****OFFICIAL***** Penn Class of 2018 RD Results ONLY Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>We have 4 days so why not. </p>

<p>Please not that this is NOT a discussion thread, one thing I find so useful on collegeconfidential is the results stats that people have posted in the past and so please try and do the same for future applicants. See you all March 27th, good luck!</p>

<p>I also added the decision reminders just to test one theory. </p>

<p>Follow the structure template here -</p>

<p>Pick one:</p>

<p>Decision: Accepted - CAS
Decision: Accepted - SEAS
Decision: Accepted - Wharton
Decision: Accepted - Nursing
Decision: Deferred - CAS
Decision: Deferred - SEAS
Decision: Deferred - Wharton
Decision: Deferred - Nursing
Decision: Rejected - CAS
Decision: Rejected - SEAS
Decision: Rejected - Wharton
Decision: Rejected - Nursing</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):
ACT (breakdown):
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score):
Unweighted/Weighted GPA:
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP/IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load:
Number of other ED applicants in your school:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.):
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.):</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description):
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community Service:
Summer Experience:
Teacher Recommendation #1:
Teacher Recommendation #2:
Counselor Rec:
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview:</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn:
Any dual-degree program essays:
CommonApp Essay:
Number of reminder emails received:</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App:
U.S. State/Territory or Country:
School Type:
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Income Bracket Range:
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development):</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
What would you have done differently?:</p>

<p>Other Factors:</p>

2

<p>few days to go</p>

3

<p>It’s not “deferred” in RD, it’s wait-listed. You can only be “deferred” during the ED round.</p>

4

<p>USE THIS TEMPLATE- ADJUSTED FOR RD</p>

<p>Pick one:</p>

<p>Decision: Accepted - CAS
Decision: Accepted - SEAS
Decision: Accepted - Wharton
Decision: Accepted - Nursing
Decision: Waitlisted - CAS
Decision: Waitlisted - SEAS
Decision: Waitlisted - Wharton
Decision: Waitlisted - Nursing
Decision: Rejected - CAS
Decision: Rejected - SEAS
Decision: Rejected - Wharton
Decision: Rejected - Nursing</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):
ACT (breakdown):
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score):
Unweighted/Weighted GPA:
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP/IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.):
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.):</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description):
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community Service:
Summer Experience:
Teacher Recommendation #1:
Teacher Recommendation #2:
Counselor Rec:
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview:</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn:
Any dual-degree program essays:
CommonApp Essay:
Number of reminder emails received:</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App:
U.S. State/Territory or Country:
School Type:
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Income Bracket Range:
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development):</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Were else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
What would you have done differently?:</p>

<p>Other Factors:</p>

5

<p>Decision: Rejected - Wharton</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 800/730/780/9
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2310
ACT (breakdown):
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score): Spanish, 790, Math II, 750
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 3.52/4.46 (at Top 25 HS in nation)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): About 90th percentile
AP/IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: Spanish V Honors, Latin V Honors, English 12 Honors, Calculus BC Honors, Econ Honors (we have no APs)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): National Latin Exam Maxima Cum Laude 2012
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): NMF</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Not going through writing them all out, but they are fine, but nothing special for Ivy applicants
Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community Service: Some
Summer Experience: Language/Cultural Immersion and Community Service trips to 4 different foreign countries
Teacher Recommendations: Both were great, I think
Counselor Rec: Probably pretty good
Interview: Fine</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: 6
CommonApp Essay: 7, my hospitalization in Peru
Number of reminder emails received: 2</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: December 23
U.S. State/Territory or Country: PA
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: >1,000,000
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): local student</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: SAT scores, rigor
Weaknesses: UW GPA, despite taking hard classes
Why were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: 4 Reasons: 1. UW GPA… 2. RD… 3. 4 accepted ED from my HS… 4. Wharton
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted- Alabama, Baylor, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tulane, Drexel, South Carolina, Miami, Rhodes, F&M, Richmond
Waitlisted- Davidson
Rejected- Duke (ED), Wharton
What would you have done differently?: Really nothing- it was a reach for a reason</p>

<p>Other Factors:</p>

6

<p>Decision: Waitlisted - SEAS</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I
SAT I
ACT (breakdown):34 composite, single sitting.
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score): Bio-M 770, Math II 700 (both submitted)
Unweighted/Weighted GPA:
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/146
AP/IB (place score in parentheses):No IB available. AP: Physics, English Lit, US Gov & Politics, US History (5). No other AP available.
Senior Year Course Load: Mix of honors and AP. Calculus I at local university as my HS does not offer calculus.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): North Carolina Academic Scholar
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Valedictorian, First place science fair, Junior Marshal</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description):
Job/Work Experience:None
Volunteer/Community Service:Black belt taekwondo in two national organizations (first degree in one, second degree in another), taekwondo junior leadership, taekwondo instructor trainee, flutist Sunday church services, guest flutist at a church in another town, community thrift store volunteer accepting/repairing/pricing donations (thrift store funds a food pantry), only youth representative on church administration board, goat wrangler to assist shearing for local farmers.
Summer Experience: See above.
Teacher Recommendation #1: Didn’t see my rec’s but they’re probably good.
Teacher Recommendation #2:
Counselor Rec:Only known the guidance counselor for a year. He’s new. Probably good.
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview: None</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: Talked about my passion for chemistry and why it was important to go to quality engineering school. Referenced specific professors’ research and programs at Penn that I want to support.
Any dual-degree program essays:No
CommonApp Essay:Very good. Spent months on them.
Number of reminder emails received:</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: November 2013
U.S. State/Territory or Country: NC
School Type:Public
Ethnicity:White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: about 40k
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): My great grandfather graduated from U Penn.</p>

<p>Reflection: I’m happy with the result. I come from a poor area and I think getting waitlisted is an honor.
Strengths: My essays.
Weaknesses: My math II sat score. But hey, what do you expect from a kid whose HS doesn’t offer calculus?
Were else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted: Penn State, University of Virginia, NC State, U of Kentucky, Clemson, U of South Carolina, Virginia Tech. I have a big scholarship offer from UVirginia so I’m going to be just fine.
What would you have done differently?: Nothing</p>

<p>Other Factors:</p>

7

<p>Decision: Waitlisted - SEAS
Biomedical Engineering</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I : 2330 (800 CR, 750 M, 780 W, 9 essay)
SAT I superscore : 2350 (800 CR, 750 M, 800 W, 9 essay)
ACT (breakdown): N/A
ACT superscore (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (subject, score): Chem, 740; Math II, 760
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.0 UW, 4.5 W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 6/333
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): Chem (5), APUSH (5), Lang (5), World (4), Lit
Senior Year Course Load: College Calc (dual-enroll through Pitt), College Stats (dual-enroll through Pitt), AP Lit, Honors Physics (equivalent of AP Physics B, I believe), Honors Spanish IV (dual-enroll through LaRoche), Computer Programming I, Honors Macroeconomics (required)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): Gold Medal in Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): High honor throughout high school, student of the month Feb 2013, AP Scholar with Honor, Commended Student in National Merit, regional keys in Scholastic</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Marching band - 4 years (grade 11: soloist, section leader; grade 12: brass captain); Academic Quiz Team - 4 years; Creative Writing Roundtable - 3 years (founded); church youth group - 4 years; National Honor Society - 2 years; physics pasta bridge team - senior year
Job/Work Experience: none yet
Volunteer/Community Service: youth group, local library, band spaghetti dinners, gifted program things like running Middle School Science Bowl and judging entries for middle school writing competition
Summer Experience: St. Vincent Challenge Camp x2, IUP Summer Honors Program
Teacher Recommendation #1: didn’t read, but teacher known for great recs
Teacher Recommendation #2: teacher likes me a lot but rec kind of generic
Counselor Rec: I don’t know if my counselor could reliably pick me out of a crowd, so probably wasn’t great.
Additional Info/Rec: tried to emphasize how I am well-rounded–want to go into engineering but also good at the humanities
Interview: 7/10 fine I guess</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: 7/10, I don’t know, I tried to really emphasize why Penn was my number one choice.
Any dual-degree program essays: no
CommonApp Essay: 7/10, somewhat melodramatic perhaps
Number of reminder emails received: two?</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: Dec. 24, 2013
U.S. State/Territory or Country: PA
School Type: public
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Gender: female
Income Bracket Range: middle-class
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development): female in engineering?</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: SATs (kind of–high but not the highest)
Weaknesses: SAT IIs, volunteer/work experience
Were else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted - Pitt (Oakland), Penn State (University Park)
Waitlisted - Case Western
Rejected - none…only applied to four schools
What would you have done differently?: applied to more schools, done better on SAT IIs (bad time for me–grandma died when I was studying for them–but…y’know.)
Other Factors: I wanted to go somewhere besides Pitt or Penn State, which are where everyone from my high school goes, but it’s down to Pitt or Penn State for me, like I guess it always was. xD</p>

8

<p>Decision: Accepted - CAS</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2130 (710/640/780/11)
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2130 (Single-sitting)
ACT (breakdown): N/A
ACT superscore (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (subject, score): 760 French, 650 Japanese, 600 Physics
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.40/4.00
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 7/315
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): AP US History (4), AP Calculus AB (4), AP French (4), AP Physics B (3)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP English 12, AP Environmental Science, Government Service Learning (first semester is an accelerated government curriculum, second semester working with a local government agency on a community project), Arabic I, Chinese I, Gifted Independent Study (an independent course for gifted students who partake in various mentorships - I’ve mentored with a French professor, Martin Guitar Co. luthier, neurologist, and Japanese interpreter/translator)
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 3 (All denied/waitlisted)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): None that I’m aware of
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): AP Scholar with Honor, Honor Roll all 4 years, some school and class-specific awards for foreign language</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Debate Team Captain (9-12), Golf Team (9), French Club (10-12), NHS (11-12), Young Politicians Club (12), Chess Club (9-12)
Job/Work Experience: Mentorships as previously stated
Volunteer/Community Service: Conservationist groups, volunteer work with foreign exchange group through interpretation/translation
Summer Experience: Hosted foreign exchange groups from around the globe (I hit this HARD in my application as a prospective diplomat)
Teacher Recommendation #1: French Teacher with whom I share a close bond, did not read, assumed to be excellent
Teacher Recommendation #2: Gifted Independent Study instructor, did not read, good enough apparently
Counselor Rec: Probably not great, hardly knew her
Additional Info/Rec: Got various mentors to write additional letters of recommendation
Interview: Had an interview with a Huntsman Program graduate (turned down from Huntsman but accepted CAS), went great, I’m sure the Huntsman committee passed on his comments when I was considered for Arts & Sciences which must have helped</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: 8 - talked about pursuing my interest in language and international relations through Penn’s integrated study programs
Any dual-degree program essays: Huntsman Program - 7 - discussed how I learned the importance of cultural and linguistic understanding by hosting and interacting with foreign exchange students
CommonApp Essay: 9 - discussed how living in a very rural area full of close-minded bigots (e.g. the South) led me to expand my horizons and learn about different cultures through language
Number of reminder emails received: 3</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 11/31
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Virginia
School Type: Public, approx. 1,200 students
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: Approx. 75k
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): None </p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: I showed PASSION in my essays and interview, but also backed this up with solid test scores and a strong and focused high school curriculum
Weaknesses: Test scores were lower than some, no hooks (I actually had to make it on my own merit)
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
Rejected: Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Cornell
Accepted: Case Western, UVA, W&M
What would you have done differently?: Nothing - sometimes things work themselves out just fine</p>

<p>Other Factors:
Congrats to everyone who made it! I’m shocked and ecstatic that I’ll most likely be joining UPenn’s class of 2018. While I always thought I had a shot, I never truly thought I could make it, especially with such a competitive applicant pool this year. I’m a testament to the fact that you don’t need insane test scores to get into a great school - show them that you’re a passionate and focused learner who’s bent on success, and I guarantee they’ll notice.</p>

9

<p>Pick one:</p>

<p>Decision: Accepted - CAS</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2210, 2090
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): don’t know
ACT (breakdown): 35
ACT superscore (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (subject, score): 800 M-II, 790 Bio(M), 620 Latin
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.00
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 5/446
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): Micro (4), Macro (5), HGeo (5), APUSH (5), Gov (5), Bio (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Latin, AP Calc BC, AP Eng Lit, AP Comp, student teacher for AP gov, taking Biomedical Research, Anatomy, and Pathology in a program at local med center
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): N/A
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction, Summa Cum Laude on NLE, school awards</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): raise chinchillas, trained therapy dog/go to nursing homes, math club/Mu Alpha Theta, a school spirit club
Job/Work Experience: N/A
Volunteer/Community Service: ~60 hours
Summer Experience: DukeTIP program related to the research I want to do in the future
Teacher Recommendation #1: Latin teacher who I’ve had for 4 years, didn’t read
Teacher Recommendation #2: AP calc teacher, didn’t read
Counselor Rec: should be good, didn’t read
Additional Info/Rec: DukeTIP instructor
Interview: EXCELLENT. Didn’t have too much in common, but we talked for an hour and he gave profuse compliments afterwards. </p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: Talked a lot about research, premed, my background. 9/10?
Any dual-degree program essays: N/A
CommonApp Essay: Spent a long time on it, got a message from another college, 10/10. About a project I did sophomore year regarding stereotypes
Number of reminder emails received: 2</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: the day before the deadline
U.S. State/Territory or Country: NE
School Type: medium public
Ethnicity: white
Gender: female
Income Bracket Range: enough that I will not get FA
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): none</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: test scores, classes, involvement in programs related to what I want to do, really unique ECs that I’ve been involved in for a long time
Weaknesses: no leadership, little community service, no major awards
Were else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Rejected: Harvard, Cornell (after being deferred ED, the suckers)
Accepted: Case Western (30k), Grinnell (21k), Lawrence (21k)
What would you have done differently?: Recorded more of my community service hours! </p>

<p>Other Factors: I also got nominated for the University Scholars program…?</p>

<p>CONGRATS to all the others that got accepted. To those who did not, it is my firm belief that everyone will end up where they need to be. </p>

<p>Also: that fanfare music keeps turning on without me doing anything, hahaha!</p>

10

<p>For my D -
Accepted - CAS
Objective:
SAT 1 2150 (M 720/CR 680/ W 750/ Essay 9)
3 sittings
ACT 31
SAT II (M1 710, Lit 700)
GPA 4.2
Rank Top 5%
AP/IB Lit 4, Eur History 3
Senior Course Load - 4 AP and 1 Honors
Awards - National Achievement Finalist, Academic Decathlon Debate Gold Medal</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars - NHS President, Academic Decathlon, Cheer captain, Drama club choreographer, tutor, Student Council, track, peer counselor, Heroes and Cool Kids
Jobs - Goodwill Enterprises, tutoring, babysitting
Teacher recs - superb
Interview - superb
Essays - superb
3 of Penn email reminders - 3</p>

<p>Other:
Date applied - December, 2013
State - New Jersey
School Type - small public (126 seniors)
Ethnicity - Black
Gender - Female
Income - approx. $125K
Hooks - URM</p>

<p>Reflections:
Strengths - extremely confident speaker and writer. Personality Plus.
Weaknesses - scores/grades
Other Acceptances - Bowdoin, Brandeis, Middlebury, Northwestern, Tulane, Vassar, Williams
Rejected - Brown</p>

11

<p>Decision: Accepted - Vagelos LSM
(Likely-letter recipient)
(( Accepted at both Wharton and CAS ))</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I: 2400 (800/800/800/12) - One sitting.
ACT: Did not take.
SAT II: Math II (800), Chemistry (790)
Unweighted GPA: 3.99/4.0
Weighted GPA: 4.5/5
Rank: Top 3% (assume 15/512)
AP/IB: Chem, APUSH, Micro, Macro, USGov (5 all)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Bio, H Physics, Stats, AP Euro, BC Calc, Film&Literature
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): n/a
Common Awards: ABRSM level 8, 3 medals from ICMAC (kung fu), medals from SciOly</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: SciOly grade 11-12 (no leadership)
Job/Work Experience: 2 internships in Pharma companies (one abroad, one local)
Volunteer/Community Service: Teaching at local Chinese school / Math tutor for gifted math students
Summer Experience: See internships
Teacher Recommendation #1: AP Chem teacher (did not read. assuming generic)
Teacher Recommendation #2: English teacher (did not read. assuming poor)
Counselor Rec: did not read. assuming generic
Additional Info/Rec: n/a
Interview: Missed my first one (forgot to show up and she waited for me for 20 minutes).
The second one went surprisingly well. We connected and talked, but I knew little about
the school and its programs (having done little research beforehand), so all I could
comment on was how current students I’d talked to loved it there. It was very short (30min).</p>

<p>Writing: I wrote the Penn-specific essays the day before the deadline, having been put
off by having to write two essays on a school I hadn’t researched.</p>

<p>Why Penn: Poor, since it asked why I wanted to attend Wharton and I was more interested
in the LSM essay. I did talk about Penn’s interdisciplinary focus and also about my interest
in participating in Penn’s martial arts therapy program.
dual-degree program essays: Phenomenal. I drew from my internship experiences, noted how each company
I had worked for was run, and explored the potential of using outsourcing to cut drug-to-market costs.
CommonApp Essay: Hit-or-miss. Writing was good quality, voice was my own. Topic was iffy.
I chose the “environment you are most comfortable in” prompt and wrote about sitting in front of my
computer, trying to clean up my files but failing because I’m sentimental. It was a classic memories-
in-parts essay on a pretty trivial, superficial subject, so rather risky.</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 12/30
U.S. State/Territory or Country: USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: Female
Hooks: n/A</p>

<p>Reflection: Before this year, I always thought of Penn as a safety school. After having applied and
while waiting anxiously for decisions, I began to think of admission into Penn as a reach for me.<br>
I was ecstatic to receive a likely - it was the first acceptance I got this year.
Strengths: Objective scores and self-studied APs (macro/micro/gov). Also: internships. Kung Fu makes me a slightly unique applicant. Great interview.
Weaknesses: No ECs, major awards, or leadership. Risky commonapp essay and poor recommendations (assumed). Missed my first interview.
Were else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: </p>

<p>Accepted: MIT (originally deferred)
Waitlisted: Harvard
Rejected: Cornell, Columbia</p>

<p>Waiting to hear from: Stanford, Duke, NYU (Stern)</p>

<p>What would you have done differently?:</p>

<ul>
<li>Joined SciOly earlier. I really liked participating and competing and I’m sad I’m leaving this year.</li>
<li>Quit playing piano earlier. I played for 11 years, hoping to use it for college resume padding,
but didn’t end up writing about it at all in my application. In hindsight, practicing and performing
made me pretty miserable, and made it hard for me to enjoy music until this past year.</li>
<li>Established better relationships with my teachers. Asking them for recommendations was
exceedingly awkward, and I’m not sure they made any difference in my app.</li>
<li>Spent more time on my essays earlier so I wasn’t frantically writing them during my winter break</li>
<li>Applied to more schools. 8 in total with NYU Stern as a safety made for some terrifying waiting
months.</li>
</ul>

<p>Final Comments: It looks like, for me, the choice will be between MIT and Penn’s LSM. Congrats
to everyone who got in, and good luck to those who weren’t. Looking at my list of rejections vs.
acceptances, I’m thinking that college decisions are a large part based on fit and luck. I’m sure we have bright futures ahead of us all. I wish the class of 2018 the best, and I’m glad to be nearing
the end of this whole college application process. =)</p>

12

<p>Decision: Waitlisted-CAS</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2400
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): Single sitting
ACT (breakdown): N/A
ACT superscore (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (subject, score): 800 Bio M, 800 MAth 2
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.0/4.0, 5.6/6.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/700ish
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): Eight 5’s, One 4
Number of other RD applicants in my school: A friend applied to Wharton I believe
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): Nooooope
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): NMF, National AP Scholar</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Academic Decathlon: 10-12, Captain, I hold a state record, placed 2nd at nationals, won a team state championship. Debate: 9-12, VP/Speech Captain, won a district championship, qualified for state competition. Future Problem Solving: 9-12, won a state championship, 6th place at Intl competition. Varsity Tennis: 9-10, 12, won a district championship</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: Internship at local test prep company</p>

<p>Volunteer/Community Service: Not too much, helped out at bone marrow drives and temple programs</p>

<p>Summer Experience: Research: Summer before 12th through Welch Scholars program at UT Austin. Summer before 11th at local uni</p>

<p>Teacher Recommendation #1: Stats/Precal Teacher: 10/10, Only from scratch letter he’s written in years b/c he said I’m worth it
Counselor Rec: Ehhh….large public school with few counselors. Probably pretty generic. 6/10
Additional Info/Rec: From my PI from UT Austin from the research program. I have no idea what this one was like.</p>

<p>Interview: Pretty great…he told me I was a great fit with Penn and we really hit it off. </p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: 9-I thought I did a great job of talking about 2 or 3 specific things that Penn offers that I would be able to take advantage of based on my past experiences and my goals for the future.
Any dual-degree program essays: Nah.
CommonApp Essay: 6-Probably what sunk me. Not really a unique essay though it was decent.
Number of reminder emails received: umm not sure</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 12/20ish
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Texas
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Indian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: 200K ish
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): None</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Test scores, academics, interview, Why Penn essay and being able to tie my activities into my goals. Teacher Recs
Weaknesses: Common app essay, kind of one dimensional? Asian male
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
Rejected: Nowhere
Accepted: MIT!, Duke (University Scholars finalist), Columbia (Likely Letter), UT (Health Science Honors)
Waitlisted: Brown, Penn, Harvard
Waiting on: Stanford, Johns Hopkins
What would you have done differently?: Got into MIT and Columbia so really can’t complain at all. </p>

<p>Other Factors:
I was a little surprised to be honest. I really thought I matched up with what Penn wanted and honestly Penn was one of my favorites. That being said, its quite possible I would have still gone elsewhere had I gotten in so no worries. Congrats to everyone who got in! </p>

<p>And to future applicants: Apply to many schools, don’t fall in love with a dream school and realize that there are quite a few places of the same caliber that offer just about the same opportunities and you will end up at atleast one of those places (given that you have the qualifications). At the end of the day, it’s an unpredictable process and the only way you can really increase your chances of getting into a top tier school is by applying to quite a few of them. And oh for the love of god start your applications early!</p>

13

<p>Decision: Rejected SEAS
Objective:
• SAT I (breakdown): 710 W 750 M 740 CR; 2200
• SAT II: 770 Chem 760 Math 2 690 Physics
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.83 (4.23 W)
• Rank: Top 8%
• AP (place score in parenthesis): Chem (5), AP Lang (4), Gov (4), Ph B (4), Econ (4/5), Calc AB (4)
• Senior Year Course Load: AP Lit, AP Calc BC, AP Euro, AP Stats
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Rochester Xerox Award, RPI Medal, Honors
Subjective:
• Extra-curriculars: (place leadership in parenthesis): Soccer, Track 4 years, Various clubs
• Job/Work Experience: Paid Internship
• Volunteer/Community service: Teach classes to adults.
• Summer Activities: Internship, CC classes
• Essays: Good
• Teacher Recommendation: Three solid
• Counselor Rec: One of her best this year.
• Interview: Went great
Other
• State (if domestic applicant): Northwest
• School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: Male
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None
Reflection
• Strengths: Strong humanities for CS major.
• Weaknesses: Class Rank, UW GPA, ECs, 35k applicants!
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Academics were strong, but not Ivy-strong.
• Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted RPI, Rochester, Northwestern.
Waiting on Vandy, Tufts. Rejected: Cornell, Penn, Rice.</p>

<p>General Comments: This is why they call them reaches. Happy with my choices so far.</p>

14

<p>USE THIS TEMPLATE- ADJUSTED FOR RD</p>

<p>Pick one:</p>

<p>Decision: Accepted - CAS (Benjamin Franklin Scholars)</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2330 (760/770/800/9)
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2330 (Single Sitting)
ACT (breakdown): 35
ACT superscore (breakdown): 35
SAT II (subject, score): US History (800), French (800), Math 2 (750), Chemistry (740)
Unweighted GPA: 3.8
Weighted GPA: 5.1/6.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 20ish out of 380
AP: US History (5), Macro (5), Micro(5), French (5), Calc BC (5), Chem (5), English Language (5),
Senior Year Course Load: AP Euro, AP Physics C, AP Computer Science, AP English Lit, AP Art History, Multivariable Calculus
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction, Williams College Book Award, NM Finalist (240 PSAT)</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): St Baldrick’s (9-12, Organizer this year, Got 30 students to shave their heads to raise over $13000 for Childhood Cancer Research), Ping Pong Club (11-12 Founder and President), Academic Quiz Team (12), Choir (7-12), Musical Theater (8-12, including major lead roles this year), Track and Field (7-11, won a National Championship), A Capella Group (10-11, Founding member), Chess Club (12), Community Action Team (12), Mascot for the Student Cheering Section (12), Math Team (10-12)
Job/Work Experience: YMCA Camp Counselor for the past two summers.
Volunteer/Community Service: Not Much - Volunteer at a YMCA Camp before I became a paid counselor
Teacher Recommendation #1: Excellent. The teacher and I had a great bond and she writes excellent letters.
Teacher Recommendation #2: Very Good - The teacher writes only 12 letters a year.
Counselor Rec: I wasn’t expecting much.
Interview: A little awkward</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: A little generic, I talked a lot about the Benjamin Franklin Scholars.
CommonApp Essay: Pretty good. I used the environment prompt to discuss growing up in Paris
Number of reminder emails received: I got two after I submitted but a whole bunch before.</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 1/1
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Ohio
School Type: Inner-city Public
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: Divorced ~$60K on custodial parent side
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): Grew up in Paris, bilingual, parent received PHD from Penn.</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Test scores, extra-curriculars, life experiences
Weaknesses: Work and Community Service,
Were else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Waiting for: Swarthmore, Amherst
Rejected: Brown, Yale
Accepted: University of Cincinnati, Ohio State, Michigan, Cornell
What would you have done differently?: I could have worked harder to write better essays.</p>

<p>Other Factors: All around, I’m happy with the result. It is exciting to be accepted into the BFS program, that will be a big factor. In the end, it is going to come down to financial aid.</p>

15

<p>Decision: Accepted - CAS</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>SAT Composite: 2200, M: 800, CR: 690, WR: 710
ACT: none
SAT Subject Tests: Physics: 690, Literature: 690, Math II: 680
GPA-UW/W: 6.8182/6, I guess 4.0/4
Rank: 14/834
AP/IB classes: 12 APs including senior year; reported one 5, one 4, and five 3s</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Essays: pretty dreamy… not intellectual at all
Recs: total of 4, only 1 of them was special
EC highlights: a whole lotta film directing/producing outside of school (nothing too big though), tennis team captain, science olympiad, track, muslim student association, young muslims
Work: intern/employee as a videographer at Exclusive Taste</p>

<p>Location/Person:</p>

<p>State or Country: Texas
School Type: public, ~3500 students
Ethnicity: asian/african
Gender: male</p>

<p>Other Factors, hook?: </p>

16

<p>Decision: Accepted - CAS
(Vagelos Molecular life sciences program? idk if this is relevant)</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I: 2250 (760 CR/750 Math/740 WR/10) - One sitting.
ACT: Did not take.
SAT II: Math II (770), Chemistry (800)
Unweighted GPA: 3.87/4.0
Weighted GPA: NA
Rank: Top 10%
AP/IB: Chem, APUSH, Spanish lit/lang
Senior Year Course Load: Bio, AP Physics C, BC Calc,
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.):
Common Awards: Reansleer Medal winner</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: Leader of two clubs
Job/Work Experience: NIH internship
Volunteer/Community Service: tutor
Summer Experience: Internships/Classes
Teacher Recommendation #1: AP Chem teacher (did not read. assuming good)
Teacher Recommendation #2: History (assuming great)
Counselor Rec: did not read. assuming generic
Additional Info/Rec: n/a
Interview: Great interview, i think it may have been what got me in, we connected and talked for a long time.
Writing: I believe my common app essay was the best one of all my essays.</p>

<p>Why Penn: alright</p>

<p>CommonApp Essay: I think that this was my best.</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 12/30
U.S. State/Territory or Country: USA
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Hooks: n/A</p>

<p>Reflection: Im very happy. I really like the school, there may have been a couple i liked better but life happens for a reason.
Strengths: Great interview, my internship, and my gpa.
Weaknesses: Weak writing, test scores
Were else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:</p>

<p>Accepted: Wash U
Waitlisted: Columbia Uchicago
Rejected: Yale duke northwestern</p>

<p>Waiting to hear from: JHU</p>

<p>What would you have done differently?:</p>

<ul>
<li>Spent more time on my essays earlier so that i could have tons of time to revise.</li>
<li>Applied to more reach schools. I applied to a lot of matches and i wish i had applied to more reaches. </li>
</ul>

<p>Final Comments: It looks like, for me, the choice will be between penn and wash u. I may also accept a waitlist spot. But i dont know if i want to do the waiting game again. CONGRATS TO EVERYONE!!! its been a very tough year!!!</p>

17

<p>Decision: Rejected - CAS</p>

<p>Objective:
ACT (breakdown): 30 (31E 34M 26R 27S)
SAT II (subject, score):
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 3.6
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): none
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): 38 IB Predicted Points
Senior Year Course Load: Full IB </p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Good amount in order to be competitive, not going to list.
Job/Work Experience: Internship at business firm
Volunteer/Community Service: 100 hrs
Summer Experience: internship
Teacher Recommendation #1: did not read, but I’m assuming great
Teacher Recommendation #2: did not read, but I’m assuming great
Counselor Rec:did not read, but I’m assuming great
Additional Info/Rec: n/a
Interview: Excellent! It was my only interview and she said that i was perfect for penn (i guess not tho, lol)</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: decent
Any dual-degree program essays:no
CommonApp Essay: great
Number of reminder emails received: 2</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: Jan 1
U.S. State/Territory or Country: FL
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: white
Gender: M
Income Bracket Range: too high to qualify for anything need based
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): lol i wish</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Recs, Ec’s, Internship, Course load
Weaknesses: TEST SCORES!! and GPA to an extent although my course load <em>may</em> make up for it (kind of lol)
Were else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted: Boston College, UBC, the []_<a href=“with%2015K%20scholarship”></a>, Northeastern, Fordham Lincoln Center (w/ 20K scholarship), UVM (with 12K scholarship)
Rejected: Penn, Notre Dame, BU (not entirely sure how that happened)
Waitlisted: Villanova School of Business
Still waiting on: USC/WBB, Tufts, McGill
What would you have done differently?: I did all that i could; i guess i was not competitive enough. </p>

<p>Other Factors: From what i understand, this must have been a really competitive year at Penn so CONGRATS to all that have been accepted and good luck to all wait listed. I’m sure that everyone will ultimately end up at the right college. I initially was not going to do one of these but then i realized how helpful these have been for me so i decided to do one. Good luck to everyone!</p>

18

<p>Decision: Rejected - CAS</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 580/470/480/10
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 580/470/480/10
ACT (breakdown): 21
ACT superscore (breakdown): 21
SAT II (subject, score): N/A
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 3.81
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Sem #1: American Government, English 4, Calculus, Digital Video, Photography, Science & Society. Sem #2: Globalization, English 4, Calculus, Digital Video, Photography
Number of other ED applicants in your school: N/A
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): N/A
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Honor roll, top 10%</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Running
Job/Work Experience: Only summer jobs
Volunteer/Community Service: After school programs to assist middle school and high school minorities.
Summer Experience: Same as volunteer service
Teacher Recommendation #1: Really well. He was my math teacher of three years so I knew he would be the best fit. He never allowed me to read it but he said that everything he had to say was good.
Teacher Recommendation #2: Essentially the same as #1, this time it was with my Physics teacher from 11th grade
Counselor Rec: Everything was great. She discussed me interest in being a leader and taking initiative to do so. Also, she explained my family background and how I have used that as a spring board to better myself academically.
Additional Info/Rec: Similar to counselor rec.
Interview: The interview went SO WELL. I was nervous at first but the man got me to loosen up and really hold a nice discussion. He told me that I was an inspiring young student who well deserved a good education (pretty much pointing at Penn). He even offered to purchase me something to eat and a coffee… we were in a café.</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details): My common app essay was great. Rating? 9.5/10. I discussed my experience of running a half marathon for the first time, what I did to train for it, and how the skills I gained could be used in my college career.
Why Penn: I’m a local Philadelphian, so it would be nice to go to a great school with out leaving home. Many majors of interest at CAS (environmental sciences/earth sciences).
Any dual-degree program essays: No
CommonApp Essay: Said above.
Number of reminder emails received: 3</p>

<p>Other: N/A
Date Submitted App: November 1st, 2013
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Pennsylvania
School Type: Public/Magnet
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: ~60,000
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): First generation, drug addicted parents, impressive life story of trials and tribulations.</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: College essay, GPA, interview, hooks, letters of recommendation
Weaknesses: SAT/ACT scores
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted - Arcadia University, Elizabethtown College, Juniata College, University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, Washington & Jefferson College
Rejected - Franklin & Marshall, Hobart and William Smith, UPenn
What would you have done differently?: Studied a lot harder for my SATs and ACTs. I probably should’ve taken some SAT II tests. It kinda sucks that we’re profiled off of numbers. Oh well.</p>

19

<p>Decision: Accepted - CAS (University Scholar)</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):700/800/800
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):
ACT (breakdown):
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score): 800 Mbiol 800 US History
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.7 Weighted
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 6/254
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): HGeo, Psy, EuroH, USH, Engl Lang, Stats, Biol All 5s
Senior Year Course Load: Academic Decathalon, AP US Gov, AP ENGLit, APCHEM, AP Latin, AP Micro, AP Calc AB
Number of other ED applicants in your school:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): National Merit Finalist, Sewannee Book Award, Skylark Prize Poetry
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): AP Scholar Dist., Honor Society</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Cello All State Orchestra, SC Philharmonic, Pre-College Cello Choir, Published two Books of Poetry, Research in Psychology Lab at Research University, Latin Club, Certamen Team, Cultural Awareness Club (VP), Literary Magazine
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community Service: Tutoring
Summer Experience: Psycho Linguistics Lab
Teacher Recommendation #1: Excellent
Teacher Recommendation #2: Excellent
Counselor Rec: Good
Additional Info/Rec: University Research Faculty Reference
Interview: Okay</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: Above Average
Any dual-degree program essays:
CommonApp Essay: Average
Number of reminder emails received: </p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: Nov 2013
U.S. State/Territory or Country: South Carolina - US
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket Range: No Financial Aid
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): Research Experience, Geography, Arts and Sciences combined</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Good Stats,
Weaknesses: Service
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted: Pitt, Smith (STRIDE) Rejected: Brown Waiting to hear form Stanford.
What would you have done differently?: </p>

<p>Other Factors:</p>

20

<p>Accepted into Jerome Fisher M&T Program
Decision: Accepted - SEAS
Decision: Accepted - Wharton</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 800/760/800/12 first sitting
SAT II (subject, score): math II 800, chem 800, US history 790
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 3.95, 5.43 (our school’s system GPA system is strange)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/180
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): 5’s: AP Euro, AP US History, AP Calculus AB, AP Biology, AP Human Geo, AP English Lang
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP Spanish, AP Chemistry, AP Physics C, AP English lit
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): Forensics awards? If they count?
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with distinction, some local athletic awards</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): debate, 9-12, VP, I compete at a national and state level; soccer, 9-12, Captain; NHS, 12, President, we have raised $7000 and led tutoring at out school; cell culturing and other lab stuff for science fair, other science fair stuff, volunteering, common stuff etc. etc.
Job/Work Experience: I worked at my pool for two summer, this most recent summer I worked 40 hour weeks and performed independent research in a lab, won the poster session at the end (UPCI)
Volunteer/Community Service: Tutoring, 10-12 grade, over an hour a day; volunteer at my parish, miscellaneous stuff (special Olympics, marathons, etc.)
Summer Experience: See work experience
Teacher Recommendation #1: Excellent, biology teacher, said I was one of the best students he has ever had, led my cell culturing research, my teacher for 2 years, 10/10
Teacher Recommendation #2: Pretty good? English teacher, had him for two years
Counselor Rec: 10/10, my deabte coach
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview: Very specific about the M&T program, pretty good, I got to talk about a research paper I wrote which was very relevant to the engineering and business programs</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: Pretty good, talked about the engineering research programs, talked about liberal arts approach to engineering. 9/10
Any dual-degree program essays: Very good, this program is exactly what I am interested in. 10/10
CommonApp Essay: Decent, talked about how getting my license made me a man as a suburb kid who goes to school in the city, 8/10
Number of reminder emails received: 2 and a financial aid one</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 12/19/13
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Pennsylvania
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: 200,000+
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): None</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Test scores/grades, well-rounded extra cirriculars
Weaknesses: no major award like intel
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
Accepted: CMU, Duke (Pratt), Northeastern, Pitt, Alabama
Waitlisted: Harvard, Princeton, Wash U
Rejected: Stanford
What would you have done differently?: Nothing</p>