Chance me SCEA for CAS

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

Hi guys! All responses are appreciated :slight_smile:

Objective
SAT I (breakdown): 650 CR 720 M 610 W
ACT (breakdown): 32 Composite: 30 Eng 30 Math 36 Reading 31 Sci 9 W (Retaking in September; not sure I can improve composite, but definitely think that I can improve superscore)
SAT II: US History: 720, Math 2: 730 (Retaking in October (definitely think I can improve))
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Weighted GPA (if available): 4.63
Rank/percentile (if available): Top 10% of 301 in a public school
AP (place score in parenthesis): BC Calculus (5 w/ 5 AB Subscore), Physics C Mechanics (3), English Lang (4), APUSH (3)
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP Stats, AP Computer Science, AP English Lit, AP Gov, AP Art History, AP Physics E&M (Independent study for just the E&M part), French 4 CAS (Honors), Gym, Jewelry 5 (LOL)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Regional Honorable Mention for drawing (2013-2014), Continued involvement award (for my middle school, in which I have been volunteering since ninth grade), 1 of 15 people selected from out school to go to the Civics Summit to showcase our 9th grade Civic Service Projects, 1 of 18 selected from our school for the CAS Expo of Excellence to showcase our Long Term Projects, 9th grade class vice-president (I have run every year since and lost ), some AP award

Subjective
Extracurriculars:
*I’m writing 12 if I plan on participating this coming year
-Math League 9,10,11,12
-Eye Opener (alternative student online newspaper) 10
-Boys Varsity Tennis (made it to WPIAL playoffs in 2013, 2014, and 2015) 9,10,11,12
-Ski Club 9,10,11,12
-Science Bowl 10, 12
-The Art Connection (TAC) 9
-TAC Alumni Program 10,11,12
-CMU Architecture Class Fall 2013 session and winter 2014 session 10
-Explo at Wellesley College 9
-Summer Discovery summer program at the University of Michigan (Architecture and Graphic Design) 10
-JKCP Architecture summer program at UPenn
-Jewelry Love (event created by my jewelry teacher where we make jewelry for women with cancer) 10,11,12
-NHS 10 (first elligible year btw),11,12
-Science Olympiad (we made it to states this year) 11,12
-Physics Bowl 11,12

All responses are appreciated!

Job/Work Experience:
-Shadowed with evolve architects in summer 2014
-Shadowing another architect of the Urban Redevelopment Authority earlier this summer
-Shadowing two other architects at separate times; one of which is a professor at CMU) this summer
-Babysitting 9,10

Volunteer/Community service:
-Linded Elementary School classroom aid (100+ hrs)
-Sterrett Classical Academy math tutor (100+ hrs)
-Math tutor at my high school (30 hrs)
-Allderdice Cares (Volunteer club at my school that kinda just went away) (10 hrs)

Essays: Not sure how to rate my own essay
Teacher Recommendation: none yet but will have them in the fall
Counselor Rec: none yet but will have them in the fall
Additional Rec: not sure what this is

Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: BA Architecture
State (if domestic applicant): PA
Country (if international applicant): n/a
School Type: Public School
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male

Notes:
-Visited Penn once, got in touch with architecture program head via email, visiting again in the fall and will be following architecture students, got on their mailing list
-I read that Penn considers grandparents as legacies, so my grandpa is a legacy. For what its worth, two of my uncles, and one of my aunts are all legacies as well.
-I’m a big artist, and intend to submit an art supplement

2

Perfect gpa is impressive. ACT score is on the low side. I would try to improve it. I don’t know enough about your ECs to really comment. Legacy will help you.

What I don’t see is the one thing that would impress them to put you over the top. Maybe one of your ECs, or your art supplement, or an amazing essay. It seems to me that the gpa and test score make you a solid candidate, but then you need somethink that says that they should choose you from among similar candidates. I think that you have a very good chance if you really put effort into improving your test score, your supplement, and your essays.

Good luck!

3

Test scores are low, not just SAT/ACT but also the APs. You hear different things from different people and different admissions counselors, but I tend to think the APs matter.

Also, Penn doesn’t have SCEA, just ED.

Give it a shot, though.

4

@Much2learn Well I’m taking the act for the second time in September, and I’m shooting for a 34. An AO at Penn told me that they take the highest score from each section for both sat and act, so that should help. As far as what would make me stand out, IMHO I’ve got a fairly unique essay topic that ties into my interests, and I guess I have done a lot of ECs related to my interests, but idk. I was told that supplements don’t carry much weight in the admissions process.
@“Keasbey Nights” I was told that my AP scores won’t make or break my acceptance chances. Also, like I said, I’m taking the act for the second time in September, so I am trying to raise it.

Thanks everyone!

5

You definitely have a chance, and it sounds like you are doing the right things to make those chances even better.

6

Thanks! I hope I am!!

7

Keep in mind that Penn requires scores from every test that you’ve taken even if you hadn’t wanted to submit your SAT score. They take this requirement pretty seriously so please make sure you comply. Also, they don’t superscore the ACT. Good luck! Legacy will definitely help if but only if you apply ED.

8

Idk. An admissions officer told us in April that their website was out of date and in fact that they do superscore it. I am going to try to get confirmation on that. I know Penn is much more holistic with their admissions process than a lot of other ivies, so hopefully my scores won’t impact me too much. Should I be concerned about my SAT score? I was under the impression that they won’t pay too much attention to it. @Falcon1

9

Your AP scores are a concern. Although it’s not an issue for admissions Penn typically requires a 5 in the decision to give you credit for an AP course. Are you sure that Penn is a good fit academically? Gradiing tends to be on a relatively strict curve and generally there isn’t grade inflation.

10

I’m not looking for credit and am not concerned about the rigor. And I did very well in my classes. My scores are more a reflection of my teachers. My physics teacher didn’t teach half of the year. She had a student teacher. I was planning on taking everything except calc 1 again anyways. My USH teacher pretty much didn’t teach at all. It was a complete joke. I did score in the 700s on the subject test though @fogcity

11

But as far as admissions chances, what do you think?

12

In practice even at Penn you’ll have both good teachers and some who are not so good. Exceptional study habits are essential because at college there really isn’t an excuse for a poor grade.

As far as your admissions chances are concerned your scores are below the median of accepted students and while you have a long list of ECs there isn’t a dominant compelling EC in which you have a compelling leadership component. That you’re a legacy is a plus for ED.

13

I have done very well in my classes despite my lack of good teachers @fogcity . I have a 4.0; there was nowhere for me to improve my gpa.
I was under the impression that a lot of my scores are around the median (save the AP exam scores)

14

AP’s show college preparedness…and your low scores demonstrate a lack thereof.

Chances are Penn can look past that if you bring up your standardized test scores.

GPA is obviously fine, legacy will help you in the ED round, and your EC’s seem fine. Pull up SAT/ACT, and you have a solid chance.

15

Ok thanks. I was told that my AP scores will not be the reason I am accepted or rejected. @ComputerAge

16

I’m just going to have a write an insanely good set of essays I guess

17

I don’t think that the AP scores are going to hurt you. I think strong ones can help, but a student could have been sick or had a poor teacher, so I don’t think lower ones really count against you.

The 5 on BC is a positive. With all of your Math ECs and a 5 on BC, you really should be able to score better than a 30 on ACT math. That suggests to me that you are missing problems that you learned how to do in the past, but forgot. Those should be easy points to pick up.

Also, Penn no longer considers the Writing section, so you can skip that on your retake.

I think that they revise your composite based on the superscoring of the other sections, so you may not need a better composite if you can raise the component scores.

18

I appreciate the response @Much2learn . I thought the same thing about the AP scores, but I was slammed a lot here for those, so I was beginning to think they matter a lot. I unfortunately had a terrible history teacher, and a physics teacher that didn’t teach half of the year (bad student teacher).
I’m happy that is one of the worst sections for me. I usually do the best on math. My worst is typically reading, but I got a 36 somehow, so I think I can definitely raise my superscore. I’m not so sure about the composite. Do you mean that they do superscore the act? I really appreciate the response!

19

Oops, I was wrong about that for Penn. Penn only superstores the SAT. For the ACT they take the highest composite score. That would not seem to make any sense, but that is what the admissions website says in the FAQs.

20

I think an AO told us in April when we visited that they do superscore the ACT and that their website it out of date. I will try to get confirmation on that though @Much2learn