Chance Me? UPenn

My dad went to UPenn and loved it and after visiting the campus before my freshman year, I loved it to. I am currently a junior, but now I am scared. I just got off of one of their virtual information sessions and now I am terrified of not even having a chance of getting in! I am taking challenging courses, I have a 3.9 gpa, I have an SAT score of 1490. I am involved in a few clubs, but no major leadership positions. All my sport is recreational and I don’t really know the coaches that well. My community service impact and overall extracurriculars is low because I have to help my dad with his small shop and I have to watch my brother after school. My biggest fear is the letter of recommendation and UPenn’s emphasis on IMPACT!! I want to impact the world in a big way, and because I have been hindered by social anxiety and family restrictions, I know now more than ever that I want to be civically engaged and impact my community in any way possible, but I haven’t done so yet and that seems to be what they are looking for. I have dealt with social anxiety all my life and have only recently started therapy for it. Because of this, I have no close teacher relationships or mentor outside my direct family. My teachers know me as the student that does well but barely speaks. I don’t know that this year will be much better because it is virtual. I am afraid that my lack of decent letter recommendation and lack of impact on my community will be my downfall. Tips, Suggestions, Advice?

My advice…you can’t stress over a school with a 96% rejection rate. Your stats are what they are, and you have zero control over the admissions decision. Who says you have to go to UPenn to make an impact on the world?

Ok, but do you have any tips for the teacher recommendation issue because either way I will need those even if I dont go to UPenn.

Hi! @futuredoctor4 aight, so I want to reiterate the point @coolguy40 made. I know you loved Penn when you visited, and I did too (current student), but I also loved UC Berkeley, Stanford, Duke, among others when I visited. There are sooooo many amazing colleges out there and Penn is one of many so please please please just broaden your list. Not saying you won’t get in, but these acceptance rates are getting crazy.

In terms of advice, I would say making a small impact in any way possible is important. Schools don’t want to just see you save the world before coming, but a capacity for and genuine interest in helping others is important. So if you like education, tutor a couple of kids in your school that need help! If you are interested in medicine (as your name suggests), maybe try helping out with the Red Cross or a similar type of organization. Whatever it may be, try your best to work on small things and let that build up, and make sure you are actually enjoying it (don’t do it just for your resume).

In terms of Letters of Rec, reach out to your teachers outside of classtime! If you see something interesting in the news that relates to class, just mention it in an email. Don’t spend hours on extra work just to impress them, but have organic interactions both within and outside of the classroom with teachers you like and respect (that teach subjects you enjoy).

This process isn’t meant to require acute and keen planning. It is just supposed to be: you do things you are interested in and try your best in school → colleges see if you are a good fit. Don’t stress, things will work out, I promise. Good luck