How good of an applicant am I for UPenn?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

Hello, I’m a current junior and I really want to go to UPenn for biomedical engineering for premed or another really good school. Here’s a list of colleges I know for sure I’ll apply to: U of Michigan, Boston University, Northeastern University, Boston College, UVA, Georgetown, UPenn, Cornell, Carnegie Melon, John Hopkins, WashU, Princeton
ALSO: would it greatly help my application to take the SAT again and get 1500 or higher?

GPA: 4.9 (weighted)
SAT score: 1480 (not superscored, 3rd time taking it)
Essay section: 18/24 (rip)
AP Scores:
Chem: 3 (had a bad teacher, not submitting this, but had A+ in the class)
CompSci: 4 (online course, should I include that?)
Current APs I’m in: Bio, Calc BC, US gov, English language
I have A+ in Calc BC so I think there’s a chance I’ll get a 5 if I keep up my work. Also doing well in bio and might get 5 also.
Subject tests:
Chem: 720
I’m planning on taking math 2 and biology subject tests

Extracurriculars:
Volunteer at local library, about 300 volunteer hours most during the summer
Lead Programmer on robotics team, founded robotics program in 8th grade at my school
I fly small airplanes and have a private pilot’s license
Certified scuba diver since 2013
Technology council representative at my school, vice president next year most likely
Quiz Bowl tv team captain (we answer trivia on local news)
I went to Spain for a language immersion program for 2 weeks (probably won’t put that on application…)

Societies:
Asenus society (volunteer hours related)
Mu alpha theta (math)
Most likely cum laude honor society (I’ll find out in January)
other societies I will find out in May

thank you so much if you read all of this

2

Also I’m Hispanic but come from a high income family.
and I have done Model UN for 5 years

3

Colleges will find it suspicious if you don’t report the AP score. A 3 is a “non-factor”, it won’t benefit or harm you. But not submitting it could harm you. I say submit it, just to be safe. Colleges will obviously value the A+ and 1480 and overlook the 3.

You are a good applicant with a great GPA. Extracurriculars are interesting, just find a way to connect them in your essays. Why do you do so many things in different fields? You need to explain that, otherwise it looks like you are doing them just for show.

4

It is worth taking SAT again but you don’t need SAT essay unless you plan to apply to UC.

5

I would retake the SAT, but make sure that you really get a higher score this time! Admissions officers would not enjoy seeing someone take the SAT 4 times for no reason. If you aren’t sure that you can get 1500+, I wouldn’t retake it.

6

Several kids I know who got into Penn this year have VERY high stats. ACT 35-36 or SAT 1550-1590 all 5 AP scores, 750-800 SAT subject scores. Nobody reported AP scores below 5… with amazing ECs. I’m not kidding. The way they deferred kids with the same stats makes me think high scores are expected, but essays and EC are the ones that make differences.