******OFFICIAL UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA CLASS OF 2019 RD RESULTS ONLY THREAD********

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
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I know it’s a bit early, but with many people receiving likely letters I think we might as well get it started. Copy and paste, choose one, and remove spaces!

[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted - CAS**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted - SEAS**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted - Wharton**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted - Nursing**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted - CAS - Likely Letter**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted - SEAS - Likely Letter**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted - Wharton - Likely Letter**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted - Nursing - Likely Letter**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=orange][ b]Decision: Waitlisted - CC**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=orange][ b]Decision: Waitlisted - SEAS**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=orange][ b]Decision: Waitlisted - Wharton**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=orange][ b]Decision: Waitlisted - Nursing**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected - CC**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected - SEAS**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected - Wharton**[/color][/size]
[ size=4][ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected - Nursing**[/color][/size]

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown):
ACT:
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis):
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service:
Summer Activities:
Essays:
Teacher Recommendation:
Counselor Rec:
Additional Rec:
Interview:

Other

State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant):
School Type:
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection

Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:

General Comments:

2

Decision: Accepted - CAS - Likely Letter

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 35 C 35 E 36 R 35 M 34 S
SAT II: 790 Math II 740 USH
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.89
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): upper 2%
AP (place score in parenthesis):
AP World: 4
APUSH: 5
AP Calc AB: 5
AP Language: 5
AP Chem: 4

IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load:
AP Lit
AP Calc BC
AP Bio
AP Gov
AP Micro
AP Stats
AP Comp Gov (Self Study)
AP Macro (Self Study)
Academic Decathlon

Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Around 40 medals for Academic Decathlon (national, state, and regional level), highest scorer on team at 2014 nationals and at Regionals competition 2015, currently the highest scoring student in the state (AZ) and in history of my region

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Academic Decathlon (Team captain 10,11,12) [First time any school in our district has placed 1st at regionals and state, qualified for nationals and placed 6th in the nation, had lots of media coverage since our team really came out of nowhere. I’ve spent hundreds of hours studying for it, also see awards]
Physics Club (Founder/President, 12)
Chemistry Club (11, President 12)
Calculus Club (VP, 11,12)

Job/Work Experience: N/A
Volunteer/Community service: Tutor and helped organized fundraisers and competitions for academic decathlon
Summer Activities: Boys State (mayor and senator elect)
Essays:
CA: 7.5/10; Talked about skateboarding, so it should’ve been unique
Why Penn: 8/10; Thought it really reflected why I want to go there, especially in the context of AcDec
Teacher Recommendation: 9.5/10; From my AcaDec coach, we’re incredibly close and I’ve had 4 classes with her, I consider her a close friend rather than a teacher so it’s very good I believe
Counselor Rec: 5.5/10; Average, she knows my name and that’s a big deal at a large public school that hasn’t ever sent a student to an ivy
Additional Rec: 6/10; From my calc teacher who I’ve had for two years. We’re close, but not as close as acadec coach
Interview: 8/10; Thought it went very well, we connected with each other and seemed very personal

Other

State (if domestic applicant): AZ
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Large public; 2600 kids
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gender: M
Income Bracket: 130k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM

Reflection

Strengths: Scores, URM, heavy involvement in EC
Weaknesses: Maybe essays a bit, semi-low GPA, lack of volunteer work
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: URM and scores mainly. No idea why I got a likely letter though.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Deferred: Columbia; Accepted: ASU

General Comments:

Crazy finding out about this, my interviewer texted me before I even saw anything, so that’s how I found out. Even crazier that I got a likely letter, seeing as the highest-ranked school that anyone has ever been accepted to at my school is Berkeley. I remember my AP Lang teacher even saying that we shouldn’t apply to any Ivies because “we’re at [my high school]. No one gets in, they only accept private school kids.” I’m surprised, excited, and still a bit shocked. Good luck to everyone else!

3

Decision: Accepted - CAS

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 34 C, 35 E, 36 R, 34 M, 34 S
SAT II: 800 Math 2C; 780 Korean w/ Listening; 710 US History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/682
AP (place score in parenthesis): European History (5); Music Theory (5); Calculus BC w/ AB subscore (5, 5); US History (5); Language and Composition (5); Psychology (4); Computer Science A (3); Chemistry (3)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Statistics, AP Literature and Composition, AP Government, AP Biology, Principles of Microeconomics (Community College), Intro to Sociology (Community College)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Forensics League All American Academic Award, MTAC Level 10, Various state/regional debate awards, AP Scholar w/ Distinction

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience: Nonprofit (Founder, CEO); Amnesty International (Founder & President); Habitat for Humanity (Founder & President); Speech and Debate program at local junior high school (Head Coach); Piano; Swimming (Varsity)
Volunteer/Community service: Intern; Head Coach at local junior high school debate program; clubs; nonprofit
Summer Activities: Internship

Essays:
Common App (10): Talked about how being called the B word as a compliment to my achievements and leadership incited me to become a feminist and activist and inspired me to create my nonprofit
Why Penn (8): I liked it, but I didn’t think it was my best essay. I felt like it was too short.

Teacher Rec #1: (10) My Calc teacher said I’m his favorite student and we love to talk about politics together.
Teacher Rec #2: (10) My Lang teacher said he put that I’m the best student he’s had
Counselor Rec: (9) He wrote a letter for me for an application to a program, and it was really awesome.
Additional Rec: (10) My piano teacher loves me.
Interview: (10) It went really well! My interviewer said that she saw herself in me and that she was exactly like me when she was a senior.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): California
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Korean
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: <$40k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection

Strengths: Nonprofit, Speech & Debate, feminist/activist platform, other EC’s
Weaknesses: Grades (they weren’t straight A’s like a lot of applicants), test scores, awards weren’t particularly amazing
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I’m not sure how I got a likely letter. They’re like rare pokemons…I’ve never met anyone who got a nonathletic LL. But the LL said that my writing showed who I was, so I guess it was because of my essays.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted: Yale, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine; don’t know the others yet

General Comments: It’s still surreal! Getting SCEA into Yale was a shock, and then finding out that I got a likely letter to Penn of all places was amazing. Good luck to everyone else doing RD!

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Decision: Accepted - CAS - Likely Letter

Hopefully this helps someone!

Objective

SAT I (breakdown): 2390 (790 CR, 800 WR, 800 M)
ACT (breakdown): Did not take
SAT II: 750 Math II, 760 Chemistry, 760 US History, 770 Chinese w/Listening
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.93
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Chemistry: 5, AP US History: 5, AP English Language and Comp: 5, AP Psychology: 5, AP Human Geography: 5, AP Chinese: 5, AP Comparative Government: 4, AP Statistics: 4
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP English Literature, AP Macroeconomics, AP US Government, Japanese
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National AP Scholar, National Merit Finalist, published a paper on Japanese Tokugawa foreign relations during the 17th-19th centuries (I sent in the first page of the journal article as a supplement) in a Stanford Institute of International Studies journal, Chinese-American Semiconductor Professionals Association Scholarship (not that major), various awards from the World Affairs Council for my passion for international relations, a bunch of awards from flute competitions

Subjective

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):

Director of Foreign Relations for the UN International Youth Council (currently in the midst of creating a youth-run policy journal), Youth Ambassador to Finland (1 of 12 students to receive a scholarship from the Finnish govt), Stanford Reischauer Japanese and Sejong Korean Scholar (competitive program, only 25 students nationally selected), Board Member of the Silicon Valley United Nations Association (10-12), Student Ambassador for local World Affairs Council (10-12), Principal Flutist of a state-level youth symphony and school Wind Ensemble (sent in a flute supplement) (9-12), Undersecretary general for Model UN (9-12), Director of finances for National Honor Society (10-12), Founded my own financial literacy initiative after interning at a microfinance NGO in China (10-12), Business editor for award-winning school newsmagazine (10-12)

Job/Work Experience: Interning at a microfinance NGO? That was only for a summer though.

Volunteer/Community service: Many hours through the UN Association

Summer Activities: 2013 summer was spent touring Central Europe with my youth symphony for 2-3 weeks, Interned at a Microfinance NGO in Central China, 2014 summer: Received a scholarship from the Finnish government to study abroad 7-8 weeks

Essays:
My Common App was a 8.5/10, about my experiences as a student diplomat in Finland- I talked about a Finnish word that could not be translated into English and how eventually understanding the word helped me understand the Finnish spirit
Why Penn was written in the form of a narrative, 9/10. I described my day as a Penn undergraduate (organizations I would partake in, events I would help organize, classes I would engage in) and tied that into my far-reaching ambitions.

Teacher Recommendation: Stellar! From my APUSH and AP English Language teachers. I was a heavy participant in both these classes and they loved me.

Counselor Rec: Should have been pretty good; I visit my counselor a lot and she understands my aspirations

Additional Rec: Did not send. But I did send in a flute supplement.

Interview: Really solid interview, but nothing mindblowingly fantastic.

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: International Relations/Linguistics/East Asian Studies- I haven’t decided yet
State (if domestic applicant): California
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Competitive Public
Ethnicity: Chinese-American
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: ~$400,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None.

Reflection

Strengths: SAT I score, unique passions and extracurriculars, not a cookie-cutter Asian, international perspective
Weaknesses: GPA, SAT II scores, bad at math
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: It’s a crapshoot! I got lucky :slight_smile:
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Penn CAS, UC Irvine w/Regents, Deferred: Princeton SCEA but I’m so over it, still waiting on a couple more Ivies, UC’s and privates (though not expecting much)

General Comments:

I feel like my parents are more excited about this than me lol. I spent 17 years of my life fixated on getting into a “good school.” Freshman/sophomore/junior Ambitious19 would have been ELATED to get into a ~prestigious Ivy league~ but right now I’m surprisingly calm (even though I was freaking out in the hours after I got the letter). While I feel so blessed to have received a likely letter from such an amazing institution, after getting deferred from my early school I realized that I didn’t need an Ivy to make my life meaningful. Too bad it took a deferral and many, many tears to truly understand it. I’m excited to see what the future brings!

5

Decision: Accepted - CAS - Likely Letter

SAT I (breakdown): 2290 (760CR 770M 760W) only time
ACT: 34
SAT II: 760 Math II 750 World History 730 Physics
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/382
AP (place score in parenthesis): English Lit, Physics B, Environmental Science (self study), US History, World History, Music Theory (self study): 5. Statistics (self study) 4 Computer Science A: 4.
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc AB, DE English, DE Econ, DE Govt, DE Spanish, Chorus, AP Physics C independent study, AP Chem, Chorus
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Achievement Finalist

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Select Choir 9-12 (President), Jazz Voices 11-12 (Vice President), Concert Choir 11-12 (President), Strolling Strings 11-12 (treasurer), NHS 11-12 (President), Piano Accompanist for various community, student, and school recitals and shows, All-State vocalist and pianist.
Job/Work Experience: 4 years church organist
Volunteer/Community service: Sunday School teacher, Eagle Scout, Rotary Youth Volunteer
Summer Activities: Carnegie Mellon SAMS after Soph year, TASP at Cornell after Junior year
Essays: Common app essay was well done 7/10, but I wrote the Why Penn essay in 15 minutes so not good. 4/10.
Teacher Recommendation: 7/10
Counselor Rec: probably 6/10, probably didn’t help
Additional Rec:
Interview: On Skype. The interviewer was funny and loved Penn, but what I remember most about the interview was that he said he never had a high enough GPA to study abroad. Whoops.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): NY
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: average rural public
Ethnicity: African-American
Gender: M
Income Bracket: low enough
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM

Reflection

Strengths: Highly committed to my musical endeavors. TASP, I suppose, but I don’t think TASP is the big deal people on CC like to say it is.
Weaknesses: I definitely could have written better essays.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: My essays and interview highlighted my strengths: being brutally honest and unafraid to talk about my faith or conservative beliefs. I attended Penn’s PEEP diversity weekend in October and even then they made it very obvious that if you were invited to attend the weekend, you were someone that Penn was likely to accept. Also, my music supplement probably helped.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Princeton SCEA, UNC EA, WashU likely, Vanderbilt likely, U of R likely, Dartmouth likely. Waiting on Harvard, Yale, MIT, Bowdoin, WIlliams, Amherst, and Johns Hopkins.

General Comments:

So, so blessed. My college app experience has been incredible. I wish I had applied to less places because now I have an impossible decision in front of me.

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MODERATOR’S NOTE
Please only post results using the given format so that this thread can serve as a valuable resource for future applicants. There is another thread provided for discussion, congrats, etc. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pennsylvania/1726798-penn-regular-decision-discussion-class-of-2019.html
Non-result posts will be deleted.

7

Decision: Accepted - Huntsman- Likely Letter

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 670/670/690 2030
ACT (breakdown): 31, 32 superscored. 11 and 12 on essays
SAT II: 750 ush, 700 wh, 660 math 2, 630 spanish
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): probably 3.98 or 3.97 my school does it out of 4.3 but I only have 2 A-
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): currently 1/165 when they saw it on my midyear but 2/165 during decisions
AP (place score in parenthesis): apwh (5) APUSH (5) ap eng (5) ap spanish (4) ap calc, ap english lit, ap chem
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: ap calc, ap eng, ap chem, advanced chem and physics, korean independent study, college scholarship independent study, fitness CLEP, econ and government
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NSLI-y korean summer, SPI abroad scholarship, CIEE korean scholarship ( back when they had it) National hispanic recognition, girls state, hamilton citizenship award, QB but I didn’t do anything with it so I doubt it helped me that much. A bunch of school awards too, like MA history day ( national history day) regional first place, state honorable mention.

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): student advisory council 4 years ( Vice President) best buddies type club 4 years ( co founder and president) political discussion club 3 years ( secretary) NHS, guidance assistant, math club/ tutor, interclass plays, president’s council, model un ( only one conference at my school), unified track and field 2 years ( varsity and I think co capitan this year if we have the position)
Job/Work Experience: personal tutor starting in feb but the didn’t know that. Worked at Kmart junior year for the holiday season ugh
Volunteer/Community service: NHS and guidance assistance plus I guess student advisory council could be considered some volunteer work.
Summer Activities: went to seoul with NSLI-Y to study korean
Essays:
Why Penn: very similar to my uchicago and columbia essays since I value the same characteristics ( I say a 7/8)
Common App: didn’t think much of it at the time but it hasn’t gotten me rejected from anywhere so yay! It talks about my struggle with languages both internally and with my community questioning my desire to study other cultures. Talks about what I learned about myself and the world. I’d say 9/10
Huntsman: reused my gtown topic and added on more information about economics and then tied it back to huntsman~! 8/9
Teacher Recommendation: ap spanish teacher from sophomore year ( junior class but I fought to take it, and it showed my maturity and love of languages. She wrote a beautiful letter) 8/9
Counselor Rec: she knows me well since I work in her office every day haha. She touched about my special circumstances and passions 8
Additional Rec: APUSH/APWH teacher. Not my facorite rec in terms of length but the content was very touching 7
Interview: I thought it went horribly because he stared me down and questioned my favorite book ( Candide) and then I kind of said my nick name which involves North Korea and yeah I didn’t think it was so hot. Turned out I was the best applicant that he interviewed that year o.o so yay? 9?
Other don’t think I submitted anything unless they looked at my QB app

Applied for Financial Aid?: yup.
Intended Major: huntsman and korean
State (if domestic applicant): MA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: rural but upper middle class public school of about 700 kids
Ethnicity: Puerto Rican
Gender: female
Income Bracket: 65-75k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):URM. Probably but interests that seem to make everyone stare at me like I have two heads lol. Puerto Rican and loves korean <3 probably my language scholarships and prior coursework.

Reflection

Strengths: language skills, essays, experiences
Weaknesses: probably test scores, but i believe i am more than a test score!
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: huntsman only has 2 korean lang people so i’m more unique than the typical huntsman applicant i guess? Also my passion for languages and IR.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Likely for Columbia, Accepted: Gtown, UChicago, Umass Amherst, and Northeastern

General Comments: didn’t expect to get into any colleges besides NEU so I am pleasantly surprised~! I will be studying Korean somewhere after all :slight_smile:

8

[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted - CAS - Likely Letter**[/color][/size]
Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2380: 800M 800W 780CR
ACT: N/A
SAT II: 740 Math Level 2, 800 Chemistry
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.95 unweighted, 4.5 weighted
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Chemistry: 5 AP Calculus AB: 5 APUSH: 4 AP Biology: 3
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: 4 AP and Honors classes, TA, Orchestra
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Achievement Scholarship, AP Scholar with Honors, a minor MUN award, National Science merit Award from USAA, participant in a “prestigious” honors orchestra
Subjective:

Extracurriculars: founder and captain of Cancer club at my school (done lots of walks, started a toy drive, etc), co-captain of Model UN, public relations officer of Health Awareness Club, NHS, CSF, Math and Science Tutors club, violin teacher, orchestra (concert mistress and section leader), camp counselor for a science camp for kids in my town
Job/Work Experience: interned at aquatic entomology lab at a UC
Volunteer/Community service: Regular volunteer at my local soup kitchen, tutor, volunteered at miscellaneous events with National Honors Society
Summer Activities: I went to my home country, taught English to the high school kids in my village, and invited two physicians to give talks about certain health issues that I had observed, etc. The other summer I did that internship under job experience.
Essays: Common App: 9/10; I worked pretty hard on it, and I think it was a unique essay. A few grammatical errors
Why Penn: 9/10: I felt that it was a strong essay and effectively conveyed my interest in the school (there were a few specific examples of professors, courses, etc.)
Teacher Recommendation: 9/10 and 8/10. The first was by my English teacher and the second was by my calculus teacher. I never read them, but both teachers really liked me, so i would assume they were good.
Counselor Rec: 6/10. My old counselor moved away right before my senior year, so apart from a 30 minute appointment, I barely knew the new one, who seemed far less experienced.
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: Fine, but quite short

Other

State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Competitive Public
Ethnicity: African
Gender: Female
Income Bracket:<$100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM, unique background

Reflection: All the applications were tedious, and I wasn’t confident I would get into most of the schools I applied for, but I am thrilled to have been accepted to Penn, one of my top choices!

Strengths: SAT, grades, essays
Weaknesses: AP scores, Counselor Recommendation
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: No idea, but I’m extremely grateful!
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I have received likely letters from Penn, Duke, Columbia, and Cornell, and have been officially accepted to UCD and UCI (Regents for both)

9

[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted - CAS - Likely Letter**[/color][/size]

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 720/800/720 (CR/M/W)
ACT: N/A
SAT II: 800 (Bio E), 800 (Math 2)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/228
AP (place score in parenthesis): 10th Grade: Calc BC (5), Euro (5), 11th Grade: Stat (5), USH (5), Lang and Comp (5), Chemistry (5), Physics B (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: APCS, AP Physics C, AP Econ, AP Bio, AP Spanish, AP Lit and Comp, religion
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP w/ Distinction
Subjective: N/A

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience: Lifeguard, Pool Operator, Pool Manger, every summer in High School
Volunteer/Community service: Too much to put down, just know that my school has a homeless shelter on campus
Summer Activities: Lots of Swimming, Lifeguarding, and Service
Essays: CA: 7/10, Supp: 10/10
Teacher Recommendation: IDK probably both good
Counselor Rec: Probably vague
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: Very good

Other

State (if domestic applicant): VA
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Single Gender (male) Jesuit Catholic
Ethnicity: White
Gender: M
Income Bracket: such that I don’t need financial aid
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): My last name, most everyone in my family is somehow associated with penn whether that be working at HUP or attending Grad school

Reflection: did not expect a likely letter, very excited and blessed

Strengths: Grades, Good Essay, Legacy, Stayed True to myself in the summers, did not try to do shitt that I didn’t enjoy
Weaknesses: Pretty vague CA Essay and Counselor Rec must not have been very good since I barely know the guy
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: b/c they liked my application
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted UVA, W&M, VT, waiting on a bunch of other schools

General Comments:

10

**Decision: Accepted - CAS with Vagelos Scholars Program

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 800-800-780
[] ACT (breakdown): 36
[] SAT II: 800 Lit, 770 Chem, 760 M2
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): N/A. Weighted = 4.41
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1 (not sent)
[] AP (place score in parentheses): 5 on Spanish, Music Theory, Euro, World, Stats, Calc BC, English Lang; 4 on Chem
[] Senior Year Course Load: Honors International Relations, Honors Art, AP Bio, AP Physics C, Independent Studies in AP Spanish Lit and AP Gov, AP English Lit, Multivariable Calc
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Avogadro, IPPF, NMF, National AP Scholar, some AMC stuff[/ul]

Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Rock music (played at Lollapalooza), cross country (3 year letterman and captain), Women’s Leadership Club (founder), various other things
[] Job/Work Experience: Scorekeeper for basketball team, tutor
[] Volunteer/Community service: Service trips with school
[] Summer Activities: Touring with rock band, taking summer courses, running, tutoring
[] Essays: The “Why Penn” essay was pretty cut and dry (how else can one write it?); otherwise good.
[] Teacher Recommendation: They were great, I imagine. 10/10
[] Counselor Rec: Didn’t read it, assume it was great. 9/10
[] Additional Rec: She is my music theory teacher, like family. 10/10.
[] Interview: Really, really terrible. I ended up applying to Penn last minute, so I picked Chem as my major because I didn’t have to write an extra essay on it. When I pick up the phone for my virtual interview and start going on about my love of math only for the interviewer to confusedly say, “I thought you were majoring in chemistry,” it was excruciating. And it only went downhill from there. She was lovely, though. I just was confused and not feeling it for some reason.
[] Supplementary Material: Nope. Tried that with Princeton…Learned my lesson.[/ul]

Other[ul]
[]Applied for Financial Aid?: No
[] State (if domestic applicant): OH
[] School Type: Small private all girls
[] Ethnicity: Asian and white
[] Gender: XX
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): No[/ul]

Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Scores.
[] Weaknesses: DEMONSTRATED INTEREST. Never visited or anything.
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: This was much more shocking than Yale to me because I never visited and really just didn’t show interest. Also, 4 ED applicants were accepted from my school. Far as I know, I’m the only regular admit. As for the Vagelos thing, I’m genuinely really flattered–and surprised.
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted Yale, Stanford, Duke, Caltech, Williams, UChicago, Cornell, Harvey Mudd, Dartmouth, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Amherst, OSU, Michigan, Case. Waitlisted: Brown, Columbia, MIT. Rejected: Harvard, Princeton (deferred from SCEA), Juilliard.[/ul]
General Comments: Wow–floored and flattered. Time for some tough decisions!

11

Decision: Accepted - CAS

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2100 (750 Writing [10 essay], 700 CR, 650 M)
ACT (breakdown): None
SAT II: SAT US History - 780 / SAT French - 710 / SAT World - 710
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 100.4
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP English Language - 5 / AP US History - 5 / AP World History - 4
IB (place score in parenthesis): School doesn’t offer
Senior Year Course Load: AP Bio, AP Calc AB, AP Microeconomics, AP English Literature, AP French, Occupations, Religion 12, Dance
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar, National Achievement Scholarship Foundation Outstanding PSAT Participant, online writing awards, National French Contest 7th place nationwide in 10th grade

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):

  • Writer for the Huffington Post Teen -Editor-in-chief of school newspaper -Contributor to my town's newspaper (I write articles about college, SATs, and education) -Multi Published writer in literary magazines (an essay about track and field, an essay about cosmetics & chemicals) -College Essay was published in a magazine -Have my own travel blog (features photos and entries on my trips abroad) -Have my own healthy eating blog -Quiz Bowl Team Captain

Job/Work Experience:
-Cashier at movie theater for 2014 summer.

Volunteer/Community service: I did not even list any on the Common App because it doesn’t help you get into elite schools. But I believe my recommendation writers spoke about the children’s museum that I volunteered at for two years. That was a huge commitment.

Summer Activities: Cashier at movie theater

Essays:
Common App – I chose the “place of solace” topic. My college essay was simple, yet beautiful, authentic, and richly detailed. It is all about my love of going to the library, and by far, it is the best piece of work I have ever written. I think that it is an honest portrayal of who I am, and it exemplifies my love of learning. I had this essay published in a national literary magazine.

My “Why Penn” essay was beautiful! I talked about Penn’s core requirements, the French program, study abroad opportunities, and the Kelly Writers House (it was a highlight of my visit).

Teacher Recommendation:
One from my French teacher (10/10) - I am a heavy participant in this class and I have been the top student for 4 years. I tutor, I share French literature that I read in my spare time with my teacher, I do research for the class, and I’ve taught a little.
AP US History Teacher (9/10) - I was the top student in this class and I won an award for my efforts. I adore history and I am also very concerned about social issues. He told me that I had the best projects and essays in the class.
Counselor Rec:
I’d give it a 9/10. We are close friends. In the summertime, my school made us fill out a sheet of all our hobbies, favorite media, and accomplishments - so I guess that helped too.

Optional Recommendation:
One from my best friend and cousin. I know it was good. It was 5 pages long, and she talked about my love for writing and my compassion for the environment.

Interview: Skype interview with weird questions. But the lady seemed impressed with me!

Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: French Language, Creative Writing
State (if domestic applicant): New York
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: African-American
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: $40,000, single parent home
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM

Reflection

Strengths: My writing and journalism, my grades and scores, my essay for sure, URM status too, choice of major
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: I made sure to highlight the fact that I am a published writer. I also think it’s different that I want to study French and creative writing. Make sure your Common App essay defines who you are.
Weaknesses: SAT Math score is on the lower end, but to be honest, I’m proud of it. That’s the best I could achieve. Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I have a singular passion for writing and I want to major in something atypical.
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
Accepted to 6 Ivy League Schools: Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, Cornell, Dartmouth, Brown
Accepted: NYU, Fordham, University of Connecticut, SUNY Binghampton, SUNY Stony Brook, Siena College
Rejected: Yale, Columbia, Hunter College, Queens College

Other:
I’m ecstatic! Congratulations to all who were admitted.

I applied to all 8 Ivy League schools and I was admitted to 6. I am not a legacy or a first generation, for those of you who would like to know.

12

[ size=4][ color=red]Decision: Rejected [/color][/size]

Objective: Engineering
[] SAT I (breakdown):730 CR 800 M 730 W 11 Essay, overall 2260
[] ACT (breakdown):
[] SAT II: 660 Chem 720 Math II 710 History 650 Physics
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):3.75 (although w/o freshman year its a 3.9)
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):school doesnt rank
[] AP (place score in parentheses):5’s in stats history and eng lang, 4 in chem
[] IB (place score in parentheses):
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Gov, ap psych, bc calc, ap physics, honors creative writing, jazz and wind ensemble
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):generic ones, and then an honors band[/li]
[/list][ b]Subjective:**
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Track captain, hockey, soccer, XC, drama, JSA(Treasurer), physics club prez, some other , secretary of the band
[] Job/Work Experience:subway lol
[] Volunteer/Community service:zip
[] Summer Activities:did some conferance thing
[] Essays:they were pretty good
[] Teacher Recommendation:they were pretty good
[] Counselor Rec:it was pretty good
[] Additional Rec:
[] Interview:it went really well, he said i was interesting
[] Supplementary Material:

[/list][ b]Other**
[]Applied for Financial Aid?:yep
[] State (if domestic applicant):MA
Country (if international applicant):USA
[] School Type:public
[] Ethnicity:White
[] Gender:M
[] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate):160000
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):none[/li]
[/list][ b]Reflection**
Strengths:SAT I, course load relative to school, some decent ECs
Weaknesses:SAt IIs, grades sucked freshman year
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
I dont stand out enough and my grades werent good enough
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted-NEU Honors
UVM Honors
Umass Honors
UPitt Honors
Waitlisted
Washu
A bunch of schools i dont care about

Rejected:
Brown :frowning:
[/list]**General Comments: ** gonna go to Northeastern honors college

13

Accepted cas, 35 act, 3.9 gpa, more detailed stats on other threads. Definitely going to go here and so thrilled! Rejected from all other ivies so it really is just the luck of the game.

14

**Decision: Accepted - SEAS

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2320 (800M, 800CR, 720W)
[] SAT II: 800 Math II, 800 Chem, 800 Bio M
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): ~95/100
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): ~10/100, but school doesn’t rank officially
[] AP (place score in parentheses): Chem (5), Bio (5), Human Geo (5), APES (5), APUSH (5)
[] IB (place score in parentheses):
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Duke of Edinburgh Gold, ranked in top 100 for NACLO, National Biology Competition, various national math competitions[/li]
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[li] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):[/li]-A somewhat obscure sport (3-12), 20 hours/week, have competed internationally
-A science olympiad (10-12)
-DECA (10-11), Won at ICDC in 11th
-Started HOSA chapter (11-12)
-Math Club co-president (10-12)
-Equity Committee (9-12)

[li] Job/Work Experience:[/li]-Worked as a paid research assistant for a month

[li] Volunteer/Community service:[/li]-600 hours
-Volunteer with disabled people (10-12)
-Summer camp counsellor (10, 12)

[li] Summer Activities: Included above, program at university[/li]
[li] Essays: Common App one was above average, talked about my sport (no, it had nothing to do with winning a big game or an injury). Engineering essay was quite good, covering what drew me to engineering and how specifically Penn fit in.[/li]
[] Teacher Recommendation: Did not read, but should be very good (I’ve worked with them outside of class, they know me very well)
[] Counselor Rec: Did not read, but knows me VERY well
[] Additional Rec: From coach, excellent
[] Interview: Short, but we clicked very well.

[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[] Country (if international applicant): Canada
[] School Type: Competitive Private
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: F
[] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): $120 000
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A[/li]
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: SAT IIs, Interview, ECs/Awards
[] Weaknesses: GPA, Class rank (there was no official rank, but many top students applied to the same schools)
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Luck?
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted: Yale
Waitlisted: Princeton
Rejected: Harvard (deferred SCEA), Stanford, MIT

[/ul]**General Comments: **
I’m so excited! I was honestly expecting a shut-out, so this is amazing. I’m deciding between Penn (especially since I also got Rachleff Scholars) and Yale, but leaning towards Yale since I got a MUCH better FA package.

15

Decision: Accepted - Wharton

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2200 (700 CR 710 M 790 WR)
SAT II: 790 Math II, 800 French, 760 Lit
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): Our school does percentage system (95.9% average)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 5 (class of 72)
AP (place score in parenthesis): French Language and Culture (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP Human Geo, AP Chemistry, AP Microeconomics, English Creative Writing 12
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Extracuricular entrepreneurial/business leadership program, student leader of school’s art department, sports awards (international-level fencing), Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver awards, founder of 2 school clubs
Job/Work Experience: Starting an ESL tutoring service for pre-K children
Volunteer/Community service: Relay For Life event organizer, 250+ hrs community service, volunteering in Ecuador
Summer Activities: Summer business program at Canadian business school (Ivey at University of Western Ontario)
Essays: Common App 10/10, talked about building a collaborative learning environment at my school; Penn Supplemental 9/10 not super original but described my fit with the program very well
Teacher Recommendation: Average
Counselor Rec: Average
Interview: Over FaceTime with a Wharton grad, went very well - talked for over an hour and got very specific answers to a lot of my questions

Other

State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant): Canada
School Type: Private (non-IB)
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 150,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection

Strengths: Essays, extracurriculars
Weaknesses: SAT, number of AP courses
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I’m a very strong essay writer and connected a lot of Wharton’s opportunities to my personal academic interests/goals/service opportunities, drew a lot out of my visit to Penn last fall as well
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted: Queen’s, Western, UBC (all Canada); Rejected: Cornell (CALS/AEM), Princeton (Woodrow Wilson School)

General Comments:
Still can’t believe I was accepted! My school has a horrible, horrible record of Ivy acceptances and I was the only one out of my grade this year (from a huge pool of very worthy applicants). Still pinching myself, congratulations to everyone who was accepted, can’t wait to meet you all in the fall!

16

Decision: Accepted - CAS

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2330 (reading 800, writing 790, math 740)
ACT:
SAT II: literature 720, japanese 800
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis):
IB (place score in parenthesis): 42/45
Senior Year Course Load: HL history, HL english, HL japanese B, SL math, SL bio, SL art
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): student council for 3 years (treasurer, president), literary magazine (editor), cast in 6 school musicals, string orchestra (cello leader), symphony orchestra (cello leader), leadership conference, MUN delegate, school TV anchor
Job/Work Experience: teaching english to japanese kids once a week
Volunteer/Community service: helping the homeless, animal shelter, bali service trip
Summer Activities: not much lol
Essays: common app (8/10?)- about background of contradicting cultures. why upenn (9/10)
Teacher Recommendation: probably good
Counselor Rec: good
Additional Rec: orchestra teacher
Interview: went really well, via skype. he had similar interests

Other

State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant): Japan
School Type: Private IB International School
Ethnicity: Korean (Asian)
Gender: Female
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection

Strengths: grades, SAT1, essay, interview, extracurricular
Weaknesses: typical asian, international asian, school never sends people to ivy leagues
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: don’t know
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
accepted: UChicago, UC Berkeley
waitlisted: Dartmouth
rejected: other ivies, amherst, williams, swarthmore, duke

General Comments: SO HAPPY! congrats to everyone x

17

Decision: Accepted - CAS Vagelos Scholars Program

Objective:
[] SAT I: single/only sitting: 2330 --> 800 M, 780 W, 750 CR --> My advice for future applicants: I earned these scores by just taking the SAT practice tests in the SAT Big Blue Book, and, OK I admit this, the only really boring part was I did buy one of those “500 SAT vocabulary words” recommended on Amazon and worked through it. Please don’t feel pressured to pay anyone for SAT preparation/tutoring/classes, etc. They are costly and there are so many books in most local libraries that offer the same information, just be disciplined. You can identify what are your strengths and weaknesses by taking the multitude of tests in that Big Blue Book to see patterns/areas to work through, and save your $$ by not giving it to the supposed experts.
[]ACT: did not take
[] SAT II: single/only sitting: 800 Math 2, 800 Chemistry, 800 French
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a, but top 10%
[] AP (place score in parentheses): Calculus BC (5), Chemistry (5), Physics C Mechanics (5), Physics C E&M, French (5)

Subjective:
[] Extracurriculars: Three-season Varsity Athlete, Captain of all of the Science, Math, and French Olympiads/Teams/Clubs in my school, lots of awards including national awards (not Intel or Siemens though) but every activity I did I LOVE for the sake of it, not for a college application
[] Volunteer/Community service: lots and lots, again for the LOVE of it not for a college app
[] Summer Activities: volunteerism and scientific research
[] Essays: Hard to know but I was true to myself and was really happy with them
[] Teacher Recommendation: Did not see but would expect they were strong
[] Counselor Rec: Did not see but would expect it was strong
[] Additional Rec: From my mentor at my research internship
[] Interview: Did not have one.
[li] Supplementary Material: research poster[/li]
Other
[]Applied for Financial Aid?: no
[]Intended Major: Biochemistry/Biophysics, French minor
[] Region: New England
[] School Type: private
[] Ethnicity: White
[] Gender: Male
[li] Hooks: none[/li]
Reflection
[] Strengths: I tried to hit it on all fronts: test scores, grades, sports, leadership roles, community service, research
[] Weakness: White middle-class male, not URM or from a geographically UR region (Sorry if this offends anyone, and my condolences to the Asian middle-class male applicant)
[] Why you think you were accepted: Luck, the college process is a crap shoot, and a solid application
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted: In addition to getting in RD to Penn (Vagelos Scholars Program in the Molecular Life Sciences), I got into Yale, Hopkins, Brandeis (Justice Brandeis merit scholarship), and RPI (Leadership merit scholarship)
Rejected: RD to Harvard, Princeton
Waitlisted: MIT but doubt I will accept the wait list, as I am more a scientist and humanist than an engineer

General Comments: I am grateful to have some nice options and very glad that this stressful process is over. Wishing you all the best of luck!

18

Decision: Accepted - CAS

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 33 (34 E, 31 M, 33 R, 33 S, 8 W)
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3/335
AP (place score in parenthesis): Biology (4), English Lang (3), Calc AB (3), Macroeconomics (3), Microeconomics (5), US History (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc BC, AP Gov, AP French, AP Lit, APES
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NCFL qualified twice in LD debate
Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Youth Court (Chief Judge), Debate (LD Captain) with successful finishes at the state level, Partners Club (President), Mock Trial, JV Tennis, NHS
Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community service: 530+ hours with Youth Court (Chief Judge, Board of Directors, Ethics Board, Executive Board)
Summer Activities: Summer camp with Bill of Rights Institute
Essays: I like to think that they were good.
Teacher Recommendation: Both were pretty good; I was lucky that both teachers let me see them.
Counselor Rec: I’m sure it was good.
Additional Rec: Great rec from Executive Director of Youth Court talking about how I’ve implemented new sentencing options.
Interview: I felt like it went really well.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): AK
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 60-70k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Geography, maybe?

Reflection

Strengths: Extracurriculars, maybe essays, maybe a slight hook?
Weaknesses: Test scores
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I feel like my heavy involvement in community service pushed me over the edge. Those 530 hours didn’t seem like a lot until I actually typed those into the Common App box.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:

Accepted: Tulane, Case Western, Rhodes, Minnesota, Pitt, Portland, Willamette
Waitlisted: Vanderbilt, Carleton

General Comments: I’m absolutely in shock right now! Congratulations to everyone else that was admitted!

19

Decision: Accepted - CAS

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): Taken once. 2230. 720 CR, 720 M, 790 W
ACT: Taken once. 32 C, 35 E, 28 M, 34 R (12 W), 32 S
SAT II: 780 Lit, 700 MII
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3/355
AP (place score in parenthesis): European History (4), English Lang Comp (5), US History (5), Calc BC (4) and AB subscore (4), Art History (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Psych, AP English Lit Comp, AP Statistics, Leadership, AP Biology, AP US Gov, Academic Decathlon
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction, various county medals in Science Olympiad and Academic Decathlon, Distinguished Young Woman of Oakdale (top Scholastic and Interview winner of Oakdale, top Scholastic and Self-Expression winner of California), Junior Achievement Award, Nordstrom Scholar

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Many many many. Officerships in all. Reply to me if you want more info. :smile:
Job/Work Experience: Private tutor for 3 years. Data Grapher for 1 year. Poll worker for 2 elections.
Volunteer/Community service: Numerous. See “Extracurriculars”
Summer Activities: Tutoring
Essays: The one essay was pretty decent. I definitely did not feel confident at the time, but I’m a pretty skilled writer. It read a lot better than how I was perceiving it, which is usually the case. I mostly talked about how Penn is great because it fosters interdisciplinary exploration and general passion for intellectualism.
Teacher Recommendation: Teacher Rec #1: My APUSH, Psych, and Gov teacher who has worked with me in the classroom and in extracurriculars. It was like 5 pages long and beautifully written. Best recommendation that I could ask for, very comprehensive.Teacher Rec #2: From my English teacher (both for pre-AP as a freshman and AP as a senior) who also happened to be my AP Art History Teacher. Much more compact than my other one, but focused more on who I was as a student of the humanities, which really helped for my applied focuses of English, Education, or Linguistics.
Counselor Rec: honestly never got to read this one, but she was very fond of me and was always impressed with my accomplishments and invested in my success. I’m guessing that it was pretty good.
Additional Rec: I submitted a peer from an upperclassman who had graduated last year. I had replaced him as president in many of our extracurriculars, and he was a dear friend who was able to speak candidly about my character and my leadership abilities.
Interview: Penn was my first college interview! I was really similar to my interviewer and it felt very successful and good in general.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Filipina
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: <$125k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First generation immigrant. Distinguished Young Woman. My brother had sacrificed going to the college of his choice, so I was the first one to have the freedom of choice.

Reflection

Strengths: innate writing skills, perfect grades, incredibly strong extracurriculars. Well-rounded (4 years of varsity tennis as well)
Weaknesses: My interview probably was not as strong as it could have been.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I was probably accepted because my essay pretty much praised Penn for being an institution that valued learning and cared about its students. See “Strengths”.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: UOP (Pacific Humanities Scholars Program), UC Berkeley, UC Davis (Regents and Honors), UCLA, Johns Hopkins (Bloomberg Scholar), Stanford. Waitlisted at Harvard.

General Comments: I have never been to Penn, and my knowledge of their programs came from their website and from a current student at Wharton. I’m not sure if I will be attending here due to me wanting to stay in California, but I’m very honored to have been accepted!

20

Decision: Rejected - CAS

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): NA
ACT (breakdown): 35 C Superscored and not superscored: (33 E, 35 M, 36 R, 36 S)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): 760 M2 720 Bio M
Unweighted/Weighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.98/4.64 I go to a highly selective magnet school that chooses around 2% of students that apply out of 9 high schools. So out of around 3100 applicants, 75 or so get in.
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 3% 10/310
AP (place score in parentheses):
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: Multivariable Calculus, Orgo Chem, Bio Chem, Biomedical Science, IB History of the Americas, IB Spanish, Orchestra
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): 3rd Place Best Midwestern High School Writing Competition twice in a row. 9th Place ACSL International Coding Competition

[ b]Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): NHS, Research Team (at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Varsity Tennis for 3 years, 1st Violin in the Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Debate
Job/Work Experience: NA
Volunteer/Community Service: Over 200 hours at a local hospital, at summer science camps, a school for the mentally disabled, friends and I started charity that feeds elementary schools children on the weekends (they live in a bad part of town), I founded an interscholastic math competition for 5th graders, MATHCOUNTS coach for a local middle school.
Summer Activities: Gave talks at local hospitals to raise money for the charity I run, and why feeding poverty stricken children in elementary school is important.
Essays: Pretty strong all around. My English teacher said they were great.
Teacher Recommendations: Idk, but should have been good. One of the teachers asked me if he could write me a rec, and told me he would say I was outstanding.
Counselor Rec: She said there’s no doubt I’m one of the top kids at my school, so definitely should have been good.
Additional Rec: From the director of Lee Honors College at WMU. I worked with her to establish the math competition.
Interview: NA

Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Admissions is hella random.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:[/list] Accepted: Johns Hopkins, Wash U St. Louis, U Mich, U Miami, K College (full tuition)
Waitlisted: Case Western Reserve, Northwestern
Rejected: UChicago, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, UPenn
General Comments: I honestly have no idea why I was rejected by the entire Ivy League. My friend with better stats was also rejected by all the ivies. It’s disheartening when you see kids with lower stats get accepted everywhere. I worked wayyyyy too hard for this. Whatever, I guess Johns Hopkins it is.

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
Projected Concentration: Pre-med
State (if domestic applicant): MI
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Public Magnet
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $150,000 +
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None…