Chances for UPenn

<p>Personal Stats:
Female
Amer. Indian/Mexican
2nd-Gen College Applicant
Middle-Class</p>

<p>Test Scores:
SAT I: 760 CR, 670 W, 640 M (Retook, should be getting scores ~ 2 wks)
SAT II: Will be taking Math IIC and Spanish (With listening)
AP: Spanish Lang: 4, will be taking Calc, Chem, Lit, and Psych this upcoming May.</p>

<p>School: Lower-tier public school in Oregon. We don’t rank, but I know I’m at least in the top 10%</p>

<p>Classes:</p>

<p>Freshman Year:
Advanced English 9: A,A
Advanced History 9: A,A
Honors Geometry: A,A
Biology: A,A
Orchestra: A,A
Spanish III: A,A
Advanced 9 Tech: A,A
Lancer Lab (Study Hall): A,A</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
Advanced English 10: A,A
Advanced History 10: A,A
Honors Algebra II: A,A
Chemistry: A,B
Orchestra: A,A
Spanish IV: A,B
Core Conditioning (PE): A,B</p>

<p>Junior Year:
Honors English 11: A,B
Honors Pre-Calc: A,A
Physics: B,B
Orchestra: A,A
Spanish V: A,A
Office Assistant: A,A
Teacher’s Aide (Algebra 1) (Tutored the Spanish Speaking students): A,A</p>

<p>Senior Year:
AP English Lit
AP Calc
AP Psych
AP Chem
Orchestra
Teacher’s Aide (Tech)</p>

<p>Current GPA: 3.85 UW, don’t know weighted.</p>

<p>Community Service: Over 560 hours. Four years of Leadership, three years of Key Club (Also Secretary). Service offered to organizations including Toys for Tots (40 hours), Tutoring Spanish-Speaking Students in Algebra (160 hours), Local Children’s Summer Camp (120 hours), Office Aide (includes this semester as Teacher’s Aide) (180 hours), County Government Volunteering (40 hours).</p>

<p>Extra Curriculars:
School String Quartet: 2 years.
Book Club: 3 years, VP and Exec. Cabinet.
NHS: Duh.
Spanish Speaking Club (Tuesday Tertulia): Co-President. 1 year.</p>

<p>Teacher Recommendations: Two great teachers who know me personally and can vouch for my character. </p>

<p>Intended Major: Cognitive Neuroscience.</p>

<p>Thanks very much for reading this!</p>

<p>Your extra curriculars are extremely generic. String quartet would be great if it was more than a two-year commitment...Luckily, this is the weakest part of your application. You have almost all As, Your CR score is good and your M/W scores are...well, fair. You're a URM...that's going to help you. I think you have a pretty good shot...write good essays</p>

<p>By the way, if you're a native speaker of Spanish, it's likely that they won't consider your Spanish SAT II...if you aren't a native speaker, discount this.</p>

<p>I'm not a native speaker, and I was an original member of our schools first ever string quartet (if that helps at all). I retook my SAT's and I truly believe that I increased my M and W. Thanks very much for the reply :D</p>

<p>Being an original is good then...it wasn't offered before, so you have an excuse...did you work to have the quartet created, or did you just join? If you worked to have it created, you're a cofounder (be sure to put this) and that will look very good...if not, it still looks good. If you increased your M and W and get good scores on those SAT IIs, you should be in pretty good shape. Good luck</p>

<p>I am just wondering.. when you say generic what do you mean? I can understand out of school things. But the EC inside schools are not fair. My school offers absolutely NO clubs to any special subject (i.e. physics club etc.) we have no competitions. No debate team. No chess team. None of that. we have only the "generic" clubs that every other school has. How will Penn see this?</p>

<p>to Gyros321, start your own club that represents one of your interests.... That'll show a TON of initiative and will look much better than the generic clubs on your app.
to Luni, I would be very surprised if you don't get in. Your URM and strong commitmment to community service is very appealing. Community service, in whatever form, never gets generic.</p>

<p>Gyros, I empathize...I'm in the exact same situation, as are--I'm sure--most college applicants. It won't look HORRIBLE as long as you work with what you have. I was merely remarking that NHS and book club aren't things that are going to set somebody apart from the crowd.</p>

<p>Well, I did work to get the quartet founded, all of us did. And I was co-founder for the Book Club as well. Thank you all very much for the discussion!</p>

<p>getcrunk, why would you be 'very surprised' if she did not get in? Obviously being Mexican will help a good deal, and the volunteering is very nice.
Other than that, though -- Top 10% of HS class is nothing special... Neither is a 2070 SAT. And of the non-volunteering ECs, she only holds positions in 2 of them.</p>

<p>Luni, I think you have a chance.
Are you applying RD or ED? And what state are you from?
Good luck!</p>

<p>Lol if I start a club no one will join. Trust me. My school anyhow, wouldn't let me because you need a teacher who is willing. i asked a phew before and they were kinda iffy... and plus my school is a pure football school. They care for nothing about sports..</p>

<p>oh man, native american...you're golden</p>

<p>I'm applying RD, and I'm from OR</p>

<p>Native American, that's hot.
And being from Oregon is a major boost.</p>

<p>Damn, you def have a good shot.
Sweet.</p>