Chances @ Wharton - National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>Hallo,</p>

<p>First off, I apologize for being another one of about a ten thousand "Can I get into Penn" or some other ivy. I sometimes come to CC to check out what people are saying, and the one thing I've noticed is there are alot of "what are my chances" threads that have people who just seem a little too good to be true and just sound a little fake. So, I just want to say I am not one of those people. I got some stuff to say, so I hope you skim it all and let me know what ya think. Admissions these days can sometimes be a crapshoot, but I feel that there are ways to make it not so.</p>

<p>As my title suggests, I am being awarded with the National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Junior Achievement, the SBA, and NASDAQ Educational Fund in two weeks (so if you don't believe, you can just wait until then). Twelve months ago, I was entering my junior year with lackluster grades, 1300/1900 on my SAT's was my goal, and since Wharton was out of the picture, I looked to other schools. However, since then I've won some noticable awards, improved my grades and SAT's, and did a summer program at Wharton (Leadership in the Business World, if anyone is familiar with it).</p>

<p>My "stats" are like this:
GPA - 3.62UW / 4.14W
SAT's - 780M/670V/690W
SAT II's - Taking US History and Math IC in October</p>

<p>Since I was transfering from a small private middle school to a public high school, I was "encouraged" to only take two honors level courses in Freshman year - math not included in it. Because I was busy with extracurriculars and not the motivated student at the time, my GPA was about a 3.3/3.6 after Freshman year. Sophmore year I was even busier, tried to go into an honors level math course, but lack of preparation from the year before led to a C in the course. I still managed to raise my GPA to about a 3.42/3.8. </p>

<p>Last year, I somehow went through an awakening. Dropped spanish, and took two AP's (Macro/Micro Econ and Human Geo), honors english/chemistry, nothing major, but a clear upgrade in classes from my previous year. Managed to get 13/14 A's for the year (7 classes, 2 semesters, 1 B first semester) which raised my GPA to my current 3.62/4.14. This year I am taking AP Psych, Stat, and Enviornmental, honors english, two electives, and Calculus w/ Applications (honors calculus, kids in on-level pre-calc are not allowed to take AP Calc, despite requests and reccomendations) - so I got a little screwed there, because I am really not that bad at math, just started off on the wrong track. Because I havent taken advanced math courses, I only feel comfortable taking Math IC.</p>

<p>My "stuff" is like this:</p>

<p>I have a resume' that is a little unique, in fact, pretty original in my opinion:
- Founder/CEO StartUpPC (<a href="http://www.startuppc.com)%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.startuppc.com)&lt;/a>, been running it since 2001
- Founded vB-Solutions (web design firm), ran it from '00-'03 before selling it
- Was COO of Peer2Peer Tutors (local tutoring company) in '04-'05
- Chapter President and Eastern Region Membership Chair for FBLA since Freshman year
- Senior Class Executive Board: Designed class website (<a href="http://www.churchill06.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.churchill06.com&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p>

<p>I have a few other business-related jobs/experiences that are on my resume' that I won't go into. </p>

<ul>
<li>National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year, Junior Achievement Worldwide, 2005 (second place in 2004)</li>
<li>Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Small Business Administration, 2005</li>
<li>Youth Entrepreneur of the Year, JA of Greater Washington Area, 2005</li>
<li>Best Group Business Plan, FBLA Eastern Region, 2004</li>
<li>Community Service Award, DiscoveryWorks Australia, 2004</li>
</ul>

<p>Other</p>

<ul>
<li>As I mentioned earlier, I attended Leadership in the Business World this summer, which is a pretty competitive program where I am pretty sure I had the lowest GPA there =) Granted, its a summer program, but I've been told it helps.</li>
<li>My essays are pretty good, not too many kids can write about being named National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year and running a business</li>
<li>Reccomendations should be good. My guidance counselor talked with me and will hopefully explain my academics in 9th/10th grade. </li>
</ul>

<p>Issue</p>

<p>I obviously would not be here if there wasn't something that bring all this down =) I go to an extremely competitive high school in a well educated area where the 12-15% of my class has a GPA over 3.8/4.5. At the moment, I know of three additional kids, all in BC Calculus or beyond, with high GPA, stellar SAT's...the usual. My conscious is trying to calm me by saying "how many baseball playing, yearbook editing, national honors society, ultra-academic kids does Penn/Wharton look at in a day?"..."how many kids who have started and managed not one, but two companies?". </p>

<p>Nonetheless, if I am thrown out in the first second because of my grades and courses....what good does it do. I have a college counselor who highly doubts I'll get in (didn't have a reason other than competiton), and to be honest, I never agree with un-reasoned doubts - if a competing company says your product sucks because think there is better...why believe them (sorry, I usually think of things in a business perspective). Let me know what other information I can give.</p>

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<p>bump :( I didnt mean to come off as arrogant in the title, just wanted to try to seperate myself from the tens of other Wharton chances posts</p>

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<p>Your ECs are awesome, but your gpa can be a concern. Apply ED if you can and try to raise those SAT scores.</p>

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<p>nice websites. did u design them yourself? Im just wondering, how did u set up ur own business? if u bring up your Sat, i think youll be just fine</p>

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<p>hehe, if you look at the bottom of both sites, they say they were designed by vB-Solutions, so yes, they were designed by me =) Thx for the compliment. As for my SAT's....not taking them again, so if they dont take me cuz my verbal was off by 30 points and my writing was off by 10 points, oh well. Im hoping that my reccomendations/essay will alleviate SAT scores and that being in the Wharton Summer program will help with GPA (since I did get into that with one of the lowest GPA's in the group). Anyways, thanks for tips, any other comments are welcome</p>

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<p>Dude, let me just say how awesome that statement was. And how dedicated and determined you seem. In a good way. Good job and good luck. </p>

<p>
[quote]
so if they dont take me cuz my verbal was off by 30 points and my writing was off by 10 points, oh well

[/quote]
</p>

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<p>You're one of the most competent people on CC for refusing to retake an AWESOME score. More power to you. I think you'll get int simply because you have that ambition. I get it from your application. If you don't write any pro-Nazi literature for your essay, I'm pretty sure you'll get in. </p>

<p>....Damn it sucks that you're my competition lol</p>

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<p>first off, i was hoping to get some responses from some older people, but you guys were better ;) heh, thats my attitude toward all the college application components, not just the SAT scores (but most strong for GPA/SAT)....a college rejects you because you didn't fit their profile...not because they dont like you or anything. so....yah. </p>

<p>I have two older siblings, one who went to Wharton and one who went to Emory (my EDII school, pretty ironic). They are both successful right now - my brother living the private equity "life" (or lackthereof) and my sis is living the upbeat, fun, NBA Marketing director life.....but they didnt get those jobs because of the schools they went to. </p>

<p>Through them I learned that "the people make the school, the school doesnt make the people"..which is why I chuckle when i see people who apply to Ivy's and top colleges because they are ranked in US News. Wharton is a program that fits my personality, work ethic, and academic interests - if Wharton was ranked #10 in business, I'd still apply there ED. So....thats why I am applying with what I have earned, and nothign more, because if they dont want me, it means they dont need me =) Anyways, I just posted here to see what people think. Yes, I am worried and anxious and all that like I said, but its not like my parents are gonna beat me over the head with a frying pan if I dont get in (not to disrespect Asians, but ive heard some stories like that from Asian families). </p>

<p>If my AdComm looks past my GPA and just looks at how ive been improving every year and really broke out of my shell, then proceeds to the rest of my application, then thats all I ask for. Anyways, feel free to turn this thread into a positive debate and boost-session for all the kids who go crazy when they get a 2150 and want a 2300 ;)</p>

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<p>wow nice ECs! My EC's are business oriented also, but probably not as good lookin' as urs. the best business award that i've been associated with is my school's Entrepreneurship Scholarship.. </p>

<p>oh ya, and i took JA's business course in grade 9 too. fun stuff! i love the stock market competition, fun fun fun.</p>

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<p>How competitive are those nat'l awards? How many people apply for them? To what extent has your business been successful (particularly monetarily)?</p>

<p>If you have great answers to those questions, you are probably in (despite your GPA, tests, etc.) But out of curiosity, what are the answers to those questions?</p>

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<p>I know that you did not design that website. You obviously got a template. And why did u get this award? Are you the only person to receive it? You have a shot at wharton, but you also have to remember it is wharton and the kids you are competing against have better stats.</p>

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<p>EDIT: I was wondering when someone would give me some negative attitude. I'll let you know in advanced that I really dont care about your unjustified negative opinions =) </p>

<p>EDIT2: Decided to retract what I said. Contact me privately if you want more inofmraiton about my businesses and awards. Im just here to talk about Wharton.</p>

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<p>on the side, i dont think lbw was that competitive to get into - i mean it wasnt even the most competitive program of the penn summer business programs - mtsi was def more competitive. i dont know how much that would help since i have heard from counselors after mtsi that lbw was mostly a money making scam</p>

<p>the awards and website stuff kind of balances out the gpa and sat - try to bring the sat up anyway</p>

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<p>Im still trying to figure out how you were able to get any business at all when there is such competition from companies like dell. How much have you made so far? And how did you make the PC cases customized with different designs?</p>

<p>Oh btw, the award isnt nationwide. It is only amongst kids in the greater washington area.</p>

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<p>newegg.com is a major competitor too.</p>

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<p>Tidal - first off....just because you went to M&T and maybe got rejected from LBW doesnt mean M&T was more competitive. And don't be dissing any Julian Krinsky program because a) he will come and kill you and b) i know that because the man is an amazing guy who is liked by many and probably has alot of..."interesting" friends =)</p>

<p>Fifa - Not gonna go into the website thing. I dont need to defend myself. I will talk about your last comment though, because its actually people like you - the uneducated computer consumer whose is fooled by Tier One OEMS and their domination in the marketplace - that I enjoy talking to about StartUpPC. But usually, I just send them to here: <a href="http://startuppc.com/systems/atlas_dell5100.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://startuppc.com/systems/atlas_dell5100.htm&lt;/a> .... And when people usually see that, its alot easier to get customers...we offer more than just lower price/better performance, but Dell's price is really the only thing people look at, so once you beat that, which it is possible to do, its just a matter of persuading the customer to buy the PC from you.</p>

<p>EDIT: forgot to mention that the national award isnt being released by JA until September 13th, which is the date of the award ceremony...but thx for trying to discredit my accomplishments.</p>

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<p>Tridal, a quick comment - many of the kids who were rejected from LBW (about 80% of the guys who applied) were then encouraged to apply to M&T.
Both are great programs, but don't say things that aren't true.</p>

<p>And Bri, I wouldn't worry about it too much.</p>

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<p>is that you?</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_22981.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_22981.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>DieselBoy - =)</p>

<p>YM - Nope. I actually never heard about that award, oh well. None of my companies are in that article =)</p>

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<p>to LBWers: where do you get these crazy ideas that ppl rejected LBW werethen 'moved down' to mtsi
i heard it was the other way around .. which makes sense because in the college version too, m&t is harder to get into than wharton
and in no way am i hating on julian krinsky - in fact me and my homies ate cheesestks w. the man @ genos and hes real chill
the lbw money scam thing was just a thing i heard from others and although im skeptical of it too, its something i heard.</p>