<p>Asian from competitive suburban public high school in CA.</p>
<p>GPA: 3.75 uw, 4.08 w (doesn't rank, at least in top 10%, prob. top 5%)
SAT: 700 math, 800 reading, 720 writing
SAT II: 800 world history, 780 math II, 750 us history, 670 lit.
senior yr. courses: ap calculus bc, ap gov't, ap econ, ap chem, ap english lit, wind ensemble
community college courses: latin american poli sci, int'l relations, microecon
Activities: Marching band (section leader), swimming team, clarinet-related music stuff (symphonic band/wind ensemble- section leader/soloist, community college ensemble, music club), TA @ church preschool, Latin club- JCL
Awards- national latin exam- gold medals (3 yrs), 2nd in ancient geography in the nation, 1st in roman history and ancient geography @ state level, national latin honor society, outstanding musicianship.</p>
<p>applying ED to wharton; academically stronger in humanities/social science than math/science. I am little worried that admission off. reject me for wharton due to low math grades. How should I convince admissions that i am a good match for business program although i am a liberal arts person? How should I connect my seemingly unrelated extracurricular activities? Thanks</p>
<p>When we visited Wharton recently it became very clear to us that strength in math is essential. The take a hard look at all math scores and want minimum college level calc. My daughter quickly retooled and is taking some tough college math this summer. Being at the very top of your HS class is also important there.</p>
<p>So I'd have to say Wharton is not very likely with a 700 SATI. I'm sure you already know it's super competitive being Asian and coming from CA. </p>
<p>Nothing in what you wrote here says "I'm a match for Wharton." That's another thing they really look for. Have you had any jobs you can talk about?</p>
<p>I would retake the SATI and build on the resume for a better shot RD.</p>
<p>Aw, this thread title is so cute! If it were up to me, I would totally admit you. I have a soft spot for humanities-oriented intellectuals because that's who I was when I applied to Wharton; no business experience whatsoever. Too bad I'm not an admissions officer.</p>
<p>I would say that your main weakness is a lack of leadership. I think that Wharton likes to see applicants who initiate new projects, rather than lead everyday club proceedings. This doesn't mean that you have to start a new club, but try volunteering in the community or applying for a non-profit youth council position.</p>
<p>
[quote]
When we visited Wharton recently it became very clear to us that strength in math is essential. The take a hard look at all math scores and want minimum college level calc. My daughter quickly retooled and is taking some tough college math this summer. Being at the very top of your HS class is also important there.</p>
<p>So I'd have to say Wharton is not very likely with a 700 SATI. I'm sure you already know it's super competitive being Asian and coming from CA.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I disagree. As a student at wharton and having discussed admissions decisions with a lot of friends at school, I think a 700 SAT I is definitely sufficient for consideration. They do highly encourage a year of calculus, but you're set with that since you're taking BC. I wouldn't worry too much about your "low" math scores...</p>
<p>Your main problems have been mentioned already. 1. Lack of leadership. the business world and especially management is all about leadership skills. If you can't show that through your ECs, make sure your essays bring out your ability to influence other people and/or make changes in your community. I also had very few actual leadership titles while in high school. If I remember correctly, I think the only title I had was President of our very tiny Asian American club for a year. A few things I did do that I think helped with showing leadership - had a job as a tutor, taught dance to little kids for a while, mentored for a middle school historic preservation club....etc etc. If you have anything miscellaneous like this, make sure they appear on an additional activities resume. I'm pretty certain they actually do read those.</p>
<ol>
<li>Your stats don't show you as a match for Wharton. This isn't inherently a problem. It's all about how you portray yourself. When I applied, my background was almost entirely in science. The only "business" background i had, was having taken a college-level microecon course over the summer. I applied to the Vagelos Life Sciences + Management program, so I based my essay around my explorations of the connections among science, business and politics (I debated competitively). Now, you'd think this only helped me because I was applying to a science-based program.
But the admissions process for Vagelos is set up so that you must first be admitted to Wharton separately in order for your app to then be sent to the joint program department for review. My point boils down to this: as long as you're able to convince the adcom that (A) you can contribute to the Wharton atmosphere, academically and otherwise and (B) that a business curriculum is essential to your future goals, then you have a really good shot.</li>
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<p>Wharton School of Bunnies = impossible. Bunny School is no easy feat. Only the best of ninjas gain admission. They're so good that they can be anywhere, anytime. As a matter of fact, they're so good, that there are thirteen ninjas hidden in this post.</p>
<p>lady in red, thanks for your comment; actually, i have already written my common app. main essay on my leadership experience in band. But i will try to add more descriptions showing initiative on my resume/activity list. i also wrote on my penn essay that i want to have a concentration on business-public policy (which i guess is more liberal arts and match my interest than finance concentration).</p>
<p>a concentration is only four classes in a specific field (nothing as in depth as a full "major") so make sure that your essay doesn't ONLY focus on a bpub concentration.</p>
<p>I usually don't speak to chances threads, but I have to correct mj93. For students applying from the U.S., admissions are need-blind. If you request financial aid, that is not known by the admissions office.</p>
<p>actually, admission officer @ penn mentioned how this one applicant kept referring to wharton school of bunnies, (using the example to tell prospective applicants to proofread the essays). But personally, wharton school of bunnies sounds better than wharton school of business.</p>
<p>LadyinRed, are you sure thats how the admission process works for LSM? I was under the impression that you were either accepted for LSM or rejected and THEN the school you chose (Wharton or the College) looks at your application.</p>
<p>I just read the website, and I think there's some vagueness in the way the process is explained. I was almost certain your application has to go through both schools and then to the lsm department.
though, it may be the other way around. Students do have to be qualified to attend both the College and Wharton individually, otherwise they can't be eligible for the program. The reason is because the LSM curriculum can easily be dropped for a standard degree at either school, regardless of track. So if you're admitted to LSM first, then both schools do have to individually approve your application before the decision is final. Though I suppose it may be an internal approval...since the admissions committee for lsm has prominent representation from both schools.</p>
<p>This latter message sounds closer to correct. M&T/Huntsman admissions are done by a special committee with representatives from the program and from both schools. You are first evaluated by the program. There is a chance (possible but improbable) that you could be admitted to the program but if you had applied only to the schools, you would not have been admitted to the individual schools. (Cue the CC folks using joint-degree programs as a backdoor for wharton)</p>
<p>After a candidate is "rejected" from the program, the application is sent to the "backup" school, where it is evaluated with the rest of the normal applications. Yes, this means that joint-program admissions happen before the rest of the school's admissions, but they can afford to do this based upon the smaller applicant pool.</p>
<p>Realistically, you need to be qualified for both schools. Technically, you are admitted by a program's committee rather than by both adcoms. What it means to be qualified for the school is another question altogether...</p>