Schools I am applying to: Upenn ED, UChicago EA (double legacy–both my parents attended). Regular (if I don’t get into Penn ED): Rhodes College, Washington University in St Louis, University of Rochester, Georgetown, George Washington, Northwestern
School: Private boarding school in New Jersey, ranked in the top 20 boarding schools in the nation.
Test scores: 33 ACT - 11 on writing. SAT score was low so not going to submit
AP’s taken: Language and Composition, Statistics, US History, Environmental. I took them this year (junior year) so I don’t have the scores back. I think I got all 5’s but I’m obviously not sure
AP course load senior year: Calc BC, Government, Bio
Extra curricular: Varsity basketball since sophomore year (not trying to get recruited however).
Manager of JV girls lacrosse since freshman year.
Leader of my school’s Model United Nations delegation and youth secretariat for the YMCA MUN conference we attend
Leader of my school’s Jewish Heritage Club
Tour guide at my school (since it’s a private boarding school I give tours much like there would be at a college)
Prefect --> similar to an RA in college
Ambassador to the “Peddie Fund”, the committee that raises money from alumni
Extras:
Published scientist on NCBI for discovering 4 new genome sequences.
John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth attendee for 4 years
National Student Leadership Conference
Working at a lab at UPenn for 7 weeks
<p>It’s tough to chance you before you’ve completed junior year, but I’d say you’re definitely on the right track. Your ACT score and course load are really good. Take the SAT to see how you do in comparison to the ACT. As long as you maintain your GPA, you should have an excellent chance at all your dream schools.</p>
I’m impressed by your list of matches & reaches. I think you will have a number of great choices next spring. Good luck to you!
You have enough range in your schools that you should have some great choices. Don’t fret too much!
I think you have a good shot at all of these schools, especially with having a published scientific discovery, but these are all selective schools. I would add an in-state or less selective private just in case.
You gave away which school you attend, but I might have guessed (as NJ resident). Have you looked at Naviance for a history of admissions to Penn? I have to suspect that a lot of your classmates will also be applying, and you will be compared to them. You mentioned a double legacy at Chicago, but none at Penn. Penn does consider legacy for ED admissions (not thereafter). Are any of your classmates applying ED as legacies? I just suspect that your geographical situation is highly competitive for admission to Penn or Princeton, and that might work against you. Your backups are a pretty balanced list. Your chances as a legacy, with your stats, are probably good enough at Chicago for you not to have to worry too much, but I’d have at least one more backup match or high-match ready to go in case Chicago does defer you.
Grades/GPA/approximate class rank? I think it’s pretty difficult to chance you without GPA.
I am from NJ as well and know your high school. While good, so are many in NJ both public and private. Relying on its name may be too risky. I know a kid from Hi Tech with a 2400 SAT that was rejected by Chicago.
Your list needs a better middle. A 33 ACT is good but for a lot of those schools it is not a standout by any means.
BTW, you must send your SAT to Penn since you took it. You have no choice.
For peace of mind it wouldn’t hurt to add Lehigh, Lafayette and Bucknell.
I just re-read your post, and saw that you are scientifically inclined. Your past work at Penn might provide a hook. Are you interested in a STEM field? If so, the scenario might be a little brighter. Overall, mid-Atlantic females are considered comparable to Asian males as an overrepresented, brutally competitive, admissions sub-group, and Penn, unsurprisingly, is an overrepresented target school for them. I think ED is certainly the way to go, but it has to be considered a reach. Good luck!