Do I have any chance of getting in?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

Hey guys. So I’m new to this website, but I would love to get feedback on this topic that’s been eating at me for a while now.

I would love to know if I could get accepted into the University of Pennsylvania with the following:

I’m not your typical UPENN applicant with perfect scores on everything and in a million clubs so I’m just warning you. I’m a junior in high school.

SAT score: Have not taken test yet. First time will be in May, next June, then October. Although my PSATs are horrible, I forget how to do everything because I get so nervous. I couldn’t even read passages this past psat because I got so extremely nervous.
Rank: 7 out of 250 something students.
Clubs: Cross Country (2 years)
NEHS member (1st year, new to school)
Literacy Team (1st year)
Just joined the new Sign Language team.
Have done some community service at a CARES Program at my grade school. Really only about 15 hours.
Currently taking AP English Lang and APUSH: exams in May.
My average apparently is somewhere between 3.7 and 3.8.
I worked with/for my dad over the summer cleaning parts of stores at mall. I got paid but it was not official. I was not part of payroll.
I have attended various events like the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Washington, Women in Leadership Seminar. God, I cannot think of any more right now. When I do, I’ll add to it.
I am one of the Top 25 scholars for one of my scholarships.
I also have attended various events for it.^
I have applied to join a program in my school that allows students to take 2 semester courses each semester throughout senior year at a college. If I get accepted, I am planning on taking Biology-related courses.

There is some more, but I cannot think of it all currently.

I honestly have not payed attention to colleges until this year because the thought freaks me out.
I have not been able to join clubs until this year because my foreign parents (I love them but I wish it would’ve been different) did not understand how important it was for me to join EC until this year.

Honestly, I have like 20%, at most, of what all upenn applicants have. I want to become a neurosurgeon. I love the brain and I’ve had a passion for learning about the body ever since I can remember. I just have so little confidence in myself and looking at my high school resume so far, I actually probably have the lowest chance of getting in UPENN. Is it possible to be a successful neurosurgeon at all? Now that I think about it, all aspiring neurosurgeons were probably valedictorians, presidents of a million clubs with perfect sats and ap exams scores.

Any advice at all please? I’ll take anything.

2

Funny enough, I’ve got fairly similar stats to yours (a bit lower in the extra-curricular achievement, but I like to think my supplemental make up for it), and based on my own research, we both are within the viable pool. Don’t criticize yourself based on what you read here! People are a tad more harsh here, and your confirmation bias will make you think every applicant to Penn is a noble prize winning - Olympic medalist - 18 AP course student. Obviously neither you nor me is a guarantee, but at the same time, neither you nor I are insta-rejects either!

Chin up sister!

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It’s nice to chat with someone who’s looking into UPenn without the whole 20 AP’s and perfect SATs. Thank you for your reply!
We never really know if we’ll get in, though it’s certainly not impossible. I wish you the best of luck if you apply for UPenn and any other college :slight_smile: