Enrollment Type: First year or Direct admission
First-Year applicants are those who have earned a high school diploma by the time they enroll at Penn State. If you have obtained a GED, the most appropriate application for admission is the provisional application.
First Year applicants include "traditional aged":
-
high school graduates attending other regionally accredited colleges or universities who have attempted fewer than 18 semester credits,
-
individuals who have enrolled in other regionally accredited institutions before graduating high school, regardless of the number of credits attempted, and
-
high school students who have attended Penn State on a nondegree basis are considered first-year students
First Year applicants also include adults who:
-
have graduated high school with a strong cumulative GPA, and
-
completed sufficient academic math units such as algebra, geometry and trigonometry
-
Please note that this information is intended to give you a general idea of admissibility to Penn State Behrend, not other Penn State campuses.
If you are an adult student who is interested in attending another Penn State campus, you should contact the Admissions Office at that campus. They will provide you with "adult specific" admissions information. Each Penn State campus has different criteria for admission.
Click here for information about other Penn State campuses
At Penn State Behrend, an adult student is defined as one who:
graduated high school four or more years ago (for GED completers, had their "graduating class" out of high school for four or more years)
served on active duty in the regular Armed Forces for three or more years
holds adult responsibilities such as caring for one's children or aging parents
holds multiple roles such as spouse/partner, employee, student
If you don't meet the GPA and math unit criteria, you will be given the opportunity to be considered for provisional admission.
If you have met both criteria, complete the First Year online application form or call the Admissions Office at 814-898-6100 or toll free at 866-374-3378 for a paper application.
Along with the online application, you will be asked to submit an official* transcript from high school.
* An official transcript is one that is sent directly from the Records Office of the institution(s) attended to Penn State Erie, The Behrend College Admissions Office, 4701 College Drive Erie, PA 16563.
Feel free to contact the Penn State Behrend Admissions Office for additional information.
Email: behrend.admissions@psu.edu
Local Telephone: 814-898-6100
Toll free: 866-374-3378
AOL IM (Instant Messenger): Behrendpsu
Fax Number: 814-898-6044
Direct admission is available to students who have graduated from high school, have been out of high school for five or more years, or have received an honorable discharge from the military after serving for at least four years. If students meet one of these requirements and have a good high school GPA, then they may be admitted directly into a degree program.
To apply, submit the completed Penn State Undergraduate Admissions application with a $50 application fee, an official high school transcript, and official transcript(s) from other college(s) attended, if applicable.