<p>Thanks!! Definitely checking them out! </p>
<p>~ SAT2: I’m actually fluent in Mandarin. I came from Shanghai when I was 8 so I have the basic word recognition and sentence structures down 
I think I will take the test just so I have the scores. Won’t hurt me if they don’t take it into consideration, but if they do, I’ll be a lucky goose! </p>
<p>~ Club: Do you think any club is alright? I’m actually thinking about making an Asian Club at my school to explore both the traditional and modern cultures of Asia such as food, music, or dances and such. Anyone can join, so it’s not racist group or anything. </p>
<p>I don’t mean to pry about your family’s life or anything, but are there any events that really made an impact in your son’s application that you don’t mind sharing with me? EC wise :)</p>
<p>Asian club sounds incredibly generic.</p>
<p>Soo… should that be a no-go?</p>
<p>and does anyone know anything about the TOEFL test? In the comparison link given by ivyparent43, it said that UPenn “recommended” the scores. I heard that test was super easy for people who spoke English and such.</p>
<p>Re: the TOEFL test, I’m not sure about all colleges but UPenn says you don’t have to take it if English is your native / primary language (site says: Students whose native language is not English should take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service. Results should be forwarded directly to the Office of Admissions). Check each college’s site to see but I’m guessing most will be the same as above.</p>
<p>Does that mean you’ll be applying as an international student or equivalent? You’ll need to read up on that, as some of the ivies are “need blind” while looking at college apps, UNLESS you’re an international student asking for financial aid. So in theory for this case being a US student and in need of financial aid wouldn’t potentially hurt you, while being an international student and asking for aid could hurt you.</p>
<p>Re starting your own club, strictly IMO, I’d choose something else than Asian Awareness Club. Currently what you’ve told us above about you (Chinese, speak Mandarin and will take SAT2 in it, play violin) is already very stereotypically Asian. Adding Asian Awareness Club to the list wouldn’t really show admin reps anything other than what you’re already showing them.</p>
<p>Re your question about our S’s college app, aside from solid grades / test scores / activities mentioned in an earlier post above, he wrote some very solid essays that painted a picture of him to the admin reps, allowing them for better or worse to see the real him — solid, not boring essays are key I think, as the reps end up reading thousands of them. Activity-wise he belonged to 3 school related clubs, was president of 2 additional school related clubs (NHS and another), played one sport all 4 years, had a part-time job all 4 years, student gov’t for last 2 years, and tutored kids.</p>
<p>Now-a-days the students (at least the ones without a hook) that get into the tippity-top schools don’t just go to class and get stellar grades and top standardized test scores. I think the college reps expect them to have some of the additional things listed in the above paragraph too. Oh, and for HYPS you’ll need even more than that —they’re really looking for outside of the box stuff — maybe a patent, published papers, written a book…something that’s just over and above…well, at least for H and S.</p>
<p>English is actually considered my second language but I’m better at it now than Mandarin, which is my first language. So if I submit the TOEFL scores does that automatically put me in for international student? And if I go for ED then I will definitely need financial aid. :</p>
<p>UPenn is actually the only Ivy League college I’m looking at, since I’ve liked this college before I even knew that it belonged in the league. </p>
<p>Hmm, I’d really have to think through about what I can do right now to up my chances. Being Asian doesn’t really help in my case -__-;; </p>
<p>and thank you again for all your help and advices! I really do appreciate it.</p>
<p>I’m not versed in TOEFL rules. Better to call admissions and just ask them for clarification on TOEFL, applying as intl student versus whatever other choices there are besides domestic / US, etc.</p>
<p>If you definitely need financial aid you’ll need it whether you apply in the ED or RA admissions rounds.</p>
<p>No, being Asian doesn’t help currently with the unofficial / rumored downward adjusting of Asian test scores at some colleges to ensure diverse classes as mentioned earlier in this thread and in others. You can always not list your nationality as that’s an optional area of the common app though. We’re caucasian and my S chose to do that.</p>
<p>Apply to UPenn though if your parents don’t mind the app fee. If you don’t at least take a shot at it you definitely won’t get in!</p>
<p>In the meantime though…join some groups and develop some leadership positions, really fine tune your essays and make them solidly show the real you + your passion for _____ and UPenn, and make sure you smoke the retake of the ACT and all future SAT2’s + AP’s.</p>
<p>P.S. Why UPenn as the only Ivy? Visited there?</p>
<p>Oh wait a sec! Financial aid as in generally speaking or like… when paying for college? Because I’m currently doing research about the scholarships I can get and I have an appointment with my counselor next week. Theres of course no way I can pay for full tuition myself, so that was what I meant about having financial aid to help pay for college! </p>
<p>I’m in around 5 groups at my school but I’m only a leader in one of them… So I will definitely have to work on that.
I’m not in any sport but hopefully Orchestra could be in the same category as them? </p>
<p>As for UPenn…
It sorta just came to me. I’m really not sure why I’m so set on it, and I’ve never visited the campus before. Maybe because it’s the only college that made me WANT to go to college… but I can’t come up with a specific reason.
I came across it when talking to my friend I met in a game who lives in Pennsylvania about colleges. (He is suuuper smart, or so it seems) I’ve been to Philadelphia before and I really love the… I guess you could say… atmosphere? Theres a historic sense of feeling in the air and the by the pictures of the UPenn campus, the architecture is really like how I imagined my dream college to be. Although it has a traditional feel, it also has a modernized busyness going on, people and traffic wise for the city.
Then again, I really don’t know since I’ve never visited the campus But I am planning to visit it during spring break or this summer.</p>
<p>I was so excited to see it be listed under great colleges for accounting, finances, and many other majors that I was looking up in this college book at Barnes & Nobles and so I decided to research on it when I got home. </p>
<p>My self confidence is very low, if I may say so myself. I never really believed I would get into Ivy league colleges or any colleges within the top 10 nationally ranked ones at all.
I didn’t even know where I should be going for college or that college was such a big deal until late last year when I discovered UPenn, and that’s when I realized I’m already late in many factors of admission. Thankfully, my conscience was good and my GPA didn’t crash and burn in my earlier years. (but that would explain the B’s I got in Fresh and Sophomore year) But I’m really trying to hang on to that GPA and improve my EC’s to appeal to UPenn somehow. </p>
<p>Believe me when I say I almost got a heart attack when I saw UPenn listed under the Ivy leagues when I really started my research. I kinda regret not taking actions earlier in life. </p>
<p>and omg I just wrote a story sorry for the long answer LOL</p>
<p>No problem with the length of your post. Good to hear your reasons re: UPenn. </p>
<p>Our S didn’t decide that UPenn was his #1 until we took a week this past summer and toured 8 different east coast universities. The tour, combined with UPenn’s rating as one of the top business schools in the US, put them at the top of our list.</p>
<p>Since you haven’t toured the university yet, you can always do a virtual tour online. There’s still plenty of time too since you’re only a junior.</p>
<p>As an fyi, there’s a best business schools Excel chart available online. Just google “Businessweek best undergraduate business schools 2012”. It might give you some addt’l ideas too since you’ll want to apply to more than one college. One thing we keyed on in the chart was which places had a “4 year biz program” versus only a 2 or 3 year program (ie, he wouldn’t need to take the risk being a non-biz student for the first year or two and then applying to get in). The chart is sortable upward / downward by clicking on your choice of column header. Enjoy!</p>
<p>Will do just that! Thank you so much!</p>