Just be brutal, but don't laugh too hard

<p>Well I’m a Junior currently from a town around the Houston area in Texas, and I’m very interested in attending Wharton in the fall of 2008, but I’d like to know what you feel my chances are, and what more I could to do improve them.</p>

<p>First I feel I should describe my background a little bit - I’m a Hispanic male born in New Jersey on February 12, 1991 (Everyone else in my grade is a year older). I am an ESL student, having gone to live with family in Honduras when I was about 3 months old, and I stayed there for a while until I came back to the States to live in Texas at around the end of the second grade year. I have one younger brother and only my mom(Never my father actually, and he’s now deceased). My mother has a rather… dismal income so I know right off the bat that paying for college will be horrendous, but my worry right now is getting in.</p>

<p>Currently in my school I’m number 4 out of a junior class of 720 students, though the total student number will more than likely change, and my individual ranking will either stay constant or remain the same. I am enrolled currently in Soccer, AP English Lit and Comp, AP Chemistry, AP U.S. History, Pre-AP Pre-Calculus, Pre-AP French III, and Pre-AP Physics. I am making strong A’s in all these courses except English, a high B. First semester I had a few B’s but this second semester most are good A’s. My school uses a 6.0 grading scale in which I was making a 6.007, though that is subject to change as well.</p>

<p>I looked it up and found that the average SAT score for a Penn undergrad is around 2100 and I took a practice test in which I made around a 1900, but I’m rather confident that I can tie up the loose ends in time.</p>

<p>I’m involved in soccer, NHS, and am sort of on Hiatus from french club but I will soon rejoin it. I have completed and organized projects from NHS but I fear that my leadership roles are not exactly up to par with what Wharton expects from prospective students. It is rather difficult for me though seeing as I am 16, my mother works nights with erratic shifts. She previously worked at a school in erm… custodial duties (Not all of us are blessed with cozy lives =P). As you can probably infer, both of my parents had no college experience, and I am, or will be, a first generation college student. Anyways, I will get more involved in the summer with trying to be more active, but I hope that not being able to be incredibly involved is much of a terrible handicap on me, considering my situation related to others.</p>

<p>Next year I will take Soccer, AP English IV(I forget the right term), AP Physics II, AP Government/Macroeconomics, AP Biology, AP Calculus BC and AP Statistics.</p>

<p>I feel that on an academic level I am almost, if not equal with other qualifying undergrads, but my EC activities are lacking. Anyhow, what do you feel my position on getting accepted by Wharton would now be, and what more would I have to do to up my chances?</p>

<p>Oh by the way, I plan to take 3 or 4 SAT II’s, just to have a variety to choose from or maybe it would look good to the admissions department, I’m not sure. They are Spanish, Chemistry, Math IIC, and I’m debating whether or not to take U.S. History.</p>

<p>Anyhow, thanks for everyone[anyone] who took the time to read my wall of text and I’m very grateful for any responses I may receive!</p>

<p>I'd say you got a great chance of getting in. I've seen this one white kid with worse stats get in Wharton! (Assuming that you get good scores, however)</p>

<p>What makes you believe that I have a good chance of being accepted?</p>

<p>Oh and also, I plan to apply E.D., maybe get like 3% better chance of acceptance, but that would be a sweet 3%!</p>

<p>I am an ESL student, having gone to live with family in Honduras when I was about 3 months old, and I stayed there for a while until I came back to the States to live in Texas at around the end of the second grade year. </p>

<p>Why are you an ESL student? You came to america when your were about 7 years old. Are you still in ESL? And you are in AP English. Do you mean to say that you were an ESL student?</p>

<p>Overall, good chances. Minority, first generation with pretty good GPA and SAT scores...so I would say really good shot.</p>

<p>Well, I'd hate to be a little less optimistic than the above post, but your chances of getting in are just a little above average. An ivy league school is no shoe in for anyone, and based on recent admission statistics, it seems a little random. </p>

<p>I'd get that SAT score up, and work on volunteering and other ECs. Your GPA seems to be good. You have special circumstances, but so do many others applying to U Penn. </p>

<p>I would say that your ECs are your main weakness, followed by your scores. I would try to shoot for at least a 2200. </p>

<p>Currently, I'd say that you are a reach for Wharton.</p>

<p>Well, was an ESL student I guess, sorry, wasn't thinking too clearly. </p>

<p>Thanks for the post Gryffon, any and all tips are greatly appreciated, I wanna do the best I can. I do plan on getting a part time job this summer as well as trying to get into summer voluntering projects, maybe get dabble into Habitats for Humanities since I'll have some time =P</p>

<p>i am basing my answer on this year's early decision admits for wharton. there were several students who did not break 2000 on the SAT and still got into wharton. penn cares more about the person than the numbers. the numbers still matter and you have pretty good ones but i won't stress breaking a 2200 which usually is a few questions difference from a 2100.
i guess you seem to be a likeable person so i am optimistic for you :)</p>

<p>Don't worry my first SAT was a 1950 and I finished with a 2230, just make sure to practice your SATs. (By the way I'm also hispanic from Mexico, so it can def be done even though I'm fully bilingual.) </p>

<p>For your ECs, just do something that interests you over summer. something worth writing about in your essay.</p>

<p>Oh I'm fully bilingual as well, fluent in both Spanish and English, I even lost my spanish accent =[</p>

<p>Anyways I thought about it and something I'd like to do over the summer is volunteer at my school. It's kinda ugly but I love the place, and cleaning it up, making it look nice and stuff is a better sense of accomplishment than working as a cashier for 2 months!</p>

<p>kids born in 1991 are applying to college? god i feel old</p>

<p>do whatever you have to do. just do a good and memorable job.</p>

<p>Well Johnny, when I just thought about it, I'll be 16 when applying, hahah I'm young.</p>

<p>I will gmurgia, kinda stressed about SAT's as well now I just have to keep practicing I guess.</p>

<p>lol
to be honest , u dont count as an ESL , its not gonna help u on app anyway</p>

<p>but good chance</p>

<p>Isn't ESL = English as a Second Language?</p>

<p>I was in ESL classes till 5th grade D=</p>

<p>it is going to help you being bilingual though. it makes you more unique</p>

<p>Well if I am or wasn't ESL it doesn't really matter to me, I just wasn't too sure on the terminology to use for that specific portion of my life.</p>

<p>Gmurgia, do you have any statistics or percentages of hispanic/bilingual people that get accepted to Wharton?</p>

<p>I think you have a good chance. Make sure you explain your family situation fully (your mother working erratically, which might have affected your participations in ECs, etc.) Adcoms like people who are able to overcome obstacles. Personal strength is a big plus. For the SATs, just practice a lot. I was in ESL too, and the first time I took the SAT, I got a low 600 CR. But after I practiced a lot and memorized lists of vocabs, I got a 770 on my second try.</p>

<p>For the summer, maybe you can try some volunteering? For example, helping your local Hispanic society may be good.</p>

<p>Good luck with applying!</p>

<p>Well today I just joined the Leo club and they're going to do some stuff over the summer, I also am getting a summer job and am gonna look for as many things that NHS can offer me to do, maybe some internships or something, I'd just hate to try so hard and know that I could have done even just a little more</p>

<p>I have my own. </p>

<p>top 3%
2230 SAT
Very rigorous schedule
SATII:
800 spanish
770 Math II
770 US History</p>

<p>Had pretty noteworthy ECs( worked in a campaign, co-manager of publicity in Baja California, Mexico.)</p>

<p>Well my ECs aren't that hot and never will be, but I'm hoping that they look at my situation in order to decide if I did enough for the type of life I have.</p>

<p>And I'm hoping to get around 2100+ on SAT, between 2 practice tests I went from 1900 to 1970, and that's including like 10+ stupid messups I did =D</p>

<p>Oh and, how imperative is it that I take a Math IIC SAT II? Will Math IC suffice? Or just 2 non math subjects?</p>