<p>I'm currently a high school freshman, so I'd probably be weird to have my heart already set on one school However, attending UPenn Wharton at this point seems to be something I really want. Is it bad to start preparing early? What should I do as far as ec's, tests, and etc. goes?</p>
<p>I would say the best thing to do for a school like Penn would be to take as many hard classes as you can in high school and get A's in all of them.</p>
<p>It might not also hurt to find some activity, hobby, etc that is interesting and esoteric.</p>
<p>As with other elite schools, taking the hardest classes possible and getting A's in them is the primary factor, as well as doing pretty well on the SATs. However, Wharton also requires some unique attributes, mainly with regards to ECs. Apparently Wharton really likes leadership, so I strongly suggest you run as many clubs as possible, run for student body positions, lead some community service projects, etc. Also, do interesting things during the summer. An internship at some sort of law/business/investing firm would help I'm sure. So, in short, getting into Wharton isn't as simple as getting straight A's. For example, my college counselor told me not to go for Wharton, but my close friend did and got in. I had better grades than him by a comfortable margin, but didn't have the same extracurriculars. He had sports and other activities in which he showed leadership. It's important to mention that he was also black though, so think of that what you will. Anywho, hope this helps.</p>
<p>Does volunteering at a local public library and teach kids sciences and other interesting knowledge and improve their reading skills count as a leadership position?</p>
<p>It might count as a leadership position. You'll also want to decide about standardized testing. UPenn, like almost every school in the United States, accepts both the SAT and the ACT. However, UPenn accepts the ACT in place of the SAT and 2 SAT IIs. So, you might want to consider taking it instead.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone soo much for the replies. Keep them coming! =D</p>
<p>Oh yeah, about the running clubs: would it be better to start a club or just be hold office position? In my school, there are already a lot of clubs, so starting clubs might be very obvious that I'm trying to squeeze stuff on my resume. Well, just a thought.</p>
<p>Hold office in currently established clubs. You could either hold it for a staple like FBLA, NHS, Mu Alpha Theta, Student Council, Key Club, etc, or you can head a lesser known club at school (maybe political / cultural / art / language /whatever else your school has that doesn't get a lot of attention) and spruce it up and turn it into something great.</p>
<p>I didn't hold positions in any of the major national clubs, but I held some in school specific ones that were far more active, and on the Common Application, you can submit an extra page to discuss obscure clubs and activities the admission counselors wouldn't understand, and I think my explanations of my clubs and descriptions of what I contributed helped my application a fair bit.</p>
<p>Find an EC that you like, and do it with enthusiasm for your 3 remaining years. By then, you should have some leadership role in the club, and a good essay about your favorite EC.</p>
<p>Keep up the grades, and do well on the SATs. And as tux08902 said, the ACT is a worthwhile thought. It's supposedly not as challenging as the SAT because the questions don't try to trip you up. I almost did that, but got too lazy.</p>
<p>And creating a club that your school doesn't offer won't look like you're squeezing things on your app UNLESS you don't actually have interest in whatever club you're starting.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say that the ACT isn't as challenging. The ACT and SAT are very different tests. The ACT tries to test harder material in more difficult time limits, while the SAT tries to test easier material in a roundabout, tricky way. The reality is that some do better on the ACT, while others do better on the SAT. Like any other person applying to college, your best bet is to take a practice version of each test. Then, you can convert the ACT score to an SAT score and go from there.</p>
<p>YankeeBoy115 is right about extracurriculars. You only need one or two that you have remained an active member of for most of your high school careers. My thing is publications, specifically yearbook. I joined my high school yearbook staff in my sophomore year, the first year that you are allowed to. I am academics section head now, and I'm up for editor for my class book for next year. I've also been a dedicated member of my school newspaper staff, writing articles on current events and some opeds. Pick something that interests you and stick with it and show your achievements in that extracurricular. A laundry list won't do anything for you when application times comes around cause colleges know how everybody tries to play the system. Hey, it's not playing the system anymore. It's just being stupid!</p>
<p>Cooleo. I've been really big on journalism and the school newspaper too. =D Anyways, I was thinking of doing that and making my school start a DECA chapter. However, if that doesn't work out I would be helping my parents on their business. Do you think business outside of school can be considered a EC?</p>