Official University of Pennsylvania 2014 RD Decisions

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
21

<p>ACCEPTED! (Wharton)</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>]SAT: 2400 (second try, NOT superscore)
[</em>]SAT II: 790 (Math II), 750 (Chemistry), 680 (USH)
[<em>]ACT: N/A
[</em>]GPA: 4.46 (W), 3.9 (UW)
[<em>]Rank: 3/519
[</em>]Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): AMC12 (09): 100.5; AP: two 5s and several 4s
[/ul]Subjective[ul]
[<em>]Essays: Wrote essay about origin of my name and bringing FBLA / PBL to Penn.
[</em>]Recs: Excellent (4.5/5 most likely)
[<em>]Supplementary Material: Abstracts of scientific research, supplemental recs.
[</em>]Summer Activities: 09: Boys State; 08: Job (Vector Marketing, university math tutor)
[<em>]Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): Intel STS Semifinalist, Intel ISEF 09 Finalist, National JSHS 3 year Finalist, 39 science fair awards, 22 speech and debate awards, several national level Student Congress awards (including Arkansas State Champion) Arkansas ACLU Essay Contest 1st Place, National Merit Finalist, AIME Qualified
[/ul]Personal[ul]
[</em>]Location: Arkansas
[<em>]High School Type: Inner City Public
[</em>]Ethnicity: Asian (xP)
[<em>]Gender: Male
[/ul]Other[ul]
[</em>]Extracurriculars: Debate (4 years total, 2 year Captain), Science Fair (39 total awards), FBLA (District Vice President), Mayor’s Youth Council (Treasurer), Jr. Civitan (Treasurer), Mathletes, Model UN (Founder and President), Ark. Symphony Youth Orchestra (1st Violin, 3rd Chair)
[<em>]Awards: See above.
[</em>]Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: ISEF and science fair experience, leadership in starting MUN.
[*]Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?: Can’t wait till Campus Preview Days! [/ul]</p>

22

<p>Decision: Rejected</p>

<p>Objective:</p>

<ul>
<li>SAT I (breakdown): 2310 (M:760 R:750 W:800) took it once</li>
<li>SAT II: French 800; U.S. History 800; Math I 740</li>
<li>GPA: couldn’t tell you, all A’s until last two semesters (2 B’s each)</li>
<li>Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): no ranking</li>
<li>AP (place score in parenthesis): U.S. History (5) and European History (5)</li>
<li>Senior Year Course Load: Honors Orchestra; AP Statistics; AP Literature; AP BC Calculus; AP French V; AP Gov/ coupled with free period; AP Physics</li>
<li>Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): French Grand Concours awards; history contest awards of various types; went on short-term exchange scholarship with the State Department</li>
</ul>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<ul>
<li>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): French Club (President, Treasurer), GSA, Pro-choice activism (president), Book Clubs (President), theatre (production, performance, International Thespian Officer), Student Council</li>
<li>Job/Work Experience: I fold t-shirts in the summer</li>
<li>Volunteer/Community service: none</li>
<li>Summer Activities: 2 years of work, 1 year abroad with family, and 1 year of class</li>
<li>Essays: Basic; I wouldn’t say exceptionally creative but I did like my page 217. It was about Shakespeare.</li>
<li>Teacher Recommendation: Pretty good. They got me in at other schools.</li>
<li>Counselor Rec: Standard</li>
<li>Interview: Didn’t receive an offer. I guess they ran out of alumni. Probably would have helped though.</li>
</ul>

<p>Other</p>

<ul>
<li>State (if domestic applicant): Indiana</li>
<li>School Type: Public</li>
<li>Ethnicity: So white</li>
<li>Gender: F</li>
<li>Income Bracket: n/a</li>
<li>Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): French awareness, my political involvement (I helped run a local election campaign)</li>
</ul>

<p>Reflection</p>

<ul>
<li>Strengths: Academics, being opinionated.</li>
<li>Weaknesses: I had a terrible first semester. I was so emotionally exhausted all the time. I didn’t write about this in my application of course, but I could have pulled off better grades if I hadn’t been so drained and unfocused. They weren’t too shabby, though.</li>
<li>Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Wasn’t planning on this! Obviously it’s a competitive school, but I thought it would happen for sure. I think it was because they thought I only applied as a back-up plan or not as my top-choice. But thankfully, I have other options.</li>
</ul>

<p>General Comments: If you want to get into this school, make sure they know it. I went to a meeting at my school, but I should have visited and gotten an interview there, which would not have hurt. I think if I’d displayed more interest (“Oh I’ll go visit after/if I get in…”) I could’ve been more competitive, maybe gotten on the waitlist.</p>