Applying to Penn State

With a Friends of Penn State (FPS) ID and password created through MyPennState, you can sign in to work on your application. You can also log off and your work will be saved as long as you complete the page you started. 

You can also sign in to MyPennState to check the status of your application once you've submitted it, or to email us a question whenever you might have one.

If you join us here at Penn State, your Friends of Penn State (FPS) ID will become the ID you use to check your email, schedule classes, and use computers on campus, among many other services.

In order to have the greatest chance at your first choice of campus and major, be sure to have a complete application (including all of the material listed in Steps 3 & 4) by the appropriate date:

First-year students:

November 30 for fall and summer admission
November 1 for spring admission

Transfer students:

February 1 for fall and summer admission

(except Architecture and Landscape Architecture, which have a deadline of December 31, and Music and Music Education, which we recommend you complete by March 1)

October 15 for spring admission

International students:

February 1 for fall and summer admission
October 1 for spring admission

Be sure that you've completed our basic admissions requirements. A few of our programs also have other specific due dates and requirements: complete applications for Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program are due by November 30.

Inside MyPennState, click "Apply Online" to start your application. If you would like to see the application before you begin, view the Applying on the Web Worksheet.

As part of your online application, we will ask you to print out a counselor form. You should take this form to your high school counselor to complete and send to us along with your official high school transcript. (This form is waived if you are an adult student, and a different form--the international supplement--is required if you have gone to school outside the U.S. These instructions can be found in our online application.)

You should also have your standardized test scores sent to us directly from the testing agency. We accept the SAT (code #2660) or the ACT (code #3656). We do not require the SAT II subject tests.

We do not require letters of recommendation.

Our application (both online and on paper) requires a $50 nonrefundable application fee. Be sure to complete the last step, after "Summary and Review," and be certain it successfully gets submitted.

Once your application is complete (all parts have been received and your application fee is paid), your decision will be sent via U.S. Mail.* You can check the status of your application online anytime through MyPennState. If any part of your application is incomplete, we will notify you via U.S. Mail with the credentials we need to complete your application.

*Decisions for academic programs that include an audition, interview, or portfolio may require a longer review period.

Decision Dates

First-Year Students Entering Summer Session and Fall Semester

Applicants with complete credentials submitted by November 30 should receive an admissions decision no later than January 31.

Applicants with complete credentials submitted by December 31 should receive an admissions decision no later than February 28.

Applicants with complete credentials submitted by January 31 should receive an admissions decision no later than March 1.

First-Year Students Entering Spring Semester

Applicants with complete credentials should receive an admissions decision no later than mid-December.

Transfer Students Entering Summer Session and Fall Semester

Applicants with complete credentials submitted by December 31 should receive an admissions decision no later than April 1. Students filing applications after January 1 will receive notification in late spring.

Transfer Students Entering Spring Semester

Applicants with complete credentials should receive an admissions decision no later than mid-December.

International Students Entering Fall Semester

Applicants with complete credentials submitted by February 1 should receive an admissions decision no later than mid-April.

International Students Entering Spring Semester

Applicants with complete credentials submitted by October 1 should receive an admissions decision no later than mid-November.