Intended major: Economics or finance (hoping to then go to law school)
GPA: 3.96/4.0 unweighted 4.72/5.0 weighted
My school is extremely competitive, ranked as one of the top in the UK
Tests:
-SAT 1450, is this reasonable considering im international? Retaking in October
GCSEs: 2A*s, 5As, 2Bs
A levels: AAA prediction.
I was ill for over 50% over the academic year yet still performed outstanding in my GCSES (displays my work ethic) Please note that Upenn highly regards A level and considers them to be on par with college coursework.
ECs:
Gaelic Football (expressed strong interest to found a club for this at my chosen University), captain for my team, received recognition in news articles for my success in leading.
Volunteer as a coach for young gaelic footballers at my club
Athletics, could probably get a sports scholarship with this. Won 7 gold medals in the UK sportshall competition representing my region. Also gold in regional and National events such as 100m, 200m, 400m and high jump for consecutive years.
Student Council Member
Member of my school's Irish club, volunteer to teach them the Irish language
I focus heavily in the application on my interest in investing in a virtual portfolio and how I do a lot of independent research on business news and the economy
Part time job working as a bartender, i'm the youngest worker yet Ive assumed more responsiblity quickly, I micromanage the business and act as head of social media marketing.
Work experience: Got to attend court with one of Ireland's top criminal lawyers in one of the biggest trials in its legal system's history- A man being charged with terrorism for attending a rebel camp in Syria. I wrote an amazing application essay on this subject- on the political turmoil of Syria and connected its similarities to previous political turmoils in Ireland which my family suffered.
I won a highly coveted internship with a top tier global law firm.
Awards:
Sports Boy of the Year award from my school
School Shield for my academic success in achieving outstanding grades
Class Spirit award for my positive impact on the school.
UK Junior Maths Challenge Gold Qualification
Silver fainne for my ability to fluantly speak Irish as a secondary language
I've written 2 extremely strong essays that I have had reviewed by professionals. I've got great feedback that said they were both amazing
Really strong recommendations
I think my intetest in founding a new sporting club is a particularly strong feature that makes me a unique candidate.
My dream university is Upenn, hopefully this is enough to give me a chance of acceptance to Wharton ED.
@Rmc407 Your SAT is below par for UPenn undergrad. Considering that international admissions to Penn is even more competitive than US - with about 9% of US applicants and about 6% of international applicants being admitted - to have a better than average shot, you should try to get your SAT up to at least the 75th percentile level which is about 1520.
Looks like you have a solid app. Your predictive A levels are great. I’d add in some more colleges. Have you look at Boston colleges? Do you need money?
Yes fees are a huge concern for me. My parents cant contribute much. Our income is probably around $40k with 4 other kids to look after. I know few colleges are need-blind and you need to demonstrate the ability to pay. My dad is self-employed so he has a decent asset valuation, I dont know if this will hurt or help how much I could be granted as this is the main factor of the 40k income. So selling is obviously not an option. They might be able to contribute $2000 a year, plus I have about $7000 saved from working + a car valued at around $3500 + I’d have another $2,000-3,000 by the time I enrol next fall. The rest I would compensate through UPenn’s work/study program due to their all grant no loan guarantee.
Right now im just focused on getting into Upenn through early decision due to the way higher acceptance rate (22% last year). If things dont work out i’ve a few backups in mind for regular decision: Columbia, UChicago, Boston University, NYU, University of Miami, Northwestern.
But honestly UPenn is the only school I desperately want to go to, it’s the perfect fit for me.
@Rinc407 I would definitely add in Brown, which is in Providence. And there admissions are more holistic if you can’t raise your SAT. Can you take the ACT? Some students do better on that. Are you recruitable for Gaelic football. I know I’ve seen it played around Boston but not sure if it was college level. You need a bigger list.
@MYOS1634 tagging for suggestions. Great international candidate.
You don’t get any aid at NYU btw. Brown and Colmbia should meet need. Repost in College Search and Selection here. Not in What Are My Chances. People don’t look here much. Post your stats and ask for suggestions for meets full need with your career objectives.
Im retaking the SAT next saturday, if I cant get much higher I might look at the ACT.
As for my gaelic football I would definitely be recruitable, its really strong around the Philadelphia area too. I was hoping I could maybe collaborate with a few local teams to try create the first gaelic football team in an Ivy League school. I think that would be a great platform to really spark a bigger interest in the GAA.
@Rmc407 You need to repost this because your target schools will not be affordable. NYU, no aid. BU maybe a little aid. You need a good package. Repost in Search and Selection and maybe also International. What are my chances is a “game” section that kids play and not many adults look at.
BC has Gaelic football but your true hurdle is money. You need affordable options like Brown which would meet your need. Should be plenty of interest in Gaelic games there to potentially start a club.
Thanks for the advice, I know NYU is really stingy for fees and they dont offer financial aid to internationals, but I read in a few places about some internationals being offered full rides. I wasnt sure how true it was so I thought I’d remain open to NYU in case there is a possibility.
I havent read much about Brown, I’ll give it some research.
^Good. Brown will be more holistic if your SAT isn’t quite there. It’s still Ivy League. Your whole application is strong so if you cast a wide net, you could get a great deal. I’m not sure where else to point you but you need to find out. Providence is an easy hour train ride to Boston. http://www.collegerank.net/best-college-towns/ And Providence still falls under the Irish American influence of Boston.
I might include your desire to start a Gaelic football club in an essay.
Your GCSE results are probably not strong enough. While your predicted grades are good, they are only “predicted” grades and are somewhat discounted from actual test results. At an Ivy, they would be looking for straight A/A in both GSCEs and A levels. My daughter who had 10 A and 1A in GCSEs and AAAA is enrolled at Brown.
Penn is need-aware for International Students meaning their ability to pay does factor into admission decisions, so if you need a lot of aid, Penn shouldn’t be your top choice.