Chances of Getting into Huntsman Program

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

Hey, today I was looking for colleges and universities with excellent international relations related majors.

After going through some research, I came across Penn’s Huntsman Program, and after some more research, I found out that it’s one of the hardest programs to get into.

I was wondering what others thought of my chances of getting in, and what I can do in senior year to improve my chances (I’m currently a junior).

SAT: 1520/1600 (760 on both), and I will most likely retake, expecting around 1560
SAT II: I have only taken bio with a 760, but I will take math and history, both of which I’ll get an 800 in
APs: 5 on APUSH and Calc AB since Sophomore year. This year I am taking: World History, Literature, Physics C: Mech, Calc BC, and self-studying for Comparative Government
GPA: This year I’ve been a solid A student, but in the past I’ve had one B+ in Calc AB, and a few A- in other courses. Unweighted is roughly 3.89
EC: I’m the VP of my Model UN club, and I’ve only gone to two conferences, but have already won 3 awards from then (notable is research and second place). I’m in Speech and Debate, and I’ve had some limited success, but next year I will be my event’s captain
Volunteering: I’ve done over 350 hrs at a Jewish Community Center

Senior Year ------
AP: I plan to take AP Micro and Macro (my school combines), AP Euro, AP Stats, AP Lang, AP Mandarin, AP Physics E and M.
EC: Will be president of MUN, Captain of SD event, another 125 volunteer hours.

I’ve been spending most of my summers in debate camps, should I keep or change that?

How competitive am I? What other things should I do my senior year?

I am also in love with Georgetown, what do you all think are my chances for that?

Thanks!!

2

If you don’t take an SAT II in at least one language, you are most certainly not going to be accepted. Many applicants submit very good scores in multiple languages and still don’t get in. I highly suggest you plan accordingly because some language tests are only offered once a year.

3

Solid chance for Georgetown and Penn CAS, but as ayakobi26 said you need to show a strong proficiency in non-native languages to be competitive for Huntsman.

4

I think you are on target for Georgetown, your profile is well above average. For Penn CAS you have good chances, but wouldn’t be surprised with either outcome. You are competitive for Penn Huntsman but of course it is a crapshoot even for the most qualified students.

5

I plan to study for mandarin SAT 2 but as a non-native speaker. Do you know of any good resources from which to study? I have not seen one good book for the test except for the College Board guide for all subject tests.

6

Hey there! I’m a current senior who got into Huntsman. I do believe they ask for a SAT II in your target language, so definitely make sure to take that, although I’d like to dispel the notion that you need amazing scores on those to get in. Mine sucked. It’s all about how everything else in your application fits together. I had awards for contests in my language that showed how I was committed to it, but I think the most important thing for me was the essay, where I was able to articulate why the intersection between business and international studies is so important. In terms of what you could be doing differently, your stats are okay but you should really be doing more extracurriculars if possible. And frankly, since you say you’ve had limited success in debate, I would find other summer programs to do that are more tailored to your interest in mandarin or international studies. One I’d recommend for the latter is the Notre Dame Leadership Seminars, but there are plenty of summer programs out there that will be much more beneficial for you than debate camps. Finally, if you want to maximize your chance of getting in, definitely apply early. Good luck!

7

If I can ask, what was your score, and in what language?

8

I know it has been 7 months since you posted this comment, but when you say your SAT II score sucked, what does that actually mean, if you don’t mind revealing the score? I recently got a 640 on Spanish, which was extremely disappointing, so I’m considering changing my target language to Mandarin, which I know I will do well on since I am Chinese and my parents speak the language at home. Would the fact that I choose to specialize in the “obvious language choice” reflect poorly?