interesting chance candidate

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>hi, i visited penn and stayed a night and two days, just got back today and what can i say, i’m smitten and absolutely in love. i stayed in the quads and man it is gorgeous! and hill caf food is pretty good too. i want to be a QUAKER!</p>

<p>ok so, i think i’m an interesting candidate…why don’t you tell me my chances.</p>

<p>GPA
4.21</p>

<p>SAT
M: 620
V: 630
W: 720
1970</p>

<p>ACT
28</p>

<p>RANK
9/997</p>

<p>AP Tests
Language and Comp. - 4
Chemistry - 3</p>

<p>Senior Course Load
AP Calculus AB
AP US History
AP English Lit
AP Physics B
AP Spanish Lit</p>

<p>Extracurricular

  1. Varsity Swim/Diving - Grades 10-12, 14 hours/8 weeks, Lead Relay Anchor/ Backstroke</p>

<li><p>Marching Band - Grades 11-12, 35 hours/15 weeks, Baritone player, Three time state champion</p></li>
<li><p>SkillsUSA - Grades 10-12, 14 hours/24 weeks, President</p></li>
<li><p>Varsity Tennis - Grades 10-12, 14 hours/8 weeks, First Doubles</p></li>
<li><p>Quiz Bowl - Grades 9-12, 5 hours/30 weeks, President/ Founder, competitive up to state level</p></li>
<li><p>Science Club - Grades 10-12, 3 hours/40 weeks, President</p></li>
<li><p>Green Team Community Service - Grades 10-12, 15 hours/52 weeks, President, help conserve nature, publish brochure which received national attention</p></li>
<li><p>Bzz Agent - Grades 11-12, 1 hour/52 weeks, Product tester/ feedback provider</p></li>
<li><p>Chess Club - Grades 9-12, 2 hours/25 weeks, President</p></li>
<li><p>National Honor Society - Grades 11-12, help with purchase of school supplies for underprivileged schools in India</p></li>
<li><p>Urban Garden Community Service – Grades 11-12, 5 hours/30 weeks, donate home grown vegetables and fruits to local hospices.</p></li>
<li><p>Forensics Team – Grades 10-12, 4 hours/12 weeks, Original Oratory and Declamation speaker</p></li>
<li><p>Debate Team – Grades 10-12, 4 hours/12 weeks Lincoln-Douglas Debate/Extemporaneous Speaking</p></li>
<li><p>Key Club – Grades 10-12, 1 hours/40 weeks, more than 150 hours community service</p></li>
<li><p>Yearbook Club – Grades 11-12, 1 hours/40 weeks, Photographer/Editor</p></li>
<li><p>Science League Club – Grades 10-12, 2 hours/6 weeks, local champions for Chemistry and Physics</p></li>
<li><p>World Science Festival NY08 Volunteer – Grade 10, 15 hours</p></li>
<li><p>Tae Kwon Do – Grades 9-12, 3 hours/40 weeks, Black Belt</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Done almos 800 hours community service since freshmen year</p>

<p>i do lots of things…not just to put on my app…it’s because i’m actually passionate about them, but my biggest thing is community service. i’m really passionate about that.</p>

<p>i am a QUESTBRIDGE FINALIST APPLICANT
l</p>

<p>i really, really, really want to go to penn…with my overnight stay evaluation sheet, i typed up another essay and attached it describing my experience and why i want to go there. the admit officers were really pleased and even remembered my name!</p>

<p>during my stay, i met people who had lower scores than me and generally weaker applicants but they seeemed to have gotten in. </p>

<p>i know my scores are low, but i really want to make this work. what do you guys think…maybe or and i just dreaming crazy?!</p>

2

<p>bumpppppppppppppp</p>

3

<p>what is so unique about you</p>

4

<p>wow that was harsh. guess i deserved it.</p>

<p>it’s not so much that i’m unique, i just personally think i have other things that make up for my low score. and i just want a chance rating or percentage of my chance of admission.</p>

5

<p>As much as it sucks, standardized tests do mean a lot. Luckily for you, Penn cares a lot about grades, and you have nice ones. It’s still a relatively large reach.</p>

<p>I’d try to get recruited, that’s your best bet.</p>

6

<p>“everyone is unique. not everyone is extraordinary.”
someone posted that in an earlier chance thread. brilliant words.</p>

<p>i don’t think you’re particularly (italicized) interesting because there are a ton of kids out there just like you. but you do seem pretty interesting, i guess. </p>

<p>i say reach.</p>

7

<p>I just got an email from upenn ,saying that the av.SAT score of admitted students is 2100.This means that you can go with 2050 or 2150 ,but 1970 … i dont know man.Retake it</p>

8

<p>The average score for successful applicants is about 2166, which is the same as getting 9 questions wrong and a 5/6 on your essay. In other words, they want the average, successful applicant to have been in the range of a perfect score.</p>

<p>Your SAT scores are far too low to demonstrate that. However, GPA is also enormously important, and you appear to be in the top 1% of your class! That is definitely going to be a feather in your cap, and could possibly make up for your low scores.</p>

<p>I would say that Penn is still a reach. I don’t know very much about questbridge, but it seems to me that Penn might be willing to overlook your scores from a socio-economic point of view; meaning that, as a financially disadvantaged person, your low SAT scores could have stemmed from the fact that you didn’t have the same educational access as wealthier, middle-class students.</p>

9

<p>As others have said, your SAT’s are pretty low for Penn. But your grades and EC’s are excellent. I think one thing you can do is to get recommendations from those that can really emphasize just how much you really do outside of the classroom so the admission officers know you’re the real deal. Penn has plenty of academic juggernauts – it’s usually a lot more rare to find someone who can really be involved and contribute a lot to Penn’s activities and atmosphere.</p>

<p>In all honesty, a lot of kids who come here have not done as much as you have when it comes to EC’s. Most were involved, yes, but in your case it seems like you’re quite passionate about it. Couple that with your good GPA/rank, and I think it’s going to be harder for Penn to reject you. If you can, I would advise retaking the SAT – shoot for at LEAST high 600’s to low 700’s. Get a study book and practice tests if you need to until you’re comfortable. The average student here flattens out to having a score distribution of 700 in each section. Once you start dipping down into the 600’s, it starts to look funky. The tests you’ll take in college are much harder than the SAT, I assure you.</p>

<p>If you can pull that off I think you have a fairly good chance, especially if your essays are good. As of this moment I would say it’s definitely a reach, but you can make yourself a lot more competitive by just fine-tuning the weaknesses of your application. You’ve more or less finished the hard parts already.</p>