Chance me? UPenn ED C/O 2022

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

Objective: College of Arts and Sciences- Psychology

SAT I (superscore) (breakdown): 1400 (I know kinda weak)
ACT (breakdown): 30 C (29 math, 31 english, 26 science, 33 reading),took it again but didn’t get scores back yet
SAT II: 650 Bio/M (weak as well but I’m not sure if it’s very important to the major i’m applying to…)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8 (W 5.0)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 10th /650
AP (place score in parenthesis): 4 Stat, 4 APUSH, 5 Psych, 4 Human Geography, 4 World History, 4 Seminar, 3 Biology

Senior Year Course Load: Dual Enrolled in College level anatomy and physiology w/ lab, College Pre-calculus, AP Chemistry AP econ (micro and macro)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): 1st Place in State for Computer Animation (BPA)(2016),1st Place in Region for Computer Animation (so far)(BPA)(2017), 1st Place in Region for Medical Office Procedures (BPA)(2017) AP scholar w distinction

Subjective:

Extracurriculars:
-BPA (President and Competitor)–VERY involved 4 years
-Co Founder/ Treasurer of School’s HOSA chapter (Medical Club)
-National Spanish Honor Society Member 3 years
-Starting Attack for School’s Lacrosse team
-Mu alpha Theta Member
-Lots of creative work; I do a lot of 3D modeling work and I also produce EDM, I paint as well

Job/Work Experience: Party Host at popular children’s bounce-house place (9th-12th grade), Sales Associate at Office Depot(11-12th grade) (Worked both jobs at once this past year)

Volunteer/Community service:
-Summer Camp Counselor at Local Preschool for 2 summers (over 250+ service hours)
-Tutoring for Math Club and Medical club

Summer Activities:
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
-coalition (8): took a twist on the “what its like to be a teenager in today’s world” topic and i thought it was pretty good
-why penn(9): talked about inter-disciplinary nature b/w psychology and bio-engineering through Penn’s incubators/resources and how penn allows for any student to truly find their niche and succeed; used the philosophical concept of the “tabula rasa” as a vehicle to carry my points, talked about some of the ideas i wanted to research there such as incorporating bio-engineering and neuro-science to create a device for aiding the memory of Alzheimer’s patients

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):

Teacher Rec #1 (10): AP Psych teacher (loved me and my ability to foster a positive learning environment)
Teacher Rec #2: (9) Computer science teacher (loved me and had him for 4 years, his writing isn’t the best but permissible)
Counselor Rec (7): Meh, it was good enough but she has to write a lot of them so it didn’t go very in depth
Additional Rec: (9) The doctor I interned with liked me a lot and wrote a very strong recommendation especially considering his status as a renowned physician in which he said I was in some aspects better than most adult interns he works with.
Interview: Did not receive one yet :frowning:

Other: Suspended in 10th grade for a stupid prank I did to a teacher; I explained it in a very mature way in my statement and I did a good job showing remorse (for i truly am remorseful) for my actions, taking responsibility for them, and moving forward from it. I was put on hold for some of the universities I applied to for it but they were lifted at every single one so far so I don’t really know how bad this will affect my chances :confused:

Applied for Financial Aid?: yes
Intended Major: Psychology
State (if domestic applicant): FL
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public (overall the stats of my school are not so great; low AP pass rate/enrollment, low avg gpa, etc.)
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 90-100k (6 members in the household though (including me))
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Double Legacy, Both grandparents went there (grandfather also studied medicine at Perelman and worked as a surgeon at HUP)

Although my test scores aren’t anything noteworthy do you think my legacy status, ap scores, ECs can, rank, etc. can make up for it? Chance me if you could please it would be very appreciated. I am very nervous about the whole application process.

2

I think your issue is going to be that you have nothing that really sticks out for for an elite tier school. However, if you are going to hang your hat on legacy, UPenn is the right choice.

3

I will chance back guys! I have done extensive research on admission decision dynamics and I’d be happy to help! My situation is just so complex that I want some input to give me better sense of what my chances are.

4

It’s hard to really show my sharp “point” of my application on here but I really tried to focus on my 3D animation work and success in it. I placed amongst top 10 in the nation for it and I submitted a lot of my renders into my portfolio, you don’t think that is unique enough to even stand out a little?

5

I will chance back, any input is appreciated!

6

I think your SAT score is too low for you to be competitive. 1400 is probably going to put you in the 25~30th percentile. Although CAS doesn’t emphasize SAT II scores as much as engineering or Wharton, the fact that you only sent one below average score (650) when they are looking for two solid scores doesn’t help either. While your rank is very respectable, I don’t think your AP scores are as impressive as you claim them to be. Of course, your double legacy status (and perhaps your ECs) will help you a bit, but I still think your chances are low. This is simply my opinion. I do not mean to discourage you, but since you are asking for an honest response, I am going to give it to you.

7

Thank you for the input @ayakobi26. You stated that my legacy status will help “a bit” but isn’t their acceptance rate for ED legacies 45%+. There is no excuse for my test scores in terms of sat/sat 2 and you say my AP scores aren’t that great, but don’t you think the adcom looks at all of these scores in context of the school i come from? Or is that not a thing?

8

Penn definitely loves its legacy applicants, but I just believe that the gap you must fill is too big. But again, this is my honest opinion based on stories that I’ve heard and the extensive research that I did on Penn. I could be wrong. In fact, I hope I am.

They will definitely review your application in context of your school. But you have to remember that AP scores play an insignificant role in the admissions process in the first place. I wouldn’t count on AP scores to make up for a more significant portion of the application even if you had all 5’s.

I’m also having a hard time understanding how your “sharp point,” activities, and intended major all connect. What is your story? This is a rhetorical question. I hope you addressed it in your essay.

9

ED legacies 45%+

That is old number, a few years ago. The new number is far less (around 30%). the importance of legacy is diminishing, comparing with other hooks, (minority, first generations etc).

If you read the past acceptance thread, you would find that a lot of very strong legacy applicants, did not get in, and subsequently were admitted by U Chicago, and other Ivies.

10

@f2000sa lol I saw some girl get in with a 1390 from CA with legacy and hardly any stand out ECs so there’s some hope. (I hope) Well just have to wait and see I guess… I’m really hoping the most recent act i took is a 31/32, i’ll find out in 2 days. But overall when i filtered the threads just to observe the legacy applicants I saw hardly any rejections most of them were acceptances or deferrals, but again there is 60% of legacies getting rejected so I’m just crossing my fingers to be honest.

11

@ayakobi26 I saw a article done by the Daily Pennsylvanian in which it stated that 40% of legacy applicants in the ED round were admitted and that was written in 2015 so its not too long ago… the sharp point I have is more of a distinguishing factor rather than a qualifying one. What I mean by this is that i’m using my “point” as a way to kind of present myself as a unique applicant (i don’t think many people are going to use 3d animation/modeling work as their point) thus it sets me apart from the pack (at least that of the legacies) (hopefully) just enough to be noticed. By no means, am I trying to say that my “point” has any real relevance for my intended major, but I think that it is a good way to separate myself. I think my AP Psych score and my grades in that class is what qualifies me for the psych major. But this is UPenn, so competition for admission is very tough and I honestly don’t expect admission, i’d say deferral at best (given if my test scores do not improve). You said you’ve done extensive research, can you provide me any links to relevant admission resources/ stats websites for Penn? It would be much appreciated.

12

31 is below the 25th percentile and 32 is right at the 25th percentile according to Penn’s website. I agree with @ayakobi26 that you’re probably asking your legacy status to do much more than what it can. Last year, my friend with a legacy and 2350 (about 1580 New SAT/35 ACT) was rejected from Wharton.

13

Yeah, probably. But again its not like im shooting for Wharton hahaha and did your friend go to a top public or private school? Was he in a competitive pool based on his ethnicity? Did he have good ECs, teacher recs,etc.? Did he come from a school where there was a bunch of other equally/more qualified studens applying to penn?Theres just so many factors outside of ECs and test scores that are overlooked. Test scores are only 25% of the battle when you consider the wholistic approach. Im just trying to keep my spirits up because honestly speculation doesnt matter when it comes down to ivy league admission, the whole thing is such a crapshoot so im just hoping for the best.

14

@dreambig22

15

seems like you believe you are going to get in…
so…why ask?

16

@Eeyore123 what are things that stand out for elite tier schools? Do you have some examples?

17

What happened with your early application to Penn?

18

Rejected :frowning: This year’s ED applicant pool grew by a significant percentage which meant an even lower admit rate then usual. My legacy was just not enough to help me gain admission.

19

Your stats and EC may not impress the admission office at Penn, but you did try it and no regret. Hey, Napoleon did lose the battle and he still won the war. You just don’t look back and your confidence and courage count the most .
Seal any cracks, patch up all holes, and restrengthen yourself and move on to all many great colleges out there. I am sure you will do great.

20

Thank you! Those are some very encouraging words… It was hard to take in at first but looking back I know that I can’t be too upset because I can still try to get into their med school or transfer. All I have to do is work harder and let this rejection push me to be a better person/applicant in the future, not hold me back. I have gotten into Penn State and UCF so far but hopefully there’s other acceptances to come :slight_smile: I knew penn was a long shot anyways so I was not too upset! I don’t need to attend Penn or any Ivy to become a great doctor!