2012-2013 Penn State Application Thread

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bymotion said:
hey guys, stupid question but when is the first day of orientation? I looked over all the material and cannot, for the life of me, find when that is. Its possible that I maybe missing a page or something. Also, the website for accepted students is still not updated. Thanks.
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The reason you're missing it is because it was only written on the page we had to sign and send back to accept our acceptance. I was too excited/disoriented when I got accepted that I forgot to copy it!
 
i know it must vary from year to year..
but anyone know how many people were accepted off of the waitlist in previous years?
All this waiting is just killing me.. so I want to get an idea of what my chances are like.

thanks!
 
Esperanza7 said:
i know it must vary from year to year..
but anyone know how many people were accepted off of the waitlist in previous years?
All this waiting is just killing me.. so I want to get an idea of what my chances are like.

thanks!
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+1

Thank you!!!
 
SDN noob here:

I have been through this forum and noticed that there are two major options for housing. One being on campus and one being briarcrest gardens. I am having a really hard time picking one 😕 I know that briarcrest appts are usually larger and nicer. I will have my car there so I don't think(?) distance from campus would be a major issue for me. I'll be there solo and would prefer to live with a roommate to save some money. I would love to get current med students take on both places, specially the ones that have lived in both places. The more details you can think of the better 🙂

Thank you so much in advance.
 
Esperanza7 said:
i know it must vary from year to year..
but anyone know how many people were accepted off of the waitlist in previous years?
All this waiting is just killing me.. so I want to get an idea of what my chances are like.

thanks!
Click to expand...

I think last year they overbooked so they offered some scholarships to like 10 people. So from what I understand they will have 10 less spots to give... hoping they are more conservative this year.
 
madisonj said:
SDN noob here:

I have been through this forum and noticed that there are two major options for housing. One being on campus and one being briarcrest gardens. I am having a really hard time picking one 😕 I know that briarcrest appts are usually larger and nicer. I will have my car there so I don't think(?) distance from campus would be a major issue for me. I'll be there solo and would prefer to live with a roommate to save some money. I would love to get current med students take on both places, specially the ones that have lived in both places. The more details you can think of the better 🙂

Thank you so much in advance.
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This is what I sent to another student. I've only lived in Briarcrest though, so my opinion is somewhat biased.

Advantages of on-campus:
-Near many other med students, so much more social interaction. (Many of the people who live on-campus are young and directly out of college, so they have more of a "partying" mentality. My husband and I are older, so we were not really a fan of that "scene" anymore.)
-Slightly cheaper (Briarcrest is ~800-850/month + ~100 for electricity + ~60 for internet, whereas on-campus is ~550/person w/ utilities included-obviously you'd would be living with another student no matter what, so the price difference is pretty negligible)
-One monthly payment since everything is included in the rent (Some find this to be an advantage. My husband and I didn't mind paying for utilities separately.)
-Slightly closer (Briarcrest is across the street, while on-campus is literally one intersection closer)

Disadvantages of on-campus:
-Extremely tiny bedrooms + very little closet space (they call the on-campus housing "the Kennels" for a reason. Briarcrest doesn't have this issue-they are essentially normal size apartments)
-No dishwasher (this seems minor, but the last thing you want to do a few days before a test is waste time washing dishes)
-No pets (we have a cat, so this was an extremely important factor for us)
-Tons of rules-no candles, etc (they essentially have the same rules as college dorm rooms. Being older, my husband and I didn't want to deal with that sort of thing anymore.)
-Can be noisy (especially after tests)
-Parking can be frustrating (you are assigned 1 parking spot per apartment. Many times, other students park in your spot, so you have to park in the reserve lot. Also, the parking spots are somewhat far from the actual apartments-you can live on one-side of the complex, but have to park in the opposite side. Briarcrest does not have this issue-there is just one parking area and you can park wherever)
 
metalgirl14 said:
This is what I sent to another student. I've only lived in Briarcrest though, so my opinion is somewhat biased.

Advantages of on-campus:
-Near many other med students, so much more social interaction. (Many of the people who live on-campus are young and directly out of college, so they have more of a "partying" mentality. My husband and I are older, so we were not really a fan of that "scene" anymore.)
-Slightly cheaper (Briarcrest is ~800-850/month + ~100 for electricity + ~60 for internet, whereas on-campus is ~550/person w/ utilities included-obviously you'd would be living with another student no matter what, so the price difference is pretty negligible)
-One monthly payment since everything is included in the rent (Some find this to be an advantage. My husband and I didn't mind paying for utilities separately.)
-Slightly closer (Briarcrest is across the street, while on-campus is literally one intersection closer)

Disadvantages of on-campus:
-Extremely tiny bedrooms + very little closet space (they call the on-campus housing "the Kennels" for a reason. Briarcrest doesn't have this issue-they are essentially normal size apartments)
-No dishwasher (this seems minor, but the last thing you want to do a few days before a test is waste time washing dishes)
-No pets (we have a cat, so this was an extremely important factor for us)
-Tons of rules-no candles, etc (they essentially have the same rules as college dorm rooms. Being older, my husband and I didn't want to deal with that sort of thing anymore.)
-Can be noisy (especially after tests)
-Parking can be frustrating (you are assigned 1 parking spot per apartment. Many times, other students park in your spot, so you have to park in the reserve lot. Also, the parking spots are somewhat far from the actual apartments-you can live on one-side of the complex, but have to park in the opposite side. Briarcrest does not have this issue-there is just one parking area and you can park wherever)
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Thank you so much! This really helps. I did get in touch with Briarcrest and they sent me a list of available appts and they are all 15 or more minutes walking distance from the med center. Also how do students find roommates there? I know that on campus matches you with another student but how does off campus housing work?
 
madisonj said:
Thank you so much! This really helps. I did get in touch with Briarcrest and they sent me a list of available appts and they are all 15 or more minutes walking distance from the med center. Also how do students find roommates there? I know that on campus matches you with another student but how does off campus housing work?
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I know several people who live in Briarcrest. Some drive, some bike, some walk. For most apartments, the walk isn't bad (I always walk to campus).

I'm married, so I didn't get to pick my roommate (not sure if that's better or worse haha). In my year, most of the people without a ball and chain found roommates through the class Facebook page.
 
metalgirl14 said:
I know several people who live in Briarcrest. Some drive, some bike, some walk. For most apartments, the walk isn't bad (I always walk to campus).

I'm married, so I didn't get to pick my roommate (not sure if that's better or worse haha). In my year, most of the people without a ball and chain found roommates through the class Facebook page.
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cool! Thanks again
 
I just got in touch with my roommate! I'll be living on campus. The cost and distance will be nice, I think, but the things you mentioned concerned me. I don't drink, don't intend to, and I kind of like things relatively quiet. Do you think things are going to be miserable for me? :scared:
 
jemstone said:
I just got in touch with my roommate! I'll be living on campus. The cost and distance will be nice, I think, but the things you mentioned concerned me. I don't drink, don't intend to, and I kind of like things relatively quiet. Do you think things are going to be miserable for me? :scared:
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On campus is really not that bad. There are several people in my class that don't drink (including myself), so you will be fine. The noise level is probably not horrible (I've just heard that things can get a little noisy after tests occasionally). Most students that live on campus dont have any complaints about it.
 
metalgirl14 said:
On campus is really not that bad. There are several people in my class that don't drink (including myself), so you will be fine. The noise level is probably not horrible (I've just heard that things can get a little noisy after tests occasionally). Most students that live on campus dont have any complaints about it.
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Okay, thanks a lot.
 
Accepted off the waitlist this afternoon (5/21). Definitely will be attending. Good luck to all you guys.
 
I wanted to thank those who have been really helpful with answering my questions (StephBee, metalgirl)!

Regarding housing, I'm looking to get a share a 2 bedroom in Briarcrest and I'm currently in the middle of applying for one right now. If any guys here want to share one with me, please get a hold of me via PM so we can discuss. From what I've heard, Briarcrest is a bit cheaper than university housing and quite a bit nicer (less crammed, better lighting, more parking options, etc) so I'm leaning towards Briarcrest at the moment. Please get a hold of me if interested - I'm fairly quiet, clean, and courteous.

Also, could any of the current med students chime in regarding the best place to search for a roommate for off-campus housing? I've already tried the c/o 2017 facebook group.

Many thanks! 😀
 
MooCowJoe said:
Accepted off the waitlist this afternoon (5/21). Definitely will be attending. Good luck to all you guys.
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Were you contacted via email or snail mail? I'm still waiting to hear back. I received a snail mail letter a while ago saying that my application was on "hold" but have not heard anything since (no update on May 15). Do I assume that I'm still on hold? Is there a ranking system for the waitlist?
 
GP684126 said:
Were you contacted via email or snail mail? I'm still waiting to hear back. I received a snail mail letter a while ago saying that my application was on "hold" but have not heard anything since (no update on May 15). Do I assume that I'm still on hold? Is there a ranking system for the waitlist?
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Hey, I got an email and that hold letter was the only one I received until the email. No idea on ranked or how it works.
 
MooCowJoe said:
Hey, I got an email and that hold letter was the only one I received until the email. No idea on ranked or how it works.
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Thanks for the info! I guess I'll just keep waiting then. Fingers crossed...
 
Can anyone give me a timeframe for how long it takes to receive the financial aid award after receiving the acceptance letter?
 
dbs1 said:
Can anyone give me a timeframe for how long it takes to receive the financial aid award after receiving the acceptance letter?
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I would say give the financial aid office a quick call and tell them that you have recently been accepted. They can check your app and tell you if they need any additional info. That may expedite the process.
 
Can someone offer me some advice on where to live? Would living in Palmyra be more practical than closer to the school (briarcrest/rosedale)? How is the area of Palmyra? Traffic? During winter?
 
MooCowJoe said:
Can someone offer me some advice on where to live? Would living in Palmyra be more practical than closer to the school (briarcrest/rosedale)? How is the area of Palmyra? Traffic? During winter?
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Most students live either on-campus or in Briarcrest, so I only know a few people who live outside of Hershey. I don't think any of my classmates live in Palmyra, but I suppose it would probably be fine. It's pretty close to Hershey (~15 minutes away) and there isn't much traffic. Personally, I think it'd be easier to just live in Hershey, but if you have a compelling reason to live in Palmyra, I see no problem with it.
 
metalgirl14 said:
Most students live either on-campus or in Briarcrest, so I only know a few people who live outside of Hershey. I don't think any of my classmates live in Palmyra, but I suppose it would probably be fine. It's pretty close to Hershey (~15 minutes away) and there isn't much traffic. Personally, I think it'd be easier to just live in Hershey, but if you have a compelling reason to live in Palmyra, I see no problem with it.
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Thank you. Do you think $200-$300 saved in rent is worth the drive from palmyra? Also anyone you know live in the rosedale apartments?
 
MooCowJoe said:
Thank you. Do you think $200-$300 saved in rent is worth the drive from palmyra? Also anyone you know live in the rosedale apartments?
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Loans add up pretty quickly, so if you can save a good amount of money and you're fine with driving, I don't think it will be an issue. Make sure you will actually be saving money though. On-campus housing includes all utilities and internet in the rent. Off-campus housing, on the other hand, often has extra utility expenses (for example, I live in Briarcrest and my rent is ~850, but electric is ~100 and internet is about ~70. This adds up to a total of ~1020 per month.)

I don't personally know anyone who lives in Rosedale. My husband and I considered renting there, but it's not as nice as Briarcrest, it's farther away, and it's not much cheaper.
 
Someone earlier posted that they got accepted off the waitlist. Other than that, I've heard nothing
 
Hey Class of 2017!

I'm an incoming first year. I was thinking about living in briarcrest and was wondering if anyone was looking for a female roommate. I am pretty quiet and courteous... and very clean! Not a big drinker though.

PM me if interested!
 
Hi everyone! I'm a male incoming first year also looking for a roommate. I'd like to live at briarcrest or somewhere near campus. I'm very clean and quiet. PM me if you're interested in sharing a place!
 
Last edited:
Sorry if this has been answered somewhere else, but does anyone know if they will accept new letters of recommendation and letters of interest from people on the waitlist? I emailed them to ask about it, but it's been several days and they haven't gotten back to me.
 
EasterPlatypus said:
Sorry if this has been answered somewhere else, but does anyone know if they will accept new letters of recommendation and letters of interest from people on the waitlist? I emailed them to ask about it, but it's been several days and they haven't gotten back to me.
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I think someone mentioned that they are receptive to LOIs post interview. I would give them a call on Monday to make sure though. Don't rely on email and give them a call as they are probably bombarded with emails around this time
 
Sorry if this question has been asked before, but has anyone received any information regarding when to pay the tuition? I don't wanna miss it and get kicked out! haha

Thanks!
 
jubilantx said:
Sorry if this question has been asked before, but has anyone received any information regarding when to pay the tuition? I don't wanna miss it and get kicked out! haha

Thanks!
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When you get here for orientation, you'll get a whole bunch of lectures on how to do student loans and whatnot. Tuition isn't due until sometime in August.
 
For those who are living in Briarcrest Gardens, how much is the parking fee?

and for those who are living on campus, is the parking fee included in the rent?

Thanks a lot!!
 
Do classes start the week after orientation? Like right on August 5th?
 
Also has anyone heard anything from admissions after sending in all the forms and stuff? (Like a complete email or phone call)
 
MooCowJoe said:
Also has anyone heard anything from admissions after sending in all the forms and stuff? (Like a complete email or phone call)
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The only email I got was one mentioning that they have received my $100 deposit. I didn't get confirmation for anything else (other forms, transcripts, ...). I called about a month ago (I had everything in by mid April) to check to see if they had received anything else and they said they haven't processed any transcripts they have received.
I would call the student health office if you have sent in your vaccination forms in already so one of the nurses can check and let you know if you need to do anything else.
 
GP684126 said:
Does anyone know how many people they're accepting this year?
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Probably the same number that they accept every year, but maybe fewer this year in light of overaccepting last year. Entering class last year was 148, which included 9 MD/PhD students. It doesn't seem like there's been much waitlist movement so far.

jubilantx said:
For those who are living in Briarcrest Gardens, how much is the parking fee?
Click to expand...

I am almost certain that parking at Briarcrest is included in the rent. They have uncovered outdoor lots with unassigned spaces.

and for those who are living on campus, is the parking fee included in the rent?
Click to expand...

Yes. You get one space per apartment, and there are overflow lots in case you're living with others who also have cars.
 
dbs1 said:
Probably the same number that they accept every year, but maybe fewer this year in light of overaccepting last year. Entering class last year was 148, which included 9 MD/PhD students. It doesn't seem like there's been much waitlist movement so far.



I am almost certain that parking at Briarcrest is included in the rent. They have uncovered outdoor lots with unassigned spaces.



Yes. You get one space per apartment, and there are overflow lots in case you're living with others who also have cars.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info. Although that does make me a but worried since the Class of 2017 FB page is up to 171 members...🙁
 
dbs1 said:
Probably the same number that they accept every year, but maybe fewer this year in light of overaccepting last year. Entering class last year was 148, which included 9 MD/PhD students. It doesn't seem like there's been much waitlist movement so far.



I am almost certain that parking at Briarcrest is included in the rent. They have uncovered outdoor lots with unassigned spaces.



Yes. You get one space per apartment, and there are overflow lots in case you're living with others who also have cars.
Click to expand...

There is no fee for general parking at Briarcrest. If you would like a covered carport though, it is an extra $25/month.
 
GP684126 said:
Thanks for the info. Although that does make me a but worried since the Class of 2017 FB page is up to 171 members...🙁
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A decent number of people in the group are upperclassmen.
 
Thanks to the posters for answers!

One more question: say if I lived in Briarcrest and drive to school, where would I park my car? And how far would the parking place be from our classes (in terms of minutes walking)?
 
jubilantx said:
Thanks to the posters for answers!

One more question: say if I lived in Briarcrest and drive to school, where would I park my car? And how far would the parking place be from our classes (in terms of minutes walking)?
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Most students park in the parking garage or at the fitness center. The walk from either is only a few minutes.
 
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