Update: Penn State Shenango will not enroll new students after fall 2025, but there’s still a Penn State path for you. Continue exploring your options at Penn State.

First-year students

The majority of Penn State’s applications come from traditional, first-year students. The following types of students are considered first-year applicants: 

  • Current high school student in their senior year
  • Student who has earned a high school diploma or a GED and has no post-secondary coursework
  • Student who has attempted 18 or fewer credits of college coursework at a regionally accredited college or university before applying to Penn State
  • Current high school student who may have enrolled in another institution(s) before graduating from high school, like a dual enrollment or college in high school program
  • Student who may have attended Penn State on a non-degree basis 

If you meet this description but are pursuing a degree after a break from education, review our information for adult students. 

What to expect when applying

Penn State strongly recommends that applications for freshman admission be submitted by November 1 of the student's senior year of high school and to indicate in the application you would like to be part of Penn State's Early Action program. Applicants in the Early Action program will receive their decision by December 24 and will be fully considered for all scholarship opportunities. 

Applications will be accepted after that date, but as admission criteria rise throughout the academic year, it may become more difficult to gain acceptance to your first choice academic college or campus location. 

Admissions notification timeline

Applicants are evaluated on a modified rolling admissions schedule, as some academic programs have limited enrollment and specific application dates. 

Early Action

  • Application available: August 1
  • Application and all supporting documents submitted: by November 1
  • Admission notification: by December 24
  • Deadline to accept offer: May 1

Rolling admission

  • Application available: August 1
  • Application and all supporting documents submitted: rolling
  • Admission notification: rolling
  • Deadline to accept offer: May 1

How to apply

  1. Create a MyPennState profile.
  2. Fill out the application in your MyPennState profile. Have a copy of your high school transcripts and SAT or ACT scores available to fill out the Self-Reported Academic Record. Review Penn State's Self-Reported Academic Record tutorial for additional help.
  3. Review your MyPennState checklist for prompts to ensure all required supporting materials have been received. These may include: official final high school and dual enrollment transcripts, and SAT (code #2660) or ACT (code #3656) scores. These may be emailed, mailed, or faxed to our Admissions office. Once all materials have been received, your application will be considered complete. 
    Address: Penn State Shenango Admissions, 225 Lecture Hall, 147 Shenango Avenue, Sharon, PA, 16146
    Email: [email protected]
    Fax: 724-983-2839
  4. After receiving your offer of admission, pay the $230 registration fee to save your spot. Congratulations! You’re officially a Penn Stater. Review our information for accepted students and watch your email for next steps. 

Find out more about earning academic credit for Advanced Placement (AP) tests, College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations, military credit, or other experiences on the Penn State Admissions website. 

First-year student admission requirements

Generally speaking, most majors require: 

  • English: 4 units
  • Social studies, arts, or humanities: 3 units
  • Science: 3 units
  • Math: 3 units of algebra (algebra 1 and 2 at minimum) and geometry
    • Most business and science majors also require an additional half unit of trigonometry, pre-calculus, or calculus
  • World language: 2 units 

Review more information about admission requirements >

First-year student application evaluation

The most important piece of our review is your academic record, which represents your individual four years of academic development.

Penn State’s assessment of application materials includes the academic courses, grades, and levels of those courses and standardized test scores (if applicable), plus additional factors that may include an audition, a portfolio review, the geographic and cultural background of the student, the personal statement, and the activities list.

We take a hard look at the many roles you serve as a student, sibling, athlete, son or daughter, volunteer, and/or employee. Assembling a class of students with diverse interests and experiences is a task that we take seriously.

At Penn State's campuses, our average incoming class's grade-point average ranges from 3.06 to 3.65 so, many of our students qualify for merit awards between $2,000 and $4,000. 

Our students also net impressive average SAT and ACT scores, ranging from 1090 to 1300 on the SAT and 23 to 30 on the ACT.