I’m currently a sophomore, my freshman year I didn’t care as much as I should’ve and ended with a 3.5 unweighted and 4.0 weighted, it’s my sophomore year and I just finished the trimester with 4.6 weighted, and I’ve calculated that I can end up with a 4.4-4.5 by the time I am applying for colleges. Based on my practice ACTs, I can likely get a 35 possibly a 36. I have a few meaningful extracurriculars but not that many.
My goal is to go to Harvard, Yale, or Penn and possibly Wharton to start a business that affects the world and make huge amounts of money (at least 7 figures), and I feel like I am much more likely to reach this goal if I go to an ivy. Is this true? I want to in some way impact the world, and it’s not just about the money for me as much as I want it.
I have a few cousins at Penn and a relative on the med school admissions board, but my parents didn’t go there. Would that help my application if I applied early decision? I feel stressed that because of my lack of interest in many extracurriculars and screw up in freshman year that I won’t end up being as financially successful as I want to be if I don’t get accepted.
Admission to an Ivy is chancy even with a stellar profile. You are probably about 15 years old. Pay attention to your grades, test scores, ECs and other things under your control. Broaden your sights! Excellent schools are found all cover the country. Worry about starting your business for lots of years. Being anxious and worried now without an end insight is a major problem that will eat you emotionally if you let it. Relax and enjoy life!
You’re only a sophomore. It’s so early to be worried about all this. And you’re just stating cliches about wanting to impact the world and make 7 figures without any idea of what you actually want to do. If you want money then do finance. If you want to do something you’re passionate about then all the credit to you, go for it. But right now you’re too far away from even applying to colleges to be worried about those things. For now, get a high GPA, get a high ACT, and do ECs you’re passionate about. And don’t be a prick to people along the way.
Just so people don’t misinterpret my questions, I asked if there is a correlation between wealth and if you go to an ivy league and if penn will like that I have family there, increasing my chance of being an active alumni or contributing towards the community.
“I asked if there is a correlation between wealth and if you go to an ivy league”
I am nearly sure that:
Wealthy parents are more likely than other parents to have children go to an Ivy League school.
Wealthy parents are more likely to have wealthy children, regardless of whether the children go to an Ivy League school or not.
Students who are very driven to succeed are more likely to go to an Ivy League school.
Students who are very driven to succeed are more likely to eventually end up wealthy, regardless of where they go to school.
However, I couldn’t point you to specific numbers. On the last two I am not sure how they would even measure it, although on other threads on CC there have been references to studies that students that apply to ivy league schools on the average are more successful, even if they don’t go and even if they don’t get in. Having applied to an ivy league school I suppose could be one concrete measurable thing that correlates with “driven”.
I haven’t met a person who doesn’t want wealth, I just want it enough to make it happen instead of buying lottery tickets. Criticize me if you want, but I see no shame in that.
@DadTwoGirls what about the education you receive in ivy leagues that may give you the knowledge you need to succeed in what you’re aiming for and the business connections you can potentially make?
@pishicaca I’m aware, thanks, not really checking my grammar on forums lol @NashSaddle I’ve seen that but that is for specific jobs like doctors, I’m talking creating a successful business
Yes, but correlation does not equal causation. As someone else already pointed out, because Ivies are very expensive and because of other factors, they have disproportionately more kids from wealthy families that attend than other schools. People who come from more wealthy families are more likely to continue to be wealthy when they grow into adulthood.
That doesn’t mean, though, that if you come from a middle-class family that you’ll be more likely to be wealthy if you go to an Ivy (although personally, I’d be willing to bet there is a small but not insignificant effect).
Most Ivies (and many universities) do prefer legacies, but I don’t know that having cousins there will count or that Penn will care. I don’t know that having cousins who attended Penn increases your chances of being an active alumnus/a or contributing to the community.
I think it’s less about the education (although don’t get me wrong; you will get a high-quality education there) and more about the connections and resources. For one example, top management consulting firms, investment banks and other top companies often recruit at Ivies and other top schools whereas they don’t recruit at most lower-tier schools. So if you go to Harvard or Chicago or Stanford, you’re more likely to meet a recruiter (or an alumnus/a, or both) on-campus. I’ve seen the recruiting machines in action and the way they work you don’t even have to step off campus until your final interview - the recruiters come to you. They want you, they court you, you find out about opportunities that other students at other schools don’t know exist. That’s something that most campuses don’t get.
I believe a recent study showed a correlation between where you get ACCEPTED and later in life success but not where you actually ENROLLED and later in life success.
So - work hard, get accepted to HYP, then enroll in the financially reasonable school.
@CValle I’m not worried about which school is financially reasonable, my parents will pay for the best education. Also the point of applying to an ivy rather than being accepted makes you driven makes more sense, because there are a lot more factors to being accepted than being hard working. For example, if I wrote a boring essay and an admissions counselor denied me because of it, that doesn’t make me any less driven.
If you’re applying for Wharton, that won’t have any impact whatsoever.
" start a business that affects the world and make huge amounts of money (at least 7 figures)"?
No. Just no. Making an impact on the world while earning lots of money don’t go well together unless the business is something that is revolutionary and a necessity. The making lots of money part is something colleges, especially ivies, do NOT want to hear about.
“Cousins at Penn” ?
I’m pretty sure that won’t help…
“I feel stressed that because of my lack of interest in many extracurriculars and screw up in freshman year that I won’t end up being as financially successful as I want to be if I don’t get accepted.”?
GET. INVOLVED. 2) The purpose of college is not to become financially successful. 3) Penn does not necessarily imply vast amounts of wealth in the future. 5) Screwing up in freshman year? EVERYONE SCREWS UP, OKAY? NO ONE IS PERFECT. WE LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES.
I digress.
You’re only a sophomore. Worry about the present. Don’t stress about the past. It already happened and you can’t change it. Keep your grades up. Also, expand your worldview of colleges. If you only focus on those ivies as your only shot of making an impact on the world and making $, you won’t get very far in the college application process and in life. It’s nice to have goals, but also have plan b and c in your back pocket. You never know when it comes in handy.
(PS. If anyone wants to correct me on this post, please feel free to do so. I may have missed some important things or screwed up somewhere while typing this.)