Penn State New Kensington: Admissions Requirements

Admissions Requirements

Admission to Penn State is competitive. The Office of Admissions considers the following criteria in granting first-year admission:

final grades in all subject areas for grades nine, ten, and eleven of high school, if you are currently a high school senior
class rank (weighted average is used for students who have taken AP/Honors courses)
required Carnegie (high school) units
standardized test scores; SAT/SAT 1 or ACT
(The writing component of the new SAT will not be used for admissions purposes until fall 2009. Until that date, Penn State will continue to consider applicants on 1600 scale. SAT II exams are not required.)

Approximately two-thirds of our evaluation is based on high school grades, and one-third on standardized test scores. The evaluation may also include a review of the personal statement and list of extracurricular activities that you may submit with the application.

The following chart shows the middle 50 percent range for students offered full admission to Penn State.

High School GPA (4.0 scale) Middle 50% Range

Penn State University Park

All Other Campuses 3.57 - 3.97
2.94 - 3.41

Combine SAT I
(Math + Critical Reading) Middle 50% Range

Penn State University Park

All Other Campuses 1180 - 1350
960 - 1150

Composite ACT Middle 50% Range

Penn State University Park

All Other Campuses 26 - 30
20 - 25