<p>"I got into Penn without a hook."</p>
<p>I was under the impression that you don't need a hook to get into Penn. Just for Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT.</p>
<p>Well that isn't true.</p>
<p>but you gonna try argue that penn is a "reject" ivy or whatever? SICK EM, CATCH!</p>
<p>BOOO!!! You kids are NUTS...PENN is the freakin' fourth ranked college in the NATION!!! And Wharton! Wharton is like a crapshoot for everyone...and the college (this is for the Pandy/Choco Bunch)...the college is more selective than what a lot of ppl think. What the heck are you smoking? Sick EM! SICK 'EM MY FELLOW PENN QUAKERS!!!</p>
<p>Photography? Good essays? whatever, something got me into MIT.</p>
<p>University of Penn is not really the forth ranked college in people's mind. It certainly is not at the level of MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, or Yale. </p>
<p>You don't really need a hook to get into the lower ivies. Just good stats.</p>
<p>Practically everyone needs a hook these days. It doesn't have to be 'official' (athlete, renowned musician) but it still needs to be a "this-is-why-I-stand-out" distinction that shows clearly in your application. Even essays can be a hook if your personality really shines... don't forget they rate students according to Personal Qualities too.</p>
<p>Ubermensch, tell that to the bunch of kids who applied to Penn ED with 1500+ SATs and high SATIIs who got deferred/rejected... And please, don't use, "University of Penn"...I think Penn abbreviated their name just enough so ppl won't say "University of Penn"...it's just down right annoying. </p>
<p>I can't believe you can say that about Penn Wharton. But, whatever. I'm proud to be a "University of Penn" Quaker.</p>
<p>whatnemesis means, yeah i know what you mean, OC'ers won't get in anywhere outside of calif. this year, damn show</p>
<p>My friend and I both did get into Caltech though, that's because Pasadena is close enough to the OC to understand it...</p>
<p>Xraven,
Winning a state mock trial competition is a big deal. That's particularly true if you're in an area in which most of the Ivy-aspiring students are top competitors in other types of competitions. You are being overly modest to suggest that you had no hook.</p>
<p>What kind of h.s. did you go to and what's your prospective major?</p>
<p>i dont want to say what school i go to, but its very exclusive & private in nyc and its really not that uncommon a thing for those ppl to get in... i dont know why every didnt believe me. its the truth, dont hate. :)</p>
<p>and eight out of eight didnt get in this year, it was eight out of about 14, 15.</p>