<p>Hello everyone. I am new to CC. I am writing to get your input on my chances at University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) Regular Decision. So, here is a little about me:</p>
<p>I am an African American male senior high school student. I lost my father a couple years ago before entering high school. I am very involved with my community. I am the president of my church youth department. I started a tutoring program at my school. I tutor/mentor underprivileged youth elsewhere. I volunteer at a nursing home. I feed the homeless. I sing in the church youth choir. I am ranked in the top 1% of the first graduating class at my school in south Florida (Number 5 of about 613). I am taking the hardest course load (IB). I am currently taking AP Calculus BC. My SAT's aren't so stellar, however :-/. I received 590 M, 590 V, 600 W, and I received a 690 in Math II.</p>
<p>I would appreciate if you could give me any honest opinions. Thank you.</p>
<p>I don't think Wharton will happen. While you will get a break at many schools because you're AA, that's too big a stretch for Wharton. You will only do well there with strong math skills and your SAT just doesn't support that.</p>
<p>Your rank is great, but the ivies reject 75% of AA applicants. SAT scores in the high 600s or low 700s might happen, but SATs in the 500s make any ivy unlikely.</p>
<p>You need to be looking at really solid colleges below the ivies.</p>
<p>Thanx for your comments suze. Ironically, however, I am doing pretty well in math. I am just not that well of a standardized test taker. Hopefully the whole "holistic approach" will pay off. I guess it doesn't hurt me to be optimistic.</p>
<p>i must agree, a bit of a reach for wharton. i would suggest washu, their AA acceptance rate is through the roof. and although ur scores arent that great, you have a pretty solid rank. try to take some more tests if you have time and make up for your a bit low SAT scores. any APs? and Sports?</p>
<p>Thanx for the feedback. I am taking AP Calc BC and my teacher anticipates a 5. I also wrote a really good essay and have good recs (My teachers let me read them). No sports unfortunately. I also got a 5 on my IB math test if that helps. As far as taking more tests i think it would be way to late now since decisions come out in less than a month.</p>
<p>Smart, is it that you think Wharton wil bend that much becuase you're a URM or do you think you offer something unusual that would let them overlook way below average scores. The are a lot of people on this board who think any black can just walk into top colleges. Of course stats prove that's far from the case.</p>
<p>I honestly don't think that being black will just get me into Penn. I think i do have something unusual to offer them. Most people would like to use it as an excuse to do poor but i don't. Aside from SAT's, i think i would be an excellent candidate. I am in the IB program, taking the hardest courses offered. In addition, I am taking AP. I started a tutoring program at my school to help others who needed help in math. I am actually, suprisingly, a really good math student. Unfortunately, my scores may not show it as much. I am really counting on them to look beyond my SAT's just long enough so they can get a really good look at ME. My teacher recs and essays talk about me as a person and I hope that Penn will be able to see that and appreciate it. As far as activites, in school i started the Educating Tomorrow's Leaders program, i am a mentor and tutor to the younger IB students (we are the first graduating class), I am in FBLA, and in MU Alpha Theta. I am also the president of my church youth department, I am the president of my church usher board, i sing in the church choir, i volunteer at a nursing home, i feed the homeless, and I tutor/mentor at a center for underprivaledged minorites and still manage to be in the top 1% of my class. I am a truly dedicated person. I have NEVER missed a day of school k-12, which my Penn interviewer seemed to love. He said he had never heard anything like that before.</p>
<p>Sorry smart but you need to look at the common data set for your schools. No school just overlooks SATs. They are the equalizer, the way they know just how hard it is to get an A at your school. If GPAs and SATs don't line up, with a discount for those that deserve it, there's a problem. But they don't need to discount hundreds of points to get great black students. There is probably not a black recruited athlete at Penn with your scores, much less at Wharton.</p>
<p>Sorry, but I think people who post here deserve the truth.</p>
<p>You also need to understand that alumni interviews mean nothing.</p>
<p>I truly appreciate your honesty and I wouldn't have it any other way. I might be believing in miracles. But there are definately people at Penn who have low SATs like mine because i've read their stats of kids they accepted:</p>
<p>I am black, went to high school at Andover, got into Harvard, Princeton, Duke and Dartmouth, I will attend the last in Sept. after a gap year to make $$$. </p>
<p>Some of the top black students in the Country I know from high school, RSI, SYA, etc. got rejeced from Wharton with some pretty great apps. If you're not strong at math (think about the RSI kids!!) Wharton wouldn't be doing you a favor. Most high school kids went to one high school. The colleges know most HSs have massive grade inflation. Scores tell you a lot about the competition you'll find at schools.</p>
<p>If I get in i don't think keeping up would be a problem for me though. Like I said, math is my best subject, but im just not a standardized test taker. </p>
<p>And, hater is there anything significant about me living in south Florida??</p>
<p>ok, your not a good test taker but at colleges a lot of time, especially in freshman classes, one test can constitute a HUGE portion of your grade</p>
<p>wharton is a reach for a few reasons</p>
<p>there are plenty of kids applying to Penn and Wharton with similar ECs to yours, and many will have better (many will also have worse, but htey wont be accepted) aside from that, they all have great GPA AND great SAT scores... you have 1, they have both... plus all that personality etc you were talking about</p>
<p>yeah i understand. Wharton would be a huge reach for me. I guess I'll just be optimistic until March 29. And if I get in I know that it won't be easy, but at least i'll be able to study for those big tests that they have and succeed. I am taking college courses now in school and I am succeeding.</p>
<p>I don't know if it means much, but I have definate financial need and I am also a First Generation prospective student. Would this help me any??</p>