ED Huntsman Program @ UPenn vs. EA Princeton University

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

I am a rising senior who attends a competitive private school in New Jersey. Right now, I’m not sure whether to apply ED to the Huntsman Program at UPenn or to apply EA to Princeton. Both of these options are obviously extremely competitive. I’m interested in economics, international relations, and philosophy.

Here are some of my stats…

Unweighted GPA: 3.99
Weighted GPA: N/A
Class Rank: 1st decile
SAT I: 1550 (CR/W: 760, M: 790)*
SAT II:

  • Math Level 2: 800
    -US History: will take
    -Spanish: will take
    AP:**
  • Spanish Language & Culture: 5
  • Calculus BC: 5 (AB subscore: 5)
  • US History: 5
  • English Language & Composition: 5
  • will take six more exams next year
  • I only took the SAT I once. I could have received a better score, but I didn't think that it was worth retaking. ** My school doesn't offer official AP courses, so many of the exams involve self-studying.

Am I more likely to get into one school over the other if I apply early?

Although I’m pretty good at Spanish (studied abroad for six weeks, scored the top mark on the “Diploma Internacional de Español” exam), I heard that Spanish is very over-populated at the Huntsman Program. Would it be better if I choose a different language? I was brought up in a Russian household, but I’m not exactly fluent in Russian and I probably wouldn’t do great on the proficiency test.

Also, I wouldn’t be applying ED to UPenn if it weren’t for the Huntsman Program. Is there a way to apply ED to Huntsman but RD to Wharton?

It is also worth noting that I have some connections to Princeton University–not legacy, but I’ve done some programs there and I know various alumni.

Thanks!

2

My advice is not to base your decision on which is a better chance but which one you like best. Honestly, the odds for either are going to be extremely low so make sure you have other choices.

But getting to your situation even though the acceptance rate for Princeton SCEA appears higher if you remove ‘hooked’ applicants like Athletes and Legacy then the acceptance rate isn’t much different from RD. Applying to Penn ED will give you a better chance at acceptance. Even if you don’t get into Huntsman you might get into the college you apply to (CAS or Wharton) so if you are happy to go to Penn and NOT be in Huntsman then applying ED will boost your chances.

3

@aik9944 Was in a similar situation last year regarding Penn M&T and Stanford.

You can apply Penn ED for Huntsman but designate your second choice (Wharton) as non-binding, in which case your application would deferred to RD if you do to get into Huntsman early.