<p>Hey guys, well I decided that I'm going to apply ED to wharton. I know my chances are super slim but 3 kids got into Upenn with low stats last year (28's on ACT) so I figured I got nothing to lose. I feel like the one thing I do have that may help me get in is work. I've worked more than almost anyone I know. I work 25hrs a week during the school year (remember I get home late from school because it is an hour train right away) and around 35-40hrs a week during the summer. Also I attend a jesuit highschool which I think Penn kind of favors. I live in NY and will be paying full price.</p>
<p>Almost forgot, I will be applying for a double major (classics and wharton) - Upenn is very fond of classics.</p>
<p>ACT: 31 (expecting a 32-33 on September test I destroyed all sections but got a 26 on science...)
GPA: 3.85 </p>
<p>Freshmen
English 1 H: A
Algebra 2 Adv H: B+
Global 1: B+
Biology H: B+
Latin 1: A
Religious Studies 1: A
Intro to computers: A
Intro to music: A</p>
<p>Sophomore Year
English 2 Adv H: B+
Geometry H: A
Global 2 H: A
Chemistry: A
Latin 2 H: B (grrr)
Spanish 1: A
Religioius Studies 2: A</p>
<p>Junior Year
AP english lit and comp: A
AP US History: A
Trig-log-calc H: A
Physics H: A
Latin 3 H: A
Spainsh 2 H: A
Religious Studies 3: A</p>
<p>Senior Year (anticipated)
AP Lit and Comp: A
AP Calc: A
AP Macro: A
Latin 4 H: A
Engeneering Science H: A
Religious Studies 4: A</p>
<p>Extra curriculars:
I have worked at a local hardware store since 8th grade (for 5 years) for
20hrs+ p/w durirng the school year and 30hrs+ p/w during the summer.
Indoor track: freshmen/junior year
Cross country: Freshmen/sophomore year
Outdoor track: Freshmen/sophomore year
100hrs as a junior community service at local community house</p>
<p>Summer activities:
Freshmen: Went on a NOLS trip for 1month in wyoming/worked when I got back
Sophomore: Traveled through Europe for 3weeks/worked when I got back
Junior: Worked 35hrs per week</p>
<p>How did you work 25 hrs during the school year? That’s illegal lol.</p>
<p>Did the people with 28s get into Wharton? If you can raise your ACT that’d be good, but your grades are decent. Are you planning on taking the SAT II’s?</p>
<p>And if you emphasize what you’ve learned from working in an essay and it’s fabulously written, who knows. College admissions are always a toss-up in my opinion.</p>
<p>I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say most likely no. Working 25 hours a week during the school year isn’t much. I worked 20+ a week for the better part of my senior year. Your ACT is pretty low also. Not to be a jerk but I’d say you really don’t have a shot. Even for just UPenn, your ACT would put you in the bottom 30% I believe, and I’d imagine a 33 would put you maybe in the middle 50%, if you can even get a 33. Your ECs aren’t spectacular and you don’t have any leadership positions</p>
<p>Yea, thats what i’m talking about, I can’t do leadership? I live 1hr from school so if I did do a club I would get home at 5p.m then I would do work for 3hrs each day and end up not doing anythign till 8 pm? I’ve shown more comitment to work than anyone I know has shown to clubs… I’ve worked 4k hours+ by the time I graduate senior year…</p>
<p>commitment =/= leadership, sorry to say. It sounds like you’re making an excuse as to why you can’t have a leadership position. I don’t understand why you would have to have an extra hour EVERY DAY devoted to the leadership position in a club. Join a club and try to become an officer. And also, it’s not hard getting home after 8 and starting your homework. Most of the student athletes in club sports/on football I knew in high school wouldn’t get home til around 9 or 10 every night and they didn’t complain or have the ‘woe is me’ attitude. My sister, after she turned 18, enrolled in work experience and worked til closing (usually 10 or 10:30 pm) 4 out of the 5 days of the week and managed her school work. Your situation is hardly unique. Join a club and try to become an officer, it’s as simple as that, it doesn’t require that much extra time and it seems like you’re just making excuses as to why you can’t do that, and that doesn’t bode well for college applications.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say a lack of leadership necessarily kills your app. as you clearly have done other things with your time. I got inot Penn, (CAS, not Wharton) with literally no real leadership stuff unless you count reffing soccer/ tutoring. I also wrote to a classics prof. at Penn and wrote about classics in my essay, so maybe the classics thing will help you. that said, I do think that a higher ACT would help. i have no idea what your chances are. Wharton is tough.</p>
<p>I disagree that commitment does not show leadership. Being a leader is not all about being called the president or head of something, it’s about making your own unique contributions. I never had the official title of leader in high school, but that’s not to say that I didn’t contribute a lot to my activities in my own ways that benefitted others.</p>
<p>I dunno, I’m just telling it how I see it. It seems like the only EC (aside from the 100 hours) you have is your Hardware Store job. Why can’t you at least be involved in any other club? I was in a ping-pong club in high school that only met once a week and we got to play ping-pong (during lunch). Maybe I’m just being too critical…</p>
Oh, gosh, I’m soooo sorry, I must’ve missed the part where you were working at the hardware store WHILE you were in school which would make it impossible for you to join a club that met DURING school, or the part where you said clubs ONLY meet between the 3 hours AFTER SCHOOL in which you’re working at the hardware store.</p>
<p>
Reading comprehension clearly isn’t one of your strong suits.</p>
<p>Once again, all I hear are exQQses, and if your college essays are explaining how your ‘dedication’ (even though many people work just as much, if not more, than you and are heavily involved in ECs/clubs) to the hardware store prohibits you from joining ANY club, then I sincerely wish you the best of luck getting in any where.</p>
<p>Man you think your the boss don’t you. Your probably just ****ed because you only got into UofM instead of Wharton… second rate… (jking I’m trying to get into ross)</p>
<p>Uhhh no, I’m just being honest and realistic. I could lie to you if you want? Here we go…
YES YOUR CHANCES LOOK GREAT I’M SO IMPRESSED WITH YOU AND YOUR RESUME, IT’S FLAWLESS.</p>
<p>How’s that?</p>
<p>
I didn’t apply to Wharton, and I was actually accepted to Harvard (waitlisted —> accepted) which is basically on the same tier in terms of recruitment. Nice try though. I didn’t consider UPenn because it doesn’t appeal to me. I was looking for a big school with a great hockey program and one where school spirit/athletics were big, and partying/meeting other people would be a big priority to others as well. I’m not bashing on UPenn at all - and I unfortunately never had the chance to visit it - but I was worried (and my assumptions could be totally off-base here so forgive me) that it would’ve had too much of the pre-professional all work-no play feel to it, which isn’t what I want.</p>
<p>I’m legitimately trying to help you out. I know that honesty/the truth hurts some times, but I seriously think you should consider joining a club. At least look into it, please. They don’t suck time out of your schedule, they allow you to pursue your interests, and they look good for college, plain and simple. You don’t have to be a leader in a club, but they want you to show some interest in something other then work/school.</p>
<p>I applied to Stanford and was rejected because (I believe - and this is just my opinion) my essays made me come off pretty flat. All of my essays for Stanford were about how I wanted to pursue stand-up comedy, and it made me pretty one dimensional. Colleges want to hear more about you aside from how you work at a hardware store.</p>
<p>I don’t think you are giving him enough credit for how much he works at the store, 25 hours per week is a significant chunk of time, assuming he works monday-friday, thats 5 hours a day, plus 6 hours at least of school, plus lets say 2 hours for meals and just wastage time, and then he said at least an hour ride home, that puts him at 14 hours out of a 24 hour day, now lets assume he sleeps at least 6 of those hours, that leaves 4 hours for homework and clubs, so if a club takes an hour, he is left with 3 for homework. Seems like he stretched pretty thin to me. But thats just my opinion</p>
<p>I do agree with you that at least one club is necessary, but if he really can’t fit that in, there is no point to keep hammering about joining a club.</p>