I am currently a sophomore. I’m very interested in U Penn in particular. Can you tell me if I’m on the right track? I live in India, but I’m a US citizen.
Intended major- Economics and Math, minor- Computer studies
PSAT score- 217/240 (highest in my grade). Will take the SAT this summer.
Class rank- 4/5 out of 100 (definitely top 5%)
9th GPA- 9.8/10
10th GPA- predicted: 10/10 (CBSE)
SAT Math 1: 760/800 (will retake)
SAT Math level 2: 800/800
My ECs…
Piano for 10 years- Reached a very high level, with excellent scores in exams- Played in concerts and fundraisers.
Hindustani Vocal for 11 years- cleared the junior diploma- working on 3rd year exam- performed in many functions and performances
POETRY- Published in several honorary american national journals, alongside poetic laureates- my poem was regarded a ‘leading submission’ in one.
(Published an ebook, active blog)
Internships with literary magazines and Times of India national newspaper (over 4-5 months)
Community service (150+ hrs)- teaching underprivileged students English
Cleared national level of spellbee international competition
Published in all-India student newspaper
Active participant in MUN
Guest speaker at a literary conference
Won a gold medal of excellence (state award) for English Olympiad.
I will be joining one of the best international IB schools in the world for junior and senior year, which starts in August. So, I have a 5-month break. Here are my plans-
Take SAT and Physics SAT subject test
Plan to get published by a prestigious house in India- an actual paper-back book
More community service, volunteering and internships with another magazine
Take part in a state and national poetry competition, hopefully clinch a prize
Take a computer science and french honors course
Prepare for literature SAT subject test
TRY to get published in perhaps, an internationally recognized poetry journal- like Yale Review or the Southwest Review
Start an English club in my apartment, to bring the joy of English to children of up to 10 years
So… can you maybe give me some advice or constructive criticism? Can you also suggest a few other colleges you think may be within my grasp?
Thanks!
Why did you take both math subject tests ? And even worse why are you planning to retake math 1 ?? They only accept one, you can’t send both. And you already have 800 on Math 2, so don’t send math1.
I took math 1 in freshman year as practice for math level 2, which I took as a sophomore. And no, I am not planning on retaking level 1- that was a mistake on my part.
It’s a little early since you’re a sophomore, but you are clearly on track to be competitive for all those schools. Your stats are essentially perfect and your extracurricular activities are easily Harvard-esque–they demonstrate passion,drive, and ultimately national success even beyond what many successful Harvard applicants have had in their fields.
However, please remember that all these schools are still a crapshoot. Even if you put an incredible amount of effort into your essay and your teachers write great recommendations, there’s a chance that you may not get into any of the schools. Teens who have started their own hundred thousand dollar businesses with 4.0 GPAs and 2200+ SATs have been rejected by UPenn, while simply “well rounded” individuals who have had multiple leadership positions at school organizations and 3.8 GPAs with 2100 SATs have been accepted into Harvard.
Best of luck to you and your future college applications!
Yes, you are a “potential applicant” to these or any other schools. There are no prerequisites for application. All they care about is that you provide them the application fee. They are happy to take your money and consider your application.
I’m not too sure… I’ve only begun my college search, Catria.
mnm111- thank you for the sarcastic reply. If you don’t have anything useful to say, please refrain from posting.
@passionatepoet if finances are not a problem, you may want to consider UCBerkeley and UCLA. They would almost certainly admit you if you put good effort in your essays. And in terms of worldwide reputation, they’re in the top 10/15 (screw USNWR lol) ! I would say that they are matches for you.
Of course, there are so many good schools in the US that you can get into if you put a good amount of time into your essays. However, UCBerkeley and UCLA seem to occupy a unique place in the world’s academia.
Any other opinions? I would also like to ask-
Suppose a college requires its applicants to have over 2100 on their SATs. Will they give preference to someone who gets 2300 over 2150, or will they just treat both students the same?
“Suppose a college requires its applicants to have over 2100 on their SATs.”
First of all, they don’t “require” a specific SAT score. Take the time and look at the common data set for the schools you are interested in. They will list a range of SAT scores for their admitted students. You can then see if you fall within this range.
" Will they give preference to someone who gets 2300 over 2150, or will they just treat both students the same?"
What do you think? Really a silly question. Yes, the person with the higher score will be more highly regarded. Keep in mind that these schools have many applicants with perfect SAT or ACT scores.
Suppose a student writes a truly brilliant essay or thesis to submit to a conference, but it does not get accepted or clinch a prize. Can he or she send it to colleges for them to get a little insight regarding their interests and talents, as an added bonus?
Do you think they have time to read an extra essay or thesis, especially one that didn’t get recognized in whatever it was submitted to? I feel like that would be a waste of time.
Definitely don’t waste time taking Math 1 again- try out another subject test that you may be good at. Get a 2300+ SAT (which is definitely doable considering your PSAT) and you will be in pretty good shape. If you are not doing Wharton, you have a pretty good shot at getting into Penn or Dartmouth ED.