Chance me for UPenn?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
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Majors: Political Science and BioChemical Engineering (double)

Stats: Junior year
*My school doesn’t do GPA so here is my breakdown, we have 4 AP classes (and classes are technically honors)
Semester 1- A (Advanced Art), A (English), A- (History), A- (French 3), A- (Advanced Immunology), B (Pre-Calc), and a C in a college class (which I was in the top 10% grade-wise (does this KILL my chances?
Semester 2 projected- A (English), A (History), A (Intro Tech), B+ (Advanced Immunology), B+ (French 3), B (Pre-Calc)
I calculated my GPA of sophomore (3.9) and freshman year (3.8)

Projected Senior Year courses:
English, History, Honors Art, AP Chemistry, Calculus, French 4

ACT (breakdown): 31C (29E, 29R, 33M, 34S) first time and taking again for higher

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Model UN (planning on being captain, won several awards), Special Needs Awareness Group (going to be leader next year), Varsity Bowling (won team leader award), Children’s Education Foundation- Vietnam, BBYO (ran several conferences and is the leader of the chapter which I founded), Hazamir, Youth Theatre Ensemble (at NYU, very hard to get in), Future Music Moguls (at NYU, hard to get in), Math Club (Captain of team, but is unranked), School band and do production after school

Job/Work Experience: worked at my day camp summer of sophomore year, planning at working at my sleep-away camp junior year

Volunteer/Community service: Worked at an arts school to teach kids (50 hours), worked at a special needs camp (50 hours), various camp community service (freshman summer- 25 hours), works at an adoption center (15 hours at the moment but will be more)

Essays: are pretty good, and getting a tutor

Teacher Recommendations:

  1. French Teacher- had for three years and going to have all my years
  2. School Advisor
  3. English Teacher- from Junior year, did well in class

Supplemental- might try to submit artwork which I have been told by Cooper Union is really good

From: New York, NY
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female (which I hear is good since I want to do STEM)
Income Bracket: 150k

*Note in the past a lot of people have gotten in from my school with lower ACT scores, they typically accept a 29 and a 3.8 gpa at my school

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Which school would you be applying to? College of Arts and Sciences, or School of Engineering and Applied Sciences? I’d say your scores are a bit below what they’re looking for, but you certainly have a shot (I’m a bit surprised that they typically accept 29 and 3.8 from your school, but I believe you). Does your school offer AP Calc (if so, would you be taking AB or BC)?

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@WhartonPenn2017 I would be applying to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. My school has an AP Calc class (AB), I have read several books on both AB and BC, and have been working with my advisor who is a math teacher. I will not be going into AP Calc since my teacher now teaches the class and he is not very good and his tests are 16 pages long in 50 minutes (harder than the AP test). I might take the AP test without the class but I need to see.

I have been really stressed out about my C, which was in a Psychology Class at NYU (with only seniors and juniors in college, which I didn’t know beforehand). And my B in math this year, since I want to go into a math field. Is there any way if I get a flat A next year in Calc that this will show my interest?

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I mean, if you tell them on your app that you self-studying AP Calc (either AB or BC), I’d say that would show your interest. If you’re getting an A in calc your senior year, that’ll help too, but I think it may raise questions on why you aren’t taking the AP version of the class. Make sure to do well in AP Chem if you’re looking to apply to CBE at Penn. Have you taken any other AP sciences (bio, physics, etc.)? Also, have you taken any SAT Subject Tests?

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@WhartonPenn2017 I don’t plan on taking subject tests, and my school only offers three science AP’s and they can only be taken senior year once.

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Don’t you have to take subject tests for Penn?

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@ZBlue17 @ScaredofSchool Not required, but recommended. I’d suggest that you take subject tests. http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/apply/whatpennlooksfor/testing

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@ScaredofSchool i would strongly encourage you to take subject tests. Don’t be mislead by the recommended, not required label. The overwhelming majority of successful applicants have subject tests and the admissions office has even explicitly said that subject tests are important to them because they have found them to be strong predictors of future performance while at Penn. They made the subject tests not a requirement to cater to students from very underpriviledged backgrounds who cannot afford them. so unless you are in that group (which is very easy to verify through your application) then i d say subject tests are practically a requirement.

https://news.upenn.edu/news/penn-announces-new-testing-requirements-applicants

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I had a C+ in Pre-calc Honors and I still got accepted, so no, a C doesn’t completely kill your chances! You could just raise the ACT score and continue to do well in senior year.

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@Penn95 Ok thanks so much! Do you think it would be ok if only took one subject test? Such as the Math one?

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@shadyconcepts thats fantastic! Congrats on getting in!

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@ScaredofSchool If you’re applying to SEAS for CBE, I’d recommend you take Math II and either physics or chem.

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IMO, (which comes from no real knowledge) your stats look kind of heavy on arts/humanities for SEAS -your teacher recs are all from arts teachers would it be possible to get a rec from a science math teacher? Perhaps add some EC experience this summer that would be biochemical related?? Just an initial thought from reading quickly over your stats …

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@runswimyoga I wish I could, I do seem arts heavy because my parents always geared me toward art. I really love science and I went to a science middle school, and am loving my science class.

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Then my suggestion would be perhaps on your Essay, find a way to convey your love of art and helping people into why that makes you a good fit for SEAS biochemical engineering program - i.e. You’ve developed strong design skills through Art, and through working w children noticed the need for X products that can benefit kids and society at large … (not sure what your particular interests are, you mentioned immunology class -say developing food vaccines or allergy testing that doesn’t involve shots ) but gear it towards your interests in science as to why you want to study biochemical engineering.

And in the meantime Id try to increase any science experience you can… say at the summer camp you are working at maybe lead a chemistry science exploratory group?

Best of Luck!

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@runswimyoga about the vaccines, I was thinking of writing about how children are afraid of them because their parents are in certain areas, and how to make a needle more child friendly as maybe a supplement