Get a Jump on Your Future at Penn College’s April 1 Open House

For more than 100 years, Pennsylvania College of Technology and its predecessors have tailored their curricular offerings to students’ dreams and employers’ needs. That responsiveness to businesses and their future employees – and the flexibility to foresee tomorrow’s jobs – will be on ample display at the college’s April 1 Open House.

All of the institution’s newest opportunities, as well as the rewarding careers in time-tested fields, will be available to visitors at the college.

“Open House is such a great opportunity for students and their families to experience what makes Penn College such a unique place to learn,” said Claire Z. Biggs, coordinator of admissions events and services. “Through countless activities, prospective students will get an insider’s glimpse of life as a Penn College student.”



From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., potential students and their families can explore more than 100 bachelor’s, associate and certificate majors at the college’s main campus in Williamsport and the nearby Lumley Aviation and Schneebeli Earth Science centers. Free bus service will be available on campus, and shuttles will transport guests to and from off-campus locations throughout the day.

“We are unique and we love that about our college,” Biggs said. “Penn College is a place where students are challenged. It’s a place where students can grow and experience new things. It’s a place where dreams become reality. Open House is the best way for us to show all of this and more to students and guests.”

Among the exciting new offerings for the Fall 2017 semester is an associate degree in brewing and fermentation science, which will introduce enrollees to the science, technology, art and business of brewing and fermentation operations. Open House visitors are welcome to tour that major’s new laboratory space and talk with Timothy L. Yarrington, instructor and brewmaster, about careers in a thriving industry.

Open House will also provide a peek at an addition for Fall 2018: an associate degree in concrete science technology. That major, based in the School of Construction & Design Technologies, is designed to educate students in the production and analytical evaluation of concrete. Guests can meet the faculty and tour the labs that are being transformed for this new degree offering.

Recently added majors include a two-year degree in physical therapist assistant and a bachelor’s degree in business administration: sport and event management concentration.

Also on the day’s agenda are a variety of information sessions – including “It’s a Major Decision” – that will help guests refine a career path among the college’s six distinct (and distinctive) academic schools. Dining facilities and The College Store will be open for visitors’ convenience.

Faculty, deans, students and alumni – and members of Admissions, Financial Aid, Residence Life, Dining Services, Athletics and Student Activities – will answer questions and direct Open House guests. The Wildcats compete in NCAA Division III through the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC). Penn College coaches will be on hand to meet one-on-one with prospective student-athletes.

At Penn College, a special mission affiliate of Penn State, students learn in hands-on fashion from faculty with real-world experience, using industry-standard equipment and technologies.

Students spend three hours in labs for every hour in lectures, and the average class size is 17. Nine out of 10 students receive financial aid. Two-year majors can readily transition to bachelor-degree programs, and the college’s graduate placement rate is 96 percent (based on the 2013-14 survey year).

Visit the Open House website to register and obtain a personalized guide to the impressive and rewarding “degrees that work” at one of the nation’s leaders in applied technology education. The site also features a list of campus activities, travel directions, a campus map and lodging available in the area.

Those unable to attend the April 1 event may schedule a campus tour or plan a visit during Fall Open House on Sunday, Oct. 29.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.