Need help choosing between ED and regular applying.

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>Hey, I can't decide if I should or should not apply ED to UPenn CAS. I was going to apply for Wharton, but as I'm undecided between humanities and science right now I'm going to apply for CAS. Looking to major in either econ or biochem. I'm a little worried about finaid and my chances for applying ED (The school is at the top of my list, but idk if I would have a better chance applying regular) so if you could please chance me for ED and regular that would be great. Thanks!</p>

<p>Gender: F
Ethnicity: Asian
Location: Southwest
College Class Year: 2013
High School: Public
High School Type: sends some grads to schools like duke, upenn, stanford but no harvard or yale, etc.</p>

<p>Academics:
GPA - Unweighted: 3.85
GPA - Weighted: 4.90
Class Rank: top 5% (Currently ranked 8/700, but that will probably change after 2nd semester grades go in)
Course selection: All AP or IB courses. (Tested in 2 IBs (chem and spanish) and 4 APs) Next year will be all AP and IB courses as well.</p>

<p>Scores:
SAT total: 1410/2110
SAT I Math: 680
SAT I Critical Reading: 730
SAT I Writing: 700
ACT-32</p>

<p>Will take SAT II's in US History and Math-2, chem on June 7th
Will retake SAT in Oct--aiming for 2250-2300
Will retake ACT in June--aiming for 35-36</p>

<p>ECs
-Speech and Debate (9-12), President/Head Captain (11,12), Policy Captain (10)
-National Spanish Honors Society (9-12), President (12), Publicity Manager (11)
-Key Club (9-12), President (12), Lt Gov (12)
-National Honors Society, Secretary (12) <---considering dropping
-Governor's Youth Commission(11-12), Chair of a committee and team leader (12)
-Mayor's Youth Commission, Chair(11-12)(this upcoming year)
-National Youth Council (just chosen to join)
-Independent Volunteer Project
-Science research--For the past year at the state university working with a professor. As a sophomore, independently seeked out a grad student to serve as a mentor (9-12)
-And a myriad of other stuff like MUN, and I played tennis during 9-10 but didn't my junior year so I don't think I'm putting that on.</p>

<p>Employment
This summer: Working at a university lab that I've been researching in all year.</p>

<p>Honors/Awards
1st place Congressional Speaking- Local Tournament
2nd place Expository Speaking- National Tournament
3rd place Extemporaneous Speaking- National Tournament
And a myriad of semis and finals for local tournaments..
1st place- My school and another school in my district's science fair (three years now)
2nd place- State science fair (2007)
5th place- Science symposium--also was the state delegate to the National symposium
HOBY delegate
Summer program--1 of 10 US representatives chosen to attend a fully scholarship funded international program by the US State Department
--1 of 9 girls chosen to attend a mountaineering/glacier/leadership program in Seattle
---State delegate to the Congressional Academy program funded by the US Dept. of Education
---Various leadership summits
I'm aiming for more speech and debate awards and getting to ISEF and ITS, etc.</p>

<p>Recs/Essays
I've got one good teacher rec for sure, and my counselor actually knows me. I have like 3 good outside of school recs from the ppl I work with. Essays will hopefully be good. I used to love writing when I had time.</p>

<p>Hooks--ECs, and summer programs. Weaknesses: GRADES (I got 4 Bs 1st semester of junior year and will probably get 3 Bs 2nd semester of junior year...they're in the same classes of chem, and math. Otherwise, before that it was all As)<--How bad will this hurt me? I'm hoping my ECs will make up for it.</p>

<p>Oh and will UPenn be ok if I only take 2 SAT IIs? (chem and math)</p>

2

<p>Err... what made you think you had a better chance applying regularly rather than ED?</p>

3

<p>Uh nothing. I think I just need to be chanced for UPenn in general, lol. I'm wavering on applying ED and regular. And if ED gave me a better chance then I would apply. As much as I love UPenn, if it's worse for me to apply ED I rather not and apply EA to other schools then and just apply regular.</p>

4

<p>Of course it's better for you to apply ED if you really wanna get in >_></p>

5

<p>Hm true. Chance me for ED then?</p>

6

<p>The last set of numbers I saw show that you have a better chance getting accepted ED, than RD. However, ED does have a lot of legacies since they only get that preference applying early, along with athletes and those with very strong stats. Though the conventional wisdom is that ED gives better chances in general, it is difficult to say in specific cases, how much better.</p>

<p>One problem that I have been seeing with ED is that a lot of kids are "downsizing" their choices. In exchange for an ED that is not really first choice, they want to be as sure as possible of getting into a school. For instance, some kids I know who really wanted Columbia or Penn, decided to go ED with Emory and Tufts, where they felt pretty sure they would be accepted early whereas it would have been a crap shoot for their true first choices even ED. A shame, because they now will never know if they would have been accepted as their profiles certainly were in the acceptable range for their first choice schools. </p>

<p>The way I look at it, if a school is truly your first choice, go for it ED. If deferred, you have a second chance to bolster your app when it goes back for reconsideration for RD. There is usually a better chance ED simply because the school wants a number of commitments. Also I think psychologically admission directors are a bit more generous early in the season when they all of those seats to fill, whereas by the time they get to the tail end of the applications they have few seats and have to make some tougher decisions.</p>

7

<p>question</p>

<p>im also a '13-er (lol) and i really want to apply to Penn ED, but what if they aid they gave me doesnt match what my parents are going to pay? what happens in that situation? thanks</p>

<p>you can post or PM me</p>

8

<p>Bom,</p>

<p>I think you can talk to Financial Aid people and they can help you out, or if the aid just does not fit you, that is the only way you can get out of the ED agreement.</p>

9

<p>To add on to Eloquence, just be sure to talk to the financial aid people as soon as possible after receiving your decision/aid information. A few months back I remember reading on the College Admissions section of this forum about a student who had waited quite a while (April or so if I remember correctly) to try and back out of her ED agreement, and she'd been criticized for waiting for so long to bring up the financial issues.</p>

10

<p>ED exists for people like you who have Penn as their #1 choice. Go for it!</p>

<p>As for your chances, you seem to have talents and interests over a broad range--from sciences to public speaking. Public speaking and such is even better in light of your race and gender.</p>

<p>I think you have a great shot--at ED anyway</p>

11

<p>Don't ED if you can get your SAT score to the 2250-2300 range...unless you're sure you'd choose Wharton over hyps</p>

12

<p>I honestly don't think you need to ED. Use it somewhere else or at least leave your options open! You could get in RD just fine, without worrying about financial aid. That's what I would do if I were in your position.</p>

13

<p>I know from personal experience-if you really want to go to Penn, apply ED (and you can avoid the fate I had to suffer-the waitlist :()</p>

14

<p>can people who apply ED and are deferred end up on the waitlist after RD? (that might be a really stupid question...sorry)</p>

15

<p>^ Yes, they can.</p>