Penn State Altoona

Penn State Altoona is very difficult to get into. The acceptance rate at Penn State Altoona is 96%. Out of 7,523 applications received in 2023, 7,204 students were offered admission.

If you are considering submitting an application to Penn State Altoona, the application fee costs $65.

Students who apply to Penn State Altoona for fall should hear back from Penn State Altoona by October 1.

Penn State Altoona Admissions Stats at a Glance

The following is an overiew of some of Penn State Altoona's admissions stats.

Penn State Altoona 2023	Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA	3.2
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	11.11%
Admissions Test Policy	Not optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	31%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	3%
Waitlist	No

Penn State Altoona Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Penn State Altoona.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	No	–	–
Early Decision II	–	–	–
Early Action	Yes	November 1	December 24

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Want to Apply Early to Penn State Altoona?

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Penn State Altoona does not offer early decision but does offer early action.

🗓️ The Early Action deadline is November 1. Penn State Altoona will release EA admissions decisions no later than December 24.

Some students apply early to college to increase their chances of getting in. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase your chance of admission, since it demonstrates that you are very interested in a school.

➡️ Explore a list of some competetive colleges that accept significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on Penn State Altoona Admissions

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How To Get Into Penn State Altoona

Penn State Altoona is a very difficult school to get into. Penn State Altoona has open admissions, which means admission is not competitive and any applicants that met the basic requirements can enroll.

In 2022, Penn State Altoona accepted 96% of students, around 7,204 from 7,523 applicants.

Schools that are very difficult to get into, like Penn State Altoona, accept fewer than 60% of all applicants. At least 50% of all admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1230 on the SAT and over 26 on the ACT.

Transferring to Penn State Altoona

For more information on transferring to Penn State Altoona, contact the school directly.

For Students Waitlisted to Penn State Altoona

Penn State Altoona has not reported data for waitlisted and admitted students.

What Does Penn State Altoona Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when choosing who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college has a different way of determining which factors are given the most weight when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When assembling your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and apply to colleges that prioritize the areas where you're strong.

Admissions Factors at Penn State Altoona

Wondering what factors are considered by Penn State Altoona during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Academic GPA	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Considered
Geographical Residence	Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
Standardized Test Scores	Considered
State Residency	Considered
Talent/Ability	Considered

Make sure to check with Penn State Altoona for more information on admission factors.

Penn State Altoona Application Requirements

To apply to Penn State Altoona, all applicants must submit the following items. Check with Penn State Altoona's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Written Essay or Personal Statement	–	√	–	–
Interview	–	–	√	–
Transcript(S) of College Record	–	–	–	–
Transcript of High School Record	√	–	–	–

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Penn State Altoona?

Students admitted to Penn State Altoona have an average unweighted GPA of 3.2.

Out of all students that were admitted, 33.81% submitted a class rank. At Penn State Altoona 11.11% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 35.95% were in the top 25% and 71.57% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Penn State Altoona, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	–
3.75 and 3.99	18.08%
3.50 and 3.74	16.02%
3.25 and 3.49	15.33%
3.00 and 3.24	16.36%
2.50 and 2.9	23.8%
2.00 and 2.49	9.5%

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Penn State Altoona directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that reflects your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

Penn State Altoona is not test optional. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 31% of Penn State Altoona's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 3% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Penn State Altoona?

To be competitive with other Penn State Altoona applicants, you should strive to score between 1065 and 1235 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Penn State Altoona 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1235 and 25% of scored lower than 1065, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Penn State Altoona students scored 620 or higher and 75% of students scored 530 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Penn State Altoona students scored 630 or higher, and 75% scored a 530 or higher.

To be most competitive at Penn State Altoona, you should strive to earn between 21 and 28 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 28 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Penn State Altoona's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 28, and three out of four students scored lower than 28 on the ACT.

A 21 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Penn State Altoona students. Only one out of every four students scored below 21.

More Information on Transferring to Penn State Altoona

Transfer applications are processed on a on a rolling basis as they are received.

Transfer students can enroll in Penn State Altoona during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Winter Term

• Spring Term

• Winter Term

• Summer Term

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Penn State Altoona Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to Penn State Altoona?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Penn State Altoona.

Does Penn State Altoona accept transfer credits?

✅ Penn State Altoona accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions. Penn State Altoona accepts:

• CLEP subject tests • DSST/DANTES

Does Penn State Altoona accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ Penn State Altoona accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Penn State Altoona?

✅ Penn State Altoona is not test optional.

What is Penn State Altoona's acceptance rate?

✅ The acceptance rate for Penn State Altoona is 96%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Penn State Altoona?

❌ Penn State Altoona does not offer early decision.

Want To Learn More About Penn State Altoona?

Choose one of the options below to find out more about about Penn State Altoona:

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