Chance a UPenn CAS ED legacy applicant

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Applying ED for sure, UPenn is my first choice by far.</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>Asian American, Female, HS senior.
Applying ED to CAS, planning to major in communications and minor in Korean Studies.
(Born and raised in America, American citizen, Korean is second language. Used this as one of my essays.)
Father graduated from Wharton, occasional money donor.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.84 UW/ 4.44 W.
School does not rank, but according to school profile, I am in the top 12-15%. Competitive public school ranked in Newsweeks top 20 schools, sends few students to top schools- About 5-10 students accepted each year to UPenn, but about 15-30 students to Cornell each year).</p>

<p>Test Scores:
SAT. W: 780, R: 680, M: 720 Composite Score: 2180
-Retaking SAT I in October, aiming between 2200-2300.</p>

<p>SAT IIs. World History: 720, Korean with Listening: 800
-Taking Literature and Math I subject tests in Nov, have to rush scores.</p>

<p>APs. US Gov, 4. Psychology, 5. World History, 5. English Lang, 5.
Taking AP English Literature, AP Spanish Language, AP Microecon + Macroecon this year.
My senior schedule is strong with mostly APs or honors courses, but my biggest weakness lies in that I have taken several elective courses throughout high school although my school offers a range of AP courses that I could have taken. I will be graduating with 7 APs. </p>

<p>ECs:
Rotary Interact Club (comm service club), 11-12. Pres this year.
Liberty in North Korea club, 10-12. Treasurer this year.
NHS, 12.
American Red Cross Club, 9-12.
Traditional Korean folk dance troupe, 4 yrs.
D.C. Christian body worship team, 5yrs.
Active involvement in church youth group, gr 6-present.
Intern at Korea Institute for Future Strategies, 2 consecutive yrs: summer of '08 and '09.
Tutor native Korean immigrants in English at local tutoring center, 6 yrs.
Assistant at local Korean language school, 11-12.</p>

<p>Extra/other:
1st place in statewide writing and editing contest for poetry division, 2008.
1st place in speech contest hosted by club. (won my position as President in rotary)
1st place in 2007 essay contest hosted by Korean-American local newspaper.
State Distinguished Scholar.
National Merit commendation.</p>

<p>My other weak spot. ... :(</p>

<p>2 teacher recs: one from Marketing teacher and one from AP US Gov + Sociology teacher, both of whom are very close to me. I am expecting superb recommendations.</p>

<p>Essays:
Wrote a very strong essay about my heritage and the importance of diversity, etc. Extremely relevant to the theme of my application.
I consider creative writing one of my strengths, so I'm expecting my essays to be decent. </p>

<p>So, truthfully, what are my chances?
UPenn supposedly admits about 30-40% of legacy applicants who apply early decision. Do you think I have a shot or should I not even bother? Thanks.</p>

2

<p>I think your chances are 50-50. Your rank will hurt a little but it might be enough. You are a very similar candidate as I am but I am white male. My SATs are 2160 rank top 18% and decent ECs. And I think that it will be close but that we both will get in.</p>

3

<p>Legacy/ED will help you a lot. If you can get your SAT over 2200 your chances look very good</p>

4

<p>UPenn is rank obsessed; that being said, if your schools don’t rank, they may let it go (because it won’t affect their ranking)…</p>

<p>You’d both be up the creek if your school ranked though…even ED legacy…</p>

5

<p>Thanks for chancing me, guys. I hope we all get in! It would be so cool if we met again as Penn freshmen… Ah, good luck to you all. :)</p>

<p>And I will update with my new test scores after they come out.</p>

6

<p>Honestly, you are being too modest. Seven APs? Evidently, you are challenging yourself. I believe colleges would rather see you take several and do great in those courses rather than do a whole slew of them, overwork yourself, and do poorly. Seven APs is impressive and do not sell yourself short :-)</p>

7

<p>To update this thread; my OCT SAT scores came out this morning and I got a 2350. :)</p>

<p>R: 800
W: 800, essay: 11
M: 750</p>

<p>I’m planning on applying to major in Communications, so do you think the math score will hurt me much?</p>

<p>And does my SAT score compensate a little for my class rank?</p>