The Smeal College of Business has introduced Smeal Direct, a new admissions pathway beginning with summer/fall 2026 applicants. Smeal Direct admits incoming business students directly into Smeal upon Penn State acceptance, guaranteeing placement in a Smeal major provided they maintain satisfactory academic progress.

The college says this change is designed to cement previous relationships between students, staff, and faculty and to deliver a more holistic undergraduate experience.

“This is an excellent opportunity for students to become part of the Smeal community from the start,” Corey Phelps, John and Karen Arnold Dean of Smeal, said in a release. “They will have earlier access to Smeal resources and the security of a Smeal major, as long as they make appropriate academic progress.”

Potential students who are eager to attend Smeal must select a Smeal major and indicate an intention to complete their degree at University Park when applying to Penn State. The programs the college offers include: accounting, actuarial science, corporate innovation and entrepreneurship, finance, management, business analytics and information systems, marketing, real estate, risk management, and supply chain and information systems.

Students may begin at University Park or a Commonwealth Campus before completing the degree in a Smeal major at University Park.

Not everyone can be accepted directly into Smeal via Smeal Direct, but they can apply through the college’s Second-Year Entry program in the spring of their freshman year. This option, though, officials claim, is “competitive and extremely limited.”

Smeal Direct will also help phase out the current pathway from applying undecided and transferring into Smeal.

Jennifer Eury, Smeal’s associate dean of undergraduate education, explained that the solution is to apply directly.

“Our message to prospective students interested in studying business at Smeal is simple: apply to Smeal by selecting a Smeal major when you apply to the University,” Eury said in a release.

For further questions about the change, Smeal has implemented a Frequently Asked Questions feature and encourages potential students to visit campus or attend an online session to learn more about the college and its programs.

Frequently Asked Questions can be found here.