<p>Im thinking of applying ED to Penn. How do my chances look?</p>
<p>Weighted GPA - 4.17/4.00
Top 10%</p>
<p>SAT I - 2310
SAT I Math - 730
SAT I Writing - 780
SAT I Critical Reading - 800
SAT II Bio - 700 (9th grade)
SAT II World History - 770 (10th)
SAT II Math IC - 690 (11th)</p>
<p>AP World History - 5
AP American History - 5
AP Bio - 5
AP English Language - 4</p>
<p>This year I’m taking AP Latin, AP English Lit, and AP Gov. All of my other classes are honors.</p>
<p>EC’s:
Latin Club - Executive member (10-11)
Spanish Club (10)
Model Congress (9-10)
Ultimate Club - founder and co-president
Leadership Club (seminar type club) (9-10)
Varsity Winter and Spring track (9-11)</p>
<p>Awards:
National Latin Exam - Cum Laude twice and Magna Cum Laude
National Spanish Exam - 97th percentile
Medusa Mythology Exam
Kodak/University of Rochester Young leaders award
National Honor Society
National Merit Commended Student
High Honor Roll
Scholar Athlete Award</p>
<p>Community Service:</p>
<p>Tutored middle school math
Interned at an environmental lobbyist group
Helped out at the American Red Cross in response to the Katrina disaster
Over 200 hours in total.</p>
<p>Summer:
2003 - Cycling trip from Seattle to San Francisco
2004 - Cycling trip from Paris to Rome
2005 - Summer job - cashier</p>
<p>you seem to be really well rounded. I think that you have just as great of a chance as most of the other applicants applying to UPENN, about 20-30%. (-With great essays, and recs)</p>
<p>I think you have an amazing chance. Way better than 20-30%. As long as your essays and recs are good (as robertson said), I don't see any problems in your ecs and stats that would make the adcoms consider not accepting you.</p>
<p>I guess I should elaborate. There was one typo...I have been in Model Congress since freshman year and I plan on running for an executive position this year. I have been in Latin club since its founding year and was an executive member. I have done five seasons of varsity track, as well as the extensive cycling trips down the west coast and across europe. Also, I think my commitment to community service is pretty evident, as I have worked with the Red Cross for two years, as well as other charitable organizations.</p>
<p>dooit, if Penn's app is anything like when I applied it only asks for a few ECs on the app and there is little or no room for elaboration. I think as long as you have a few solid commitments and a few leadership positions you'll be fine. I think if you show your community service commitments and sports commitments along with a few clubs you'll be fine. Sports is one of the best ways to show a commitment.</p>
<p>FutureMan, unfortunately, I have only held two leadership positions (both in 9th grade too), and since, I have not had any except for this coming year as co-captain of the tennis team. My only long-term commitments are tennis (9th - 12th) and class council (10th, 11th, and 12th), while I've also participated in student council (9th, 10th), orchestra (9th, 10th), and MUN (11th- first year introduced to our school and probably in 12th grade). Aside from those, I've been apart of Honor Society, but we literally do not do much for this at our school (no significant meetings, etc.) Will my EC's hinder me from being accepted considering everything else will be on par? I've been working on my essays, and I think I've done a decent job showing my interest in other things- music, snowboarding, etc. Thanks for the evaluation. I hope this didn't interrupt the thread, and instead helped anyone in a similar situation as me.</p>
<p>Awards can make up for leadership positions. Now don't get me wrong, you need a balance of both, but on the six lines you can put different activities with an award or position. I don't believe they even ask for the years you did the activity. There may very well be a spot for just awards so correct me if I'm wrong on that. For example, you can say Treasurer of the Jigsaw Puzzle Club for one line. But lets say you are an avid curler (for those you who aren't familiar, curling is an olympic sport), but you haven't held any leadership positions on your curling team. It would be alright to put down MVP of the South Dakota Curling Invitational. If you can balance out awards with leadership positions it looks even nicer than people who just put down leadership positions. Being a leader of six clubs seems a little ridiculous to the adcoms because it appears like there wasn't any specific commitments. If you can make the two or three leadership positions you have shine with awards that would help a lot. If you have more questions I'd be happy to answer that. I haven't seen the app in so long, which is why I forget whether awards is combined with ecs or if it is a separate area.</p>
<p>I guess now they ask for positions held and awards separately. The thing is, I've only won one out-of-school award (tennis medal- not big though), and two school awards (both in 9th grade .. :() I'm pretty sure my lack of awesome EC's will probably kill me. By the way, would it look bad if I was not in a particular club one year but was in it the next (ie. being in Spanish club in 10th and 12th grade but not in 11th). Should I also include MUN if I was only in it for one year (the first year that it was available at our school)? Thanks..</p>
<p>P.S.- I actually spoke with my guidance counselor's secretary (she's really nice and knew my older sister very well), and we were talking about rec., SAT scores, transcript, etc. It's not that she was telling me I already did not know, but I'm feeling very discouraged because of the lack of really substantial EC's. The only EC that I really have solid ground on is tennis (I only have one award). I'm also an avid participant of class council (3 years). Ugh.. help :( By the way, I already know of at least 5 other people in my grade that are applying to Penn ED.. I'm almost certain that all of them have a more solid transcript.. GOD!! Talk about a bummer.. geez..</p>
<p>Im in somewhat the same position. You're EC's dont seem as bad as you are making them out to be. Just put a spin on them and I'm sure you will be competetive.</p>
<p>I'm in a similar position. I have some math awards from school and some music awards but I only have two leadership positions...ugg! (Treasurer or Orchestra and VP of Math Club). </p>
<p>KRabble88, if you have good scores, it will compensate for your lack of EC's.</p>
<p>They don't ask what years you were involved in the activities, do they? It is just six lines that ask for ecs, right? If that is they case you have no worries about the years you held positions or won awards. Essays are really important. The essays should reveal your true character and prove to the adcoms that you would be a positive addition to the school. And try not to make the essays focus on your ecs because that isn't what they like to see.</p>
<p>FutureMan, what would you suggest I focus on when it comes to my essays? I'm thinking about displaying how I'm a motley character-- I'm Asian, but the only one who is in Class Council. I'm a pretty big on school spirit, and maybe I can incorporate that into my essay? What would you suggest I do? Maybe I should talk about my passion in tennis?</p>
<p>P.S.- I hope this isn't interferring too much with your thread, Bravery!</p>
<p>That seems kind of shallow. You are only scratching the surface right now. Reveal something about your character. Usually it is something you wouldn't feel comfortable writing about. I have a friend that wrote an amazing essay about the time he hit another guy. It is the one about first experiences. And then he talked about how it changed his views on more universal issues. Hope that helps.</p>
<p>Did he relate his situation with univeral issues? </p>
<p>I was thinking about writing about something a little bit crude in content. I hope I don't come off too cynical or anything that way though.. the basic gist of my essay was going to revolve around how we all claim to be "diverse", etc., but when you take a step back from the world we live in, you'll realize that we segregrate ourselves from everyone else. However, I hope I'm not being too cynical by doing this.. By the way, I feel that I might introduce stereotypes in my essay this way. For example, "jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, etc. all sit at different tables", something of that nature. How bad is that?</p>
<p>Also, by doing this, I'll essentially only be able to highlight one significant thing about myself: "my 'audacity' to sit with different people"</p>
<p>I really appreciate the time you've taken to help us out. Thank you!!</p>
<p>P.S.- I really feel like I might discredit someone or a group of people if I use stereotypes this way, but it's hard for me to express my thoughts without them, because some of these are very valid generalizations (not necessarily about jocks, etc. but about our society as a whole or others'). Help!!</p>