UW GPA: 3.82
Weighted GPA: 4.2
ACT: 35 (superscore 36)
Class is not ranked but I should be in top 5-10% (very competitive school)
Class size= 550
Asian Female
I’m doing IB and AP courses (aka most rigorous path at my school)
Scores:
IB Math SL= 5
IB Psych SL= 5
AP human geo= 5
AP Stats= 4
AP World History= 4
AP Psych= 5
AP Environmental Science= 5
AP US History= 4
Extracurriculars/Awards:
- Debate (4 years): LD team captain, second in my state, went to nationals, won many local tournaments
- Went to Girls State and was selected to be a Girls Nation senator (very selective, only 100 girls out of 16,000 get it)
- Won state HOSA two years in a row for speaking events
- Co-founder and president of an initiative where I teach low-income middle-schoolers debate
- Help increase access to education for girls in rural India by working with NGO to donate clothes, sent hundreds of pounds of clothes and won the Prudential Spirit of Community Award and President’s Volunteer Service Award for this
- National Honor Society and French Honor Society
- Second in state and fifth in the nation in National French Exam
- Journalism: Won JEA award (excellent) for a newspaper article I wrote, also won a scholarship for journalism
- AP Scholar with Distinction
Please let me know what you think! UPenn is my dream school!
What’s your intended area of study? Also, why Penn?
@Gogreen19 I was planning on applying to CAS with a major of either gender studies/poli sci/philosophy! Also, I actually initially didn’t like Penn but after visiting I fell in love with the city, the atmosphere, and the social scene there. I also really like their emphasis on pre-professionalism (as compared to other Ivies) as well as the various opportunities for learning and joining clubs outside of class
I see. You seem to have a lot of ECs that can be related to poli sci or gender studies giving you the necessary spike there to apply with either/both as your intended major(s)/field(s) of study. You can always switch to others. once at the college. Your scores are strong, but I suggest taking SAT subject tests (2 of them) to maximize your chances.
Also, while Penn is, of course, a great school, I notice that since you like all 3 of those subjects, you may want to be able to pursue all of them in college in order to fully decide which direction you want to take. Therefore, I was wondering if you considered Brown? Its lack of requirements with its open curriculum means that you can take whatever classes you want without having to deal with restricting requirements (plus you can make your own concentration so you can craft it with courses from all of those fields). Just to be clear, I’m going to Dartmouth, so I’m not just promoting my school or anything. I just think Brown is worth considering for you as an applicant with your diverse interests, at least as an RD option.
@gogreen19 Thank you so much for the response! I’m taking SAT subject tests (bio, chem, math 2) in a couple of weeks, and I actually really liked Brown but I know they almost always look for a very high (4.4+) GPA, which is why I was wary about applying. Also, since you go to Dartmouth, would you be willing to chance me for Dartmouth RD?
I doubt Penn’s is any lower (have you heard any different?) I know Dartmouth’s definitely isn’t. Since you’re asking about your ED, I recommended Brown as I thought would help you study and get the undergrad experience you want. Also, the fact that you want to study such different field would actually be a plus in their admissions process.
Besides that, while your weighted GPA is a bit low, your unweighted GPA seems strong as well as your test scores, and your ECs are very strong and interesting, which should at least partially balance out your weaker GPA. Emphasize why you chose those fields and what career you want to go into in your essays and interview.
Now, as for Dartmouth, you do express the diversity of interests and accomplishments (with a spike in one or two fields) that are appreciated in a lib arts undergrad curriculum like the one Dartmouth has. Now, fit and therefore your chances depend on whether you like rural places and the various things to do at Dartmouth related to your field and outside that excite you, and pull you towards Dartmouth. These have to be specific (for the other ivies as well). Here’s the thing; It’s not worth applying to an elite school if you are not interested in specific things about it, and how some of them can help you achieve your goal in life. They want to see how you view their school as your jumping-off place to the world, and how you will use the education they give you. They do not want to see people applying to an ivy for the name value.
You also might want to consider some schools for lower reaches and possibles.
Only 6 APs is an embarrassment to your school. It’s incredibly mediocre for someone even considering applying to any college. Also, saying that you’re in the top 5-10% without actually knowing is incredibly cocky of you and no college would want an attitude like that. Get it together, you ignoramus.