Chance me up guys 😀 Penn Wharton ED class of 2026

[dgranda1]

Just an anxious International Latin student on college applications
Demographics

· International Student

· Country: Ecuador

· Type of high school: Private catholic school, competitive, small class

· Gender/Race/Ethnicity : Latin Male

· Other special factors: First-gen, middle income

Intended Major(s)
BS in Economic with Finance Concentration (or even majoring at finance)

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

· Unweighted HS GPA: 9.32/10

· Class Rank: My school doesn’t rank

· ACT/SAT Scores: Test-optional (my test was cancelled for 3 times)

Coursework (19 courses) (very stressing courses )

Btw, my school doesn’t have an IB curriculum nor Advanced Placement courses

I chose a track of Applied Sciences for my curriculum

• 1. Mathematics
• 2. Advanced Mathematics
• 3. Technical Drawing
• 4. Physics
• 5. Chemistry
• 6. Biology
• 7. Advanced Physics
• 8. History
• 9. Religion
• 10. Social Science
• 11. Language Arts (This is my English class. I have two of them)
• 12. Stream (My second English class)
• 13. French
• 14. Literature
• 15. Physical Education
• 16. Entrepreneurship and management
• 17. Computer Science
• 18. Research Operations
• 19. Statistics

(These are my 12th grade courses…for the entire year)

Awards

1. International / Legal Challenge 2021 by Austral University of Argentina (It was a pre-law/economical contest held in Argentina, I won 2nd place over all contestants) (Over 350+ people)
2. International / Universidad Austral Scholar (I won a 40% merit scholarship for the Austral University of Argentina) (I also have guaranteed admission)
3. National / 5x Model UN Awards (1st and 2nd places against college level students)
4. National / Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (Best leader exponent of the entire conference) (1st place) (Over 350+ people)
5. National / Honor Distinction from the European University of the Atlantic (Spain) for their Debate League held in Ecuador

Extracurriculars
(I’m not going in depth, just show you guys the most important things from them) (My activities are in a random order btw)

1. Model UN (Chair and Mentor / 10th-11th-12th) Led recruitment of 30+ people. Taught parliamentary skills, leadership aptitudes, etc. to new members. Attended 7+ college level conferences and I won national awards from them
2. Internship at supply chain company (10th-11th-12th) Assisted in the logistics and finance department within the company. I took care of debt collection to the different clients requesting transport, as well as the contact to ports, distributors,warehouses, etc (I’ll probably put it on a high spot)
3. Leadership/Community Service Club (Chair/Treasurer 10th – 11th) I was mostly in charge of organizing fundraisers and donations in a regional scale. I led recruitment for 50+ people as well as advocating for leadership positions over my community, social activism, etc.
4. Debate Club (11th – 12th) I was selectively chosen (over 200+ people) to be part of the 5-people debate team from my school to represent it in national and international contests. Won some awards on it.
5. Radio Club (Interviewer and Locutor / 11th- 12th) I’ve reached out over 8500+ people through the my local college national radio. I’ve guided a opinion space about politics, economics, arts as well as interviewing local government experts in determined topic, encouraging young generations to be more involved in a social scheme…
6. Internship at a security company (12th) – helped on the finance department for data storage and marketing towards the company’s services.
7. Co-founder of a bakery startup during summer break on 9th grade. Raised over $400+ on sales
8. Religious Organization (Brigade Leader) (9th) – I was in charge of my brigade for organizing community service events and activities for the most vulnerable people. I attended visits to cancer centers, neurological hospitals, etc.
9. “Get your shot NOW!” Campaign (Co-founder and Organizer) I advocated for COVID-19 vaccination towards my community. I prepared reliable info pamphlets for skeptical persons and did social activism on social media to encourage my community to get their shots.

Essays/LORs/Other

I really think I’m in no position to rate my essays. I’m trying to do my best on them and giving an unique approach to the topic. Any suggestions for the Common App essay? On the other hand, my LORs from my counselor and teachers are strong. I have a good relationship with them and we also spend time on my extracurricular hours, so I expect to have some good recs.

Cost Constraints / Budget
I’ll absolutely apply for financial aid. Can’t afford tuition lol

Schools
UPenn (ED) , U of Miami, Temple U (?), Duke, Princeton, Vanderbilt (?), Harvard

Still looking for more schools btw

[collegeprocessyay]

You’re clearly an amazing student with outstanding achievements and extracurriculars, and you should be super proud of what you’ve accomplished in High School! You’ve demonstrated that you’re a leader in your community and that you’re an outstanding student. It’s conceivable that you would get into Wharton, but here’s the reality- the Wharton application pool is comprised of the best of the best from around the world. If Wharton is your absolute first choice, go ahead and ED there! But unfortunately, any student with a solid understanding of statistics and probability would need to assume that they’re not getting into Wharton. The numbers simply aren’t in the applicants favor. I wish you the best though and hopefully you’ll get in!

[MWolf]

@dgranda1

I’ll absolutely apply for financial aid. Can’t afford tuition lol

For most colleges, this will count against you, including Wharton. Only Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, and Amherst College are need-blind for international students. That means that they will likely prefer a student who will be able to pay, even if they are not as good as you.

While you say that your school does not rank - do you know where you stand, more or less? Top 1%? Top 5%? Top 10%? This is important, since you will be compared to students from your country.

Also - recalculate your GPA to a 4.0 scale, since that is what OAs will be doing.

As a rule, admissions for international students who require financial aid to the most popular colleges are extremely low - we’re talking 1%-3%, as opposed to 4%-8% for USA citizens. Your chances will be lower for any need-aware college.

It will still be worth your while, but assume that it won’t work out. So make sure that you have alternative plans in your own country or in Argentina.

What can your family afford?