Hello, I am currently a sophomore in high school and want to major in finance and computer science. My top choice is Wharton and I was just wondering if my current “stat sheet” is enough to get in. If not, I would love to know what more I could do.
9th grade classes
(H) English 9
(H) World History
(H) Algebra 2
(H) Earth and Physical Science
Spanish 3
Gym(Physical Education)
Visual Basic Programming
Concert Band
I received As in all of them
10th grade classes
(H) English 10
(H) US 1
(H) Pre-Calculus
(H) Biology
(H) Spanish 4
Gym
AP Computer Science
Personal and Business Finance
I have As in all of them
My classes scheduled for next year
AP Lang
AP US History
AP Calculus
(H)Physics
(H)Chemistry
AP Spanish 5
Gym
AP Microeconomics
I currently have a 4.3 unweighted and 4.0 weighted GPA and I am in the top 1% of my class
I am also in a few clubs:
Programmer for Robotics, Press Secretary for Model UN, PR Officer for FBLA, STEM Club, Spanish National Honor Society, and Student Coucil.
I also have 4,250 community service hours (Most of it is from a local organization I have been helping out every week for the past 4 years)
Are my classes okay for next year? Am I on the right track? Is there anything more I could be doing?
You’ve been averaging 20 hours a week at this org for the last four years? Since you were 11 years old? Sorry but that 4250 hours strains credulity. Being devoted is a good thing. But your number shouts out freakishness or exaggeration. Your academics are on track – keep it up.
It’s my local temple that I go to every Sunday and I have stayed for a week at a time occasionally over the summer. The rest of that is some other volunteering I’ve done. Does it sound fake? Would it be better if I got a certificate that proves my hours?
It’s really not about your hours. It’s about your achievements in the hours that you spent and will spend at the temple. What specifically have you done to make a significant difference. And what did you bring to the position that someone else could not. What was that difference? Overall your ECs seem weak. Fewer clubs and even one substantial leadership position would strengthen your stats. But leadership not for leadership sake. Leadership driven by a personal passion.
I will probably become a head programmer for robotics and president of Model UN next year? Would that help? All the clubs that I mentioned I have only joined because I like them. There are plenty of other clubs in my school but these were the only ones that made an impact on me or really drew my interest.
4000 hours would be over 1000 per year. Assuming you spent 8 40-hour weeks volunteering each summer, that would still leave you spending 15 hours per week at your temple (unless you have spent lots of time volunteering elsewhere too?). Now, I’m not saying that this is impossible, but if you really have spent over 4000 hours volunteering, it is expected that you would have contributed something very meaningful. That something would be what matters, not the number of hours (after all, for all they know, those 4000+ hours might have been spent sitting around).
Don’t put your worth in an admissions decision. You likely will get rejected. More than 90% of people do. And a lot of people who are good enough to get in get rejected as well. What I will say is, from the time it took for me to read your post and respond to it, I have completely forgotten every part of your application except the obviously fabricated volunteer numbers. Not a good sign.
For the people I know who got into Wharton, they all already ran businesses that made 25k+ a year. The exceptions were people who wrote about great ideas. Wharton just wants business leaders not generic applicants. Strive to be a leader in business
I’m sorry I meant to say 4.3 weighted and 4.0 unweighted. And as for my hours go they are not at all fabricated, I have certificates to prove every hour in that list. Thanks 0br0123, I will definitely keep that in mind and I will start asking for help to start my own business.
@shimbroza You’re only a sophomore, so it’s really hard to say, but it seems you are on the right track. When I first saw the 4,250, I also thought that it must be fake, but I’ll just assume you’re being honest here. Make sure that when you do apply, you explain the different organizations you volunteered with and how much time with each one, so it’s clear that it’s not a fake number.
@0br0123 Maybe the people you know who got into Wharton ran businesses in high school that made 25k+ a year, but I think that’s not true for 99% of the Wharton undergrad student population. If I were running a business that made 25k a year while in high school, I probably would’ve just skipped college and seen if I could grow my business since I’d have more time with high school being over. You certainly don’t need a particular business idea or already operate a business to get into Wharton.
Sorry, I did not mean to say that your hours were fabricated. What I meant to get at is that it’s more important that you convey what you have done while you’re volunteering. 4000+ hours is a lot of time to do something meaningful.
@OrchidBloom. thank you, I do understand that I need to do something meaningful and I have. In fact, the essay I am thinking of writing is about my experiences with the hours.