<p>it is misleading. penn has a very large student body but by saying that penn is huge, yr referring to the campus size and not to the student body, and therefore, that’s not accurate because penn is, in fact, not huge. campus wise, stanford has the largest campus. </p>
<p>yale has a much bigger campus than penn, which i took into careful consideration when i was dedicing btwn the two schools. also, i didn’t like the surrounding area. the train ride to new haven was even scarey.</p>
<p>i was not a urm, and not a legacy student (my parents both went to state universities), but if yr a legacy, i wouldn’t pass up the legacy advantage and not apply ed. also, i want to get a good job after college, and so i looked at honors and how easy it is 2 graduate with honors at each school. it’s much easier to graduate with honors at penn than it is to do so at yale.</p>
<p>i’m happy with my decision and would say go for it to all future EDers!!!</p>
<p>Since there are no one definite “deciding factor” when it comes to college admisisons, and the college instead looks at the whole package, how does SAT play a role here? Contrary to GPA and extracurricular activities, which differ from person to person based on what’s offered at school, SAT (and arguably the essay) is the only thing that stays constant. Will you say that there’s an invisible “minimum” SAT baseline for Ivy Leagues for prospective candidates? That is, once the baseline is reached it does not really matter how much you get?</p>
<p>I just know that in smaller colleges SAT plays a smaller factor as the admission officers have more time to go through your application in depth.</p>
<p>chrisw, that is a very good point. But I would still stand by that those things (day trading, entrepreneurship, dancing, and cultural awareness) are better expressed in essays than on collegeboard transcripts and high school transcripts.</p>
<p>And just for the record. Day-trading from 10k to 200k is no different from winning the lottery. True investing is Graham/Dodd/Buffet style
And yeah, I managed money too. Not 20x but I made money in a recession which is not bad and with a firm analytical basis, which I think stood out in my essay.</p>
<p>To say ed has a huge advantage is probably a bit misleading. Since wharton is undisputedly #1 for finance, those with above the admit or not line will probably just apply ed to save some trouble. Also, to apply ed, one has to be prepared much earlier which also eliminates the more “casual” applicants. One also has to consider that an extra few months to supplement one’s app may make a bigger difference. That and, URMs, athletes, and legacies all bump up the accept rate which can move more easily due to the smaller pool.</p>
<p>I’d say if you’re 1) satisfied with your app and 2) fairly certain about penn then go ed. If you do your research, you’ll at least find out which schools are a big red x for you. So long as penn isn’t in that category I’d say you can’t go wrong attending (even if there may be better fits). But weigh the risks with the benefits and decide for yourself :D.</p>
<p>Btw, I heard the curve is pretty tough. I think maybe bump youself down 2 steps (e.g. A+ to A-) and you’re about there.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice guys I do not think I will apply ED then… I’m pretty confident I can raise my SAT scores by Oct so that will give me a better chance in getting in RD. Also I would still like to visit the campuses (of schools accepted) before I settle down on a school. And hopefully I’ll get into more than one good school.</p>
<p>what the hell are you talking about. Essays cannot get you into Harvard with a 2000 SAT. Essay is a only 1/6 (depending on how many parts you consider important) of the process. It is ridiculous to claim that he can get into Penn simply with essays because that is the “deciding factor.”</p>
<p>CC’er, we had a girl at our school who got into Harvard with a 2140. She wrote amazing essays because she excels at writing. When you are high on your scores, it doesn’t make a difference. Your scores qualify you for consideration, they don’t get you in.</p>
<p>I would apply ED. There’s a major advantage because they want to get people who know that Penn is their first choice. If you can realize that Penn is your first choice, then you’re ahead of the game. It took me a bit longer to know that Penn so for me, so I applied RD.</p>
<p>Necro, did you read her whole application packet?
How do you know she didnt have an intel or Siemens up in her sleeve. it is rather easy to hide it from her peers if she requests her principle to keep silent. Like i said before, the are other parts of the application to be considered. A siemens semi or a STS semi ALWAYS weighs more than a “fun, interesting, and exciting-as well as unique” essay.</p>
<p>This can be your “unique” essay for Why Penn if your a semi for Intel and still be admitted:</p>
<p>Dear ADcoms,
I like your school. Now take me in before i take my research talent somewhere Harvard.</p>
<p>P.S. I like brownies with cream- you better have them in the dining hall.</p>
<p>Very true. While there are plenty of 2400s, not all of them are accepted to Harvard. Likewise, there are many “fantastic essays”. But not all are accepted.</p>
<p>While the admissions process is ambiguous, and sometimes even called “random” (I’m not about to disagree with that) the admission officers look at an applicant as a WHOLE. Not solely by your score, ec, or essay.</p>
<p>no, I didn’t read her app but the kid didn’t excel in sciences/maths (I didn’t see her in any of them and she didn’t make it to subject of gossip ranks). However, she interned at the writing center so I can deduct she wrote amazing essays.</p>
<p>In any event, 2400s don’t get into top schools. You need to look elsewhere to get an idea of chance.</p>
I do not think I will apply ED then… I’m pretty confident I can raise my SAT scores by Oct so that will give me a better chance in getting in RD. Also I would still like to visit the campuses (of schools accepted) before I settle down on a school. And hopefully I’ll get into more than one good school.</p>