2018

Guide for New Students Offered Admission

PENN STATE ALTOONA

altoona.psu.edu/admissions

Admission Checkliststudentaid.psu.edu, for more information. Penn State will begin making student aid awards in early March.

�Take part in Penn State’s New Student Orien-tation, designed to help prepare you for course selection and life as a Penn State student. Online placement testing begins in early March and continues on a rolling basis through the summer. You will receive more information about taking the placement tests and scheduling your New Student Orientation after accepting your offer of admission. Learn more about New Student Orientation at orientation.psu.edu.

Pay your semester bill. Tuition bills are gener-ated by the Office of the Bursar on June 1 for the Summer Session and on August 1 for the fall semester and can be paid online through your LionPATH Student Service Center (lionpath.psu.edu). When your bill is ready, you will receive an email at your Penn State email address with in-structions on how to complete payment. Please visit bursar.psu.edu for more information on semester bills and payment plan options.

Submit immunization forms. Penn State re-quires all students to have the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) immunization. Additionally, all students living in University-owned residence halls must have the Meningococcal Conjugate vaccination. Immunization forms must be sub-mitted by your NSO. You can learn more about the submission process here: http://studentaf-fairs.psu.edu/health/immunizations/.

Arrive on campus for classes. New students arrive on campus about four days before classes begin to continue the New Student Orientation process and take part in Welcome Week activi-ties to meet fellow students, faculty, and staff.

��Accept your offer of admission online through MyPennState at admissions.psu.edu/mypennstate (click on Accept your offer of admission), or sign and return the Acceptance Notification you received with your offer of admission along with the acceptance fee. If accepting by mail, please keep a copy of the signed Acceptance Notification for your records. If you accept the offer of admission by mail and are interested in living on campus, be sure to read “If accepting by mail” under “Housing at Penn State Altoona.” Please note the reply date on the Acceptance Notification from Penn State; replying after that date may void your offer of admission.

�� When you accept your offer of admission, we need to provide you with a permanent Penn State account known as a Penn State Access Account. Activating your Penn State Access Account will be the first step in accepting your offer of admission. Your Access Account will allow you to use LionPATH, Penn State’s enroll-ment management system. Through LionPATH, you will view your student aid package, sched-ule classes, pay your tuition, and conduct other business with the University. You can activate your Penn State Access Account now before accepting your offer of admission in order to see your financial aid package when it becomes available. You’ll find instructions on activating your account on MyPennState where you see your admission decision. Activating your Penn State Access Account prior to accepting your offer of admission does not obligate you to at-tend Penn State.

Fill out the Free Application for Federal Stu-dent Aid (FAFSA) online at fafsa.ed.gov if you haven’t already done so. Penn State’s priority filing date is February 15, and our school code is 003329. Visit the Office of Student Aid website,

Penn State Altoona

FAFSA

Penn State’s priority filing date is February 15.Our school code is 003329.

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HOUSING AT PENN STATE ALTOONA

On-campus housing at Penn State Altoona is of-fered on a first-come, first-served basis. Housing is not guaranteed for any first-year or transfer students. If you wish to live on campus and housing is available, the procedure to secure housing depends on how you accept the offer of admission. Please see the Living on Campus brochure for more information about housing. Students who require disability-related accom-modations should call 814-949-5713 to review the services available.

• If accepting online: You will receive verifica-tion of whether housing is available before you pay the nonrefundable acceptance fee. If housing is available, you must request on-campus housing when accepting your offer of admission and pay the nonrefundable hous-ing reservation fee. You must also agree to the Housing Financial Statement and Terms and Conditions of the Housing Contract to accept the contract. You will receive a confirmation email if you successfully submit your housing contract.

• If accepting by mail: Contact Penn State Altoona’s Housing and Food Services Office at 814-949-5713 after mailing your Accep-tance Notification and check or money order. If housing is available, Housing and Food Services staff will verify that you accepted the offer of admission and paid the enrollment fee and then offer you a housing contract. You must log on to eLiving (eliving.psu.edu) and accept the housing contract within fourteen business days. You will then need to submit a nonrefundable housing fee via check or money order payable to Penn State. You can-not submit the housing fee until the housing office offers you a housing contract, and you accept that contract online.

Resources• Academic Calendar: View important dates

for the academic year at: registrar.psu.edu/ academic_calendar/calendar_index.cfm.

• Adding Credits to Your Penn State Record: Visit admissions.psu.edu/credit for more informa-tion on how to transfer credit from another college or university or add Advanced Placement credit.

• Disability Services: For information about services for student with disabilities, contact the Student Disability Resources office at 814-949-5540 or http://altoona.psu.edu/disability-resources.

• Health and Wellness Center: Visit altoona.psu.edu/healthwellness for more information about immunizations, medical, pharmacy, and health insurance options available to Penn State stu-dents. If you have any health problems (physical or emotional) that limit your activity, please notify Health Services of your situation and anticipated needs as soon as possible.

• Your Academic Area: With a few exceptions, first-year students are admitted to an academic college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies rather than to a specific major. Most students de- clare their major during their third or fourth semes-ter and must meet entrance-to-major require-ments, which may include completion of prereq-uisite courses and achievement of a specific GPA while enrolled at Penn State. You may wish to discuss your intended major with an academic adviser during New Student Orientation.

Penn State Altoona

Conditions of Our Offer of Admission

• Completion of High School: Your offer of admission is conditional upon your completion of all entrance requirements, including gradua-tion from high school. After graduation, you must send us an official high school transcript verifying your high school graduation. Applicants may also submit satisfactory scores from the General Edu-cational Development (GED) test or a high school equivalency diploma in place of a high school di-ploma. Go to admissions.psu.edu for instructions.

• World Language: Two units in a single world language other than English are required. Ameri-can Sign Language can be used to satisfy the World Language requirement. A student may be admitted with fewer than two units in a world language other than English, but must correct this deficiency by the time s/he graduates from Penn State. This deficiency may be corrected by passing one three- or four-credit college-level world language course, by earning transferable credits from another institution, or by demon-strating proficiency equivalent to two units of high school world language study.

• Credits Taken at Other Colleges and Universities: If you attend another college or university after high school graduation, your offer of admission to Penn State is conditional until we receive official college transcript(s). The transcript(s) must verify that you have earned at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA, attempted fewer than 18 semester credits, and did not leave the college on probation. Transcripts should be sent directly to Undergrad-uate Admissions at University Park by the registrar of the institution(s) you have attended.

IF YOU DECIDE TO CANCEL: If at any time

you decide not to attend Penn State, please email

us about your plans at admissions@psu.edu or use

the Offer Decline function in MyPennState. If you

decide not to attend after accepting your offer of

admission, we cannot refund your acceptance

fees or the housing deposit if you have a contract

for on-campus housing.

Guide for New Students Offered Admission

Penn State Altoona

Penn State students and faculty are committed to scholarly

principles that respect and acknowledge individual achievement.

STATEMENT OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Penn State students and faculty are committed to scholarly principles that respect and acknowledge individual achievement. At Penn State, certain behaviors are viewed as unacceptable, including cheating, plagiarism, falsifying or fabricating information, and aiding and abetting academic dishonesty. Students who violate these principles are subject to penalties, including course failure and dismissal from Penn State. By accepting the offer of admission, you agree to observe all rules and regulations of

The Pennsylvania State University.

STATEMENT OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY Penn State students are expected to uphold the principles of the University and adhere to the University Code of Conduct on or off campus. For more information and to access the Code of Conduct, please visit our website at: studentaffairs.psu.edu/conduct.

ContactsMont Alto: 800-392-6173; montalto.psu.edu

New Kensington: 724-334-LION (5466), 888-968-PAWS (7297); nk.psu.edu

Schuylkill: 570-385-6252; s.psu.edu

Shenango: 724-983-2803; shenango.psu.edu

University Park: 814-865-5471; psu.edu

Wilkes-Barre: 570-675-9238; wb.psu.edu

World Campus: 800-252-3592; worldcampus.psu.edu

Worthington Scranton:570-963-2500; worthingtonscranton.psu.edu

York: 717-771-4040; york.psu.edu

Academic Areas

Agricultural Sciences: 814-865-7521; agsci.psu.edu

Arts and Architecture: 814-865-9523; artsandarchitecture.psu.edu

Smeal College of Business: 814-863-1947; smeal.psu.edu

Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications:814-867-2495; comm.psu.edu

Earth and Mineral Sciences: 814-863-2751; ems.psu.edu

Education: 814-865-0488; ed.psu.edu

Engineering: 814-863-1033; engr.psu.edu

Health and Human Development: 814-865-2156; hhd.psu.edu

Information Sciences and Technology: 814-865-8947, 866-225-8707; ist.psu.edu

Liberal Arts: 814-865-7141; la.psu.edu

Nursing: 814-863-0245; nursing.psu.edu

Eberly College of Science: 814-865-2609; science.psu.edu

Campuses

Abington: 215-881-7600; abington.psu.edu

Altoona: 814-949-5466, 800-848-9843; altoona.psu.edu

Beaver: 877-JOIN-PSU (877-564-6778); beaver.psu.edu

Behrend: 814-898-6100, 866-374-3378; behrend.psu.edu

Berks: 610-396-6060; berks.psu.edu

Brandywine: 610-892-1225; brandywine.psu.edu

DuBois: 814-375-4720, 800-346-ROAR (7627); dubois.psu.edu

Fayette: 724-430-4130; fayette.psu.edu

Greater Allegheny: 412-675-9010; greaterallegheny.psu.edu

Harrisburg: 717-948-6250, 800-222-2056; harrisburg.psu.edu

Hazleton: 570-450-3142, 800-279-8495; hazleton.psu.edu

Lehigh Valley: 610-285-5035; lehighvalley.psu.edu

Schreyer Honors College: 814-863-2635; shc.psu.edu

Division of Undergraduate Studies: 814-865-7576; dus.psu.edu

Offices at University Park

Admissions: 814-865-5471 (phone), 814-863-7590 (fax); admissions.psu.edu

Bursar: 814-865-6528; bursar.psu.edu

Health Services: 814-865-6555; studentaffairs.psu.edu/health

New Student Orientation:814-865-4178; orientation.psu.edu

Registrar: 814-865-6357; registrar.psu.edu

Student Aid: 814-865-6301; studentaid.psu.edu

Student Disability Resources: 814-863-1807; equity.psu.edu/student-disabili-ty-resources

This publication is available in alternative media on request.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to per-sonal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harass-ment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirma-tive Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901, Tel (814) 865-4700/V, (814) 863-1150/TTY. U. Ed. UAO 18-39E MPC145497

Penn State Altoona3000 Ivyside Park Altoona, Pennsylvania 16601814-949-5466; 800-848-9843

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