experience.

​

- What are my chances of getting in?

In terms of University Park, the relative agreement is that you need at least a 1160 SAT, 25 ACT, and 3.0 GPA to get in. Results vary widely, though - Niche has a ton of stats on your relative chances of getting in with your specific SAT, ACT, and GPA. They also like to see a decent mix of extracurriculars to know you're not a boring fuck, but the fact that admissions is rolling and there's no essay makes for a relatively easy application.

In terms of Schreyers, it gets a hella lot more competitive. Expect to need a 3.8 or above GPA, a 1450 or above SAT, 30 or above ACT, and stellar extracurriculars to get into Schreyers. You'll also need to write essays and go through an interview to be considered. The benefits are nice, though - you get cushy dorms, great advisors, the chance to do research and publish a thesis, and tons of scholarship money.

Branch campus requirements vary widely, so again, check Niche for the stats on your branch campus. The common conception is that getting into a branch campus is relatively easy, to the point where some branches are more community colleges than actual branches, so you shouldn't have too much of an issue unless you're doing law or medical school or something.

​

- Best Gen Ed Classes?

This is a very subjective question and dependent on what you enjoy. I'll add links soon, but some well known ones include ASTRO 7N and EGEE 101. A quick Google search will give you lists upon lists of others, but do be aware that it is very highly dependent on what you enjoy and what you're looking to learn from gen eds.

​

(to be continued - please comment with questions you think would be beneficial in this FAQ while we work on expanding it!)

​

WE ARE!

- Your /r/PennStateUniversity Moderator Team