<p>Hey guys, so my friend is really interested in business, especially relating to nonprofit management, and he really likes Wharton. He thinks his grades aren't good enough, thus he's not comfortable applying. I really want him to apply ED next year because he has phenomenal leadership, ECs, and SATs. He's one of those kids that is just driven by a desire to make a positive impact on those around him, and on society as a whole. (hope this doesn't come across as hyperbole ;) I'm probably exaggerating a bit though because he's like my best friend lol :)) I'm looking for any opinions, because he doesn't believe me when I say his resume is really good. Here are his stats:</p>
<p>For now assume this is ED
GPA uw: 3.77
GPA w: 4.72 (according to Naviance for his school, the average accepted weighted GPA of Penn admits is 4.64)
SAT: 2340
SAT II: Math II: 800, Biology: 780, French: 780
Rank: Top 10%, his school only does decile ranking
rigor: 6 AP classes by graduation, rest of classes are all honors.
Race: Asian
Location: Penn is not very popular here compared to other top schools which are popular in my state.
School Type: Small Suburban Public. Very competitive, top 5 in state.</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
- Founder of 2 very successful nationwide volunteer-driven non-profits that have ~400 members each in ~60 schools each across the country.
- He's on the board of a local nonprofit and he spearheaded its growth effort and he helped the organization become a 501c3
- All three of these organizations have a common theme that he's passionate about, they're not just random.
- He's a nationally ranked debater and captain of his team. He tripled the teams size in 2 years, and he led the team to states and nationals.
-He's a national finalist for the US Geography Olympiad and the National History Bee.
- He's the president and founder of Latin Club and has won 2 gold medals so far on the National Latin Exam.
- Like me, he's obsessed with mountain climbing, and he is currently organizing a climb of Denali to raise money for wounded warriors, that he will lead.
- He is the president of Student Congress at his school.
- Representative of school to state board of education, at his school that position is equivalent to student body president.
-Chair of student representatives to state board of education
- He's won state level awards for Violin in the orchestra, and he's had a solo performance at Carnegie Hall.
- National Honors Society VP
- Key Club VP
- Captain of Quiz bowl team, state finalist
- Only voting student in School Council.
- Most likely NM finalist.</p>
<p>Apparently his teachers adore him, so his LORs should be good</p>
<p>So what would his chances look like for Wharton?</p>
<p>Thank You So Much Guys! I really appreciate it! :)</p>
<p>Can he get in: Definitely.
Will he get in: You’ll have to wait to find out.</p>
<p>thanks for the reply @PvilleKid. I realize that Wharton admissions may have an air of mystery, but does anyone know how much the grades will hurt his chances, or if he is an average Wharton applicant, above average applicant, excellent applicant, etc? </p>
<p>Maybe. Honestly the UW gpa is low by their standards and your or his ECs are about the same of what you would expect from everyone applying. </p>
<p>Yeah sorry for the sassy comment, I was in a bad mood yesterday. I’d say he’s an above average candidate. Still even then its a crapshoot. I could see him getting in. </p>
<p>ok thanks for the replies guys!</p>
<p>@TigerCC2014 I don’t want to sound rude and I definitely do not believe that anyone including my friend is entitled to an ivy acceptance, but I find it hard to believe that most Wharton applicants have similar ECs to his, especially considering the nonprofit stuff. Obviously there are people with a higher GPA than his, but I thought his SAT scores are far above the average for Upenn accepted students, not sure about Wharton though. Do most Wharton applicants have such high scores? I don’t think admissions have becom so competitive that those kinds of ECs are normal for applicants. Could you elaborate a bit?</p>
<p>Tnanks!</p>
<p>I don’t take it as rude but honestly since there are so many 36 ACT 4 gpa turned down by the IVY league the difference many times can be essays, interviews and EC. My point is many profiles on CC show great EC s and most won’t get in. Check Whartons common data report for 2013. </p>
<p>hi @TigerCC2014, I completely agree with you that admission to Wharton is a crapshoot, but would you say that my friend’s ECs are average for CC Wharton applicants? I’ve looked at the Wharton results thread, and I noticed that most people who were rejected had a 4.0 GPA, 2250+ SAT, but had little leadership, and I’ve heard that Wharton really likes very strong leadership in admissions. Thanks for pointing out the common data report, it ws really helpful!</p>
<p>As a class of 2014 Wharton admit, I’m going to say that he has been a little bit more involved in extracurriculars than I was. However, I have the advantage in the numerical aspect of the application with regard to GPA, test scores, etc. Also, remember that the Common App only has 10 spots for EC’s so he’s not going to be able to show the committee every single thing that he’s done. I had to cut my activities down to the 10 that I really felt contributed to who I am.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that many Wharton applicants do have similar EC’s to his. Some of the things that my peers have accomplished and posted about in the Wharton group are just amazing.
A large factor in the decision will be the essay. You say that he’s interested in nonprofit management and that’s actually similar to what I wrote my essay on. I’d say my essay was one of the strongest components of my application that got me accepted. He’s going to have to connect how his passion for charity work relates to the business world and how Wharton would aid him in realizing his goals. Which is good because one of Wharton’s tenets is to use business concepts as a force for good and social impact.
I also want to mention that you are only notified of National Merit Semifinalist status at the time that you apply ED - finalist status comes later.
With all that said, he has a good chance at getting in. But so does everyone else. Good luck next year.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice @manmelons!</p>
<p>@ephhopeful, I think your friend would be better suited for the CAS program @ UPENN rather than Wharton. Simply because going to Wharton tends to suck students into the Finance/ IB field.</p>