Chance a Princeton deferee for SEAS

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>White Male
Uncompetitive Catholic High School that will RARELY send someone to a top school (this worries me)
first generation to a 4 year institution
ACT: 34 (30 e, 36 m, 35 s, 33 r, 12 essay)
SAT: 2230 (670 cr ~(I know it will be my pitfall), 800 math, 760 writing (11 essay))
SAT 2s: 800 Math 2, 750 Bio M
Average:100.5091
Rank: 1/176</p>

<p>Senior Schedule:
IB Biology HL
IB English HL
IB History HL
IB Math Studies SL
IB Economics SL
IB Italian SL
TOK
AP Chemistry
AP Calculus AB (Independent study)</p>

<p>Ecs:</p>

<p>Math Club (9,10,11,12)
President (12)
Staff of The Equinox Literary Magazine (10,11,12)
Editor (11)
Senior Editor (12)
Member of Student Council (10,11,12)
Social Chairperson (12)
Member of Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Committees (10,11,12)
MSG The Challenge Academic Quiz Team (12)
Member of The National Honor Society (11,12)
Member of School Bowling League (12)
Team Captain (12)
Freshman Mentor (12)
Member of DECA (12)
Director of Communications (12) </p>

<p>Most clubs/activities just started, so that's why they're so sporadic</p>

<p>Volunteer at St. Vincent De Paul Soup Kitchen (9, 10, 11, 12)
St. Vincent De Paul Summer Outreach (11)
Lector at Church (9,10,11)
Babysitter/ tutor of my 9-year-old cousin (9,10,11,12) </p>

<p>Cornell University Summer College (11)
“The Business World”
Internship with Senator (11)
Religious Instruction Teacher/Catechist (12)
Emmaus Retreat Program (11) </p>

<p>Awards:
Honorable mention for Italian heritage national essay contest
2nd place in Literary magazine competition
3/4 merit scholarship for my school
IB Diploma candidate?</p>

<p>recommendations: from Senator (very good), from Professor at Cornell Summer College (great), director of the religious education program (phenomenal) Assistant Principal of Academics ("unmatchable innate analytical abilities"), Math Department Coordinator ("math genius"), counselor (great as well)</p>

<p>common app essay: good enough to be deferred by Princeton, so good I guess, but not amazing
seas essay: how being an in vitro baby has helped me realize that I was called to do biological engineering (I personally loved it)
optional essay: I think my humorous side was captured loll</p>

2

<p>You already know the answer. After all, if you were deferred by Princeton, then you have a shot. By the way, overblown recommendations (“unmatchable innate analytical abilities”, for instance) aren’t very credible, even if they are truthful. Would you believe someone you says that I’m the greatest student in my school’s history? Even I don’t believe that, so why would an admissions officer? It’s better to have anecdotes than lofty statements. Of course, it’s not your fault or anything. I don’t think there’s anything you could have done better. Good luck.</p>

3

<p>The assistant principal of academics did back the “lofty statements” up- I do have the highest SAT score, ACT score, SAT subject test scores, etc. in the history of my school…+ I’m the first student to jump from no chemistry to AP Chemistry and the first kid to independently student a class, nonetheless Calculus. That’s the reason why she did say that…</p>

4

<p>You’re the first person from your high school to get a 2230/34? That’s a reaaaally uncompetitive high school.</p>

5

<p>You’ll probably get in. However, just because your assistant principal says something doesn’t make it true. It’s quite impressive that you are so successful from a school that you say is very uncompetitive. Yet you certainly aren’t a math genius, or a student of unparalleled analytic abilities, for self-studying calc AB and taking IB Math Studies SL.</p>

<p>I feel like that’s something that the admissions people will see as gross hyperbole on behalf of your recommendation letter authors. I don’t want you to think that you’re guaranteed to be admitted to Penn. You seem to be a very bright and motivated kid, but your assistant principal writing about your mathematical genius is much different than John Nash’s recommendation letter stating, “This man is a genius.”</p>

<p>Speaking of recommendations, are you really turning in six recommendation letters? That’s way too many. Schools won’t read all six and may even dock you a couple of “points,” so to speak, for including so many.</p>

6

<p>Yeah, my school is completely uncompetitive ~ that’s what worries me. Statistically wise I know I’m okay, but I’m afraid that colleges will think my gpa is inflated (bc to an extent it is) and also kids with much lower scores and similar gpas are applying to upenn, Cornell, schools that I’m applying to.</p>

<p>And yeah, I can see where sending 6 would be an issue, but the only reason i sent many was because they all speak to different things ~ professor - ability to work under difficult circumstances (my teammates both spoke very little english), leadership ( the person I was helping at religious education died and I had to pick up the class because of it), etc</p>