***OFFICIAL UPenn Class of 2018 ED Results ONLY***

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
61

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

<p>Objective:
SAT I- 2230 (740 R, 760 M, 730 W 8 essay)
ACT- 35 (35 W, 36 M, 34 R, 33 S 10 essay)
SAT II- 800 Chemistry, 800 Math 2
Unweighted/Weighted GPA- 3.97un/ 4.4 w
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Nope.
AP/IB- 5 in Calc AB, US History and World History. 4 in Chemistry.
Senior Year Course Load: AP Biology, AP English Literature, AP Spanish 4, AP European History, Calculus 2 and 3 at college, Linear algebra, Politics of the Developing World.
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 0
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda…
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): NMSF, regional stuff</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Philosophical Society (founder), Macro Strategies Group (founder), Swimming, track and field, Academic Decathlon (top scorer in county), Mock Trial (team leader), Key Club
Job/Work Experience: Almond farmer, baseball coach and umpire
Volunteer/Community Service: Key Club and Rotary 200 hours
Summer Experience: Almond farming. Study abroad in Spain.
Teacher Recommendation #1: 10/10 (never actually saw it, but he writes good ones)
Teacher Recommendation #2: Somewhere between 8 and 10. Idk.
Additional Info/Rec: 10/10 Amazing peer rec from my best friend. We do Academic Decathlon, Mock Trial and the Macro Strategies Group together and have heated arguments about the State of Nature at our school’s Friday night football games.
Interview: 9. Couldn’t have gone any better without something weird happening. Talked about the Venezuelan economy and the resource curse. </p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: Basically just talked about the school. Honestly have no way of knowing.
Any dual-degree program essays:
CommonApp Essay: Compared myself to Odysseus. Risky. It either went really well or not so well. Idk. Scrapping it because other prompts suit me better. </p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 2018 ED
U.S. State/Territory or Country: CA
School Type: Public, sends about .7 kids to Ivies/SM a year (trust me, you don’t want to see .7 of a person)
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: Didn’t apply for financial aid.
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): Almond farmer.
Reflection
Strengths: ACT, Subject tests, (I have the best scores in my school even if they aren’t that high) ECs (they are as good as you can get in my area, so don’t call them weak), good interview, attractive Norwegian facial features (Idk how they factor this one into the decision haha)
Weaknesses: SAT I, too-well rounded, lack of “leadership”? (what ever happened to leading by example?)
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: I went to visit. Twice. Once during summer and then again during fall for at overnight stay.
What would you have done differently?: Started to enjoy high school and feel comfortable earlier in my four years. And would have skipped Spanish 3 or take it over summer because that class fue un chiste para mi. And probably would have written about something different on the common app. I’m definitely scrapping that essay for RD applications. </p>

<p>Like every applicant who gets rejected/deferred, I feel as though one application is not enough to capture the reality of my being. I guess it may not matter who you really are, it’s more about the manner in which you present yourself for these apps. I’ve got some work to do on that for RD, but I know what I need to do. </p>

<p>Biggest decision of my life. While I was logging into the portal my heart was beating so fast. Then, I found myself in Dante’s Defurgatory. It feels like a rejection; as of this moment, all rejects and deferreds are not going to Penn.</p>

<p>-Publius (Federalist Paper reference for all you fans of 18th century political writings)</p>

62

<p>Accepted to NCHM Program, so both Wharton and Nursing
Decision: Accepted - Wharton
Decision: Accepted - Nursing</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 760/800/770/8
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):2330
ACT (breakdown):----
ACT superscore (breakdown):----
SAT II (subject, score):Physics, 780; Math 2, 790; Chinese with Listening, 790
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.0 UW (School does not weigh grades)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): European History (5), US History (5), Physics B (5), Psychology (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Gov/Econ, Regular English 12, AP Chemistry, Digital Imaging, AP Calculus AB, California History (Note: Course load much easier than junior year)
Number of other ED applicants in your school: None to UPenn, very few ED to anywhere (school kinda sucks academically)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): Nothing big
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): AP Scholar, NM Semifinalist, Principal’s Honor Roll, Valedictorian, local speech contest 3rd place stuff (seriously nothing big though)</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): FTC Robotics Team 8043 captain, Speech Team Co-captain, Anime Club Treasurer, Computer Science Club Secretary, Husky Productions (Film production) Treasurer, no sports
Job/Work Experience: none
Volunteer/Community Service: Activities volunteer at Kindred Medical Hill (nursing home)
Summer Experience: Internship at Tongzhou Maternity and Child Healthcare Center, after freshman year summer
Teacher Recommendation #1: REALLY GOOD from my APUSH teacher, who really wanted me to get in so not only did he write the common app letter, he wrote a letter to the associate director of undergraduate admissions
Teacher Recommendation #2: mediocre (I never got to read them of course, but I got this feeling. My second recommender was also not very good with English, so yeah)
Counselor Rec: Pretty good for a public school counselor. I never got to know her at all because my counselor was new to the school this year but because of the National Merit stuff I got to know her a little bit.
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview:Pretty good. Had a lot in common with the alumni interviewer so it went pretty well (in a coffee house), and later talked to the associate director on the phone kind of awkwardly as well.</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: Various references to the strengths of UPenn research mostly, probably about an 8
Any dual-degree program essays: NCHM essay- very strongly opinionated about healthcare reform, probably about an 8
CommonApp Essay: Kind of a weird one about learning to knit and links to my ancestry. Not very good. Maybe about a 7.</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: October 30
U.S. State/Territory or Country: California
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: Female
Income Bracket Range:~140,000
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): None</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Scores/tests, one really strong recommender
Weaknesses: Essays
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: ----
What would you have done differently?: Not much, maybe try to make my essays better but it turned out ok anyway.</p>

<p>Other Factors:----</p>

63

<p>Accepted - Wharton</p>

<p>[[Sorry, no time to do all the fancy coloring/bolding]]</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 800/800/720//9
SAT II (subject, score): Chem- 770, Math II- 790, Physics- 800
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.0/No weighted
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1%
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): Chem (5), Lang (5), Physics B (5), Physics C Mech (5), Calc AB (5)
Senior Year Course Load: [[Core classes]] AP Bio, AP Gov, AP Comp Sci, AP Lit, Econ
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 0 [[Lucky me]]
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): N/A
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): National Merit, AP w/ Distinction, Business Competitions, FBLA, and a million smaller ones</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Business Competitions
Job/Work Experience: Law Firm internship, minor paid work
Volunteer/Community Service: FBLA leadership for 3 years, Key Club leadership, volunteering with children with disability
Summer Experience: Various volunteering//law firm internship
Teacher Recommendation #1: History Teacher- Knew him well, we’re similar people (Christian, community/service-dedicated, fascinated by social studies, etc)
Teacher Recommendation #2: English Teacher- Took AP Lang seriously when many others didn’t. Paid off because my writing skills improved + got a great rec.<br>
Counselor Rec: Awesome. 90 minute interview
Additional Info/Rec: Business teacher. Worked together for years
Interview: With local alum. 90 minute interview, had so much fun</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details): What I learned from losing//8
Why Penn: Did my research, gave specific examples that I want to pursue, put into an elaborate metaphor//Honestly think this helped tremendously. Could tell it wasn’t slapped together last minute<br>
Any dual-degree program essays: N/A</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 10/29
U.S. State/Territory or Country: CA
School Type: Public, 400 graduating
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: M
Income Bracket Range: less than $100k
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development): None</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Almost everything I did outside of community service was business oriented; my goals for my future career in public policy and public service clearly defined
Weaknesses: No major awards; no Calc BC; few AP tests; no outside courses </p>

<p>Advice: Remember that Penn is pre-professional. You don’t have to be a super genius to fit in. Find extracurricular activities you absolutely love, stick with them and become a leader in the organizations. Dedication towards something that benefits the community or other students is a must, but starting a million charities isn’t. Give yourself ample time to write for Penn- every word counts because there are so few supplements. Give your best and good luck!</p>

64

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 760/800/720/10
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):
ACT (breakdown): 32 (total)
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score): Biology M, 780; US History, 750
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 3.94
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): AP Bio (5), APUSH (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Statistics, AP French, AP English, AP BC Calc, AP Econ
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 2
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.):
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): National Merit Semifinalist</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): yearbook; fencer
Job/Work Experience: summer internship at a pharmaceuticals company
Volunteer/Community Service: camp counsellor; church volunteer
Summer Experience:
Teacher Recommendation #1: Very good- math teacher
Teacher Recommendation #2: Very good- history teacher
Counselor Rec: Very good
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview: SUCKED.</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: uh subject was “why Penn”, 9, talked about specific program I liked
Any dual-degree program essays: LSM applicant, 10
CommonApp Essay: getting three concussions and switching from soccer to fencing, 9</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: Oct. 29
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Texas
School Type: College Prep
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket Range:
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): I was not recruited but my application was supported</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: good essays, grades, and scores
Weaknesses: horrible interview
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: ------
What would you have done differently?: prepared more for the interview</p>

65

<p>Decision: Accepted - Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):2200 (M-720/CR-740/W-740/Essay-10)
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):2200
ACT (breakdown): Did not submit
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score): Math II - 790, Physics - 680
Unweighted/Weighted GPA:N/A
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): IB Diploma (43/45)
Senior Year Course Load: Math HL, Physics HL, Economics HL, English Lang and Lit SL, French B SL, Business and Management SL, Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay
Number of other ED applicants in your school:1-2
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): None
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Ministry Commendation for full GPA in 10th</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description):

  1. Model United Nations, 9th-12th, Attended over 21 conferences nationally and internationally, Secretary-General for 2 MUNs, Head of MUN Club, Started first Junior MUN for grades 6-8 in South India, Conducted regular MUN training sessions
  2. Basketball, 9th-12th, Pointguard, Won numerous tournaments locally, state-wide and nationally, Captain for a tournament
  3. Student Government, 9th-12th, Deputy Head Boy, Head Boy in 2 schools, StudCo Rep. Represented student body and spearheaded numerous school initiatives
  4. Piano - 11 years, Grade 5 ABRSM Certificate, Numerous Recitals
  5. Actor - Sound of Music play, performed in professional theatre
    Job/Work Experience:
  6. National Level Debates, Head of Debate Team, 9-12
    Volunteer/Community Service: Founder - Community Service Organisation - Ignitia - [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.ignitia.org%5DIgnitia%5B/url”&gt;http://www.ignitia.org]Ignitia[/url</a>] - Provides course plans for volunteers to teach underprivileged children in their localities.
    Summer Experience: Quite a few internships
    Teacher Recommendation #1: From Economics Teacher. Didn’t see but said it was excellent. Extended Essay mentor as well.
    Teacher Recommendation #2: Didn’t see. From Physics Teacher and StudCo Teacher Advisor. Really good relation and said recommendation was really good.
    Counselor Rec: Didn’t see. He worked really hard on it and said it was amazing.
    Additional Info/Rec:
    Interview: It was alright. Didn’t feel like it was anything extraordinary. </p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: Wrote about how I wanted to use what penn offered to develop health care models to implement in India. Slightly Dramatic. 7/10
Any dual-degree program essays: Why Jerome Fisher - Wrote about social organisation I started. 8/10
CommonApp Essay:Wrote a dual narrative linking a 5th grade play and my tenure as Head Boy of school. I would give it an 7/10</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 4th November
U.S. State/Territory or Country:India
School Type: Private, Mid-Size
Ethnicity: Asian - Indian
Gender:Male
Income Bracket Range:>$250,00
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development):Nothing</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: ECs, Essays maybe, Leadership Roles
Weaknesses: SAT scores
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: I think my essays really pushed me through. And a bit of luck :slight_smile:
What would you have done differently?:</p>

<p>Other Factors: I’m super stoked! I really wanted to get into M&T and looks like it finally happened!</p>

66

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

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2140 (650 CR, 770 Math, 720 Writing)
ACT: 34 (31 E, 35 M, 35 S, 34 R, One Sitting)
SAT II: 740 Chem, 740 Bio M, 710 Math II
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.85
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 46/550
AP (place score in parenthesis): Calculus AB (4) Chemistry (4) Environmental Science (4, Self-Study) Human Geography (4, Self-Study) Government (3, Self-Study) Psych (3, Self-Study
IB (place score in parenthesis): none
Senior Year Course Load: AP Bio, AP Stat, AP French, English Hnrs, Econ, dual enrollment course at a local university
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): none
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): just an average list of sports and clubs
Job/Work Experience: Tutor
Volunteer/Community service: 150 hours about
Summer Activities: enjoying life :stuck_out_tongue:
Essays: 8/10, my personal best writing
Teacher Recommendation: good
Counselor Rec: better than average, not amazing
Additional Rec: none
Interview: went great I think
Supplementary Material: none
Other
State (if domestic applicant): PA, philly area
School Type: public
Ethnicity: White / European
Gender: m
Income Bracket (mention if FA candidate): 80-100K FA candidate
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Born in Albania and moved to America in 1999, first generation
Reflection
Strengths: ACT Score, self-study
Weaknesses: Class Rank :frowning:
General Comments: Pretty saddened cause it has been my dream school for years but oh well life moves on! Congrats to all who did make it, do great things! Headed to Pitt now, Hail2Pitt!</p>

67

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

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 690/680/720
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2090
ACT (breakdown): 30 science, 36 Crit Reading, 36 Math, 35 English
ACT superscore (breakdown):34
SAT II (subject, score): 790 USH, 800 Math II, 740 Chem, 710 Bio M, 730 Math I
Unweighted/Weighted GPA:4.0/4.5
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):5
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): Chem(5), English Lang and Comp(5), Calculus BC (5)
Senior Year Course Load:Mythology Literature, Ap Stats, Ap PhysicsC, Ap Econ (Macro and Micro), Orchestra, Ap Psychology, Multi-Variable Calculus at the Community College
Number of other ED applicants in your school:3
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): Quizbowl Team finished 49th at Quizbowl Nats, Third place at the NAQT State Championships, Currently ranked 41st in the Nation, Red Cross Volunteer of the Year: 2010, 2011, Eagle Scout
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Ap scholar, honor roll, Volunteer Recognition Awards from Red Cross</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description):
Lots of good Ecs, loved doing them all
Job/Work Experience: Intern at a Law Firm
Volunteer/Community Service: 1000 hours + from Red Cross and Boy Scouts
Summer Experience: Summer classes at Community College
Teacher Recommendation #1:Swag 10/10
Teacher Recommendation #2:Great 10/10
Counselor Rec:I don’t know how good it was. Probably generic 8/10
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview: Great. We also had much in common.</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: Showed my interest and knowledge of UPenn well, 9/10
Any dual-degree program essays:
CommonApp Essay: 10/10, talked about a very personal and tragic experience and tied it back to my hope for a greater education</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 11/2/13
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Los Angeles, CA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Vietnamese
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: Appox: 120,000
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): none really</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Ecs, Essays, Grades
Weaknesses: some subject tests, maybe not enough aps
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Only school I’ve gotten a response from
What would you have done differently?: Nothing </p>

<p>Other Factors: Single Income, recent tragedy</p>

68

<p>Decision: Accepted – Computer and Cognitive Sciences (Artificial Intelligence)
Decision: Accepted - CAS
Decision: Accepted - SEAS
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 630/590/610/8 – 1810 (didn’t submit)
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):
ACT (breakdown): 34M/34S/32R/32E/8E – 33, 28M/32S/35R/31E/8E - 32
ACT superscore (breakdown): 34M/34S/35R/32E/8E – 34
SAT II (subject, score): 710 Physics, 710 Math II, 690 Math I, 700 US History (Didn’t submit any)
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.0U/4.43W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/114
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): US (5), English Composition (4)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Lit, AP Gov, Engineering Physics II, Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Environmental Science
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 0
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): 6th in the nation for Job Interview in FBLA; Eagle Scout
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Commonwealth of Virginia Early College Scholars Program; West Point Leadership Cadet; Virginia Boy’s State; Boy’s Nation Alternate; William & Mary Leadership Award; Rensselaer Medal; Good Citizen Citation; Virginia Pilot Scholar; HOBY Alumni; World Conservation Award; Undefeated 3 years in Scholastic Bowl; 1st at Regionals for Odyssey of the Mind; 3rd place in scientific programming at a competition in the tenth grade.</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): FBLA (Regional President); Odyssey of the Mind; Varsity Track (Long Distance); Scholastic Bowl (Team Captain); Boy Scouts; Mock Trial (Head Prosecution); Student Government (Student Body President); Forensics; BETA Club; Venturing Scouts; NASA Hunch program (Head of programming an experiment that I’ll get to test in zero gravity)!
Job/Work Experience: Web Developer (8th-9th grade); Research Assistant @ NASA
Volunteer/Community Service: 300+ hours from the Boy Scouts; 100+ hours etc.
Summer Experience: Went to West Point, Boy’s State
Teacher Recommendation #1: Phenomenal. He didn’t write it very sophisticated, but he talked about how I took over his class one day while he was sick. He also talked about how I volunteered at the Special Olympics.
Teacher Recommendation #2: Very sweet; she didn’t cover exactly what I was hoping for, but she wrote a very nice letter. The only negative aspect is that it was from a sophomore teacher.
Counselor Rec:
Additional Info/Rec: AMAZING! She was the reason I got in I truly believe. She just could not write enough good things. She even said I was the best student my school had ever had since she started (over ten years ago!)
Interview: Not great; she cut me off accidentally several times and it made me seem like I dissed Penn. (For instance, I said I originally dreamed of going to MIT and never considered Penn as an engineering school, and she started talking about how good of a school MIT was, ha). However, I called her today and she was absolutely ecstatic that I got in!</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: 6, I didn’t really make it personal. I talked about the program a little, research I wanted to do, and a club I wanted to start at Penn. I still think it was too generic. I tried to tell Penn what I could do for them, instead of what they could do for me.
Any dual-degree program essays: N/A
CommonApp Essay: Really personal; I cried writing it. I discussed how my mom’s problems made me escape to computers, which got me into programming.</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: Before November 1st
U.S. State/Territory or Country: VA
School Type: Rural (<500 kids), 300 people in my TOWN
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: <100K
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): Research Experience?</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: ACT Score, Common App Essay, Rural diversity maybe?, Extracurricular activities.
Weaknesses: Varied interests in my clubs and stuff, I’m an awful writer, Curriculum (I could only take two foreign language courses, and I had to do them at a community college over the summer).
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: I was being sought by West Point, but am about to send my apologies, because next year, I’ll be at PENN!!
What would you have done differently?: Talked about my interests more in the Why Penn essay.</p>

69

<p>**Decision: Accepted (Wharton) **</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I: 2380 (780 M, 800 CR, 800 W)
ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (subject, score): 800 Chem, 750 Math II (DON’T NEED 800 TO GET INTO WHARTON!!!)
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 3.95
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 3%
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): English Lang (5), Spanish Lang (5), Calculus AB (5), Chemistry (5), World History (5), Biology (5), US History (5)
Senior Year Course Load: strongest possible
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 1, deferred to Huntsman
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): None
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): National Merit Commended, national essay contests, Duke book award, community service awards</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Key Club president, founder of school chapter (9-12), Writing (for school newspaper, publications, websites), SGA (9-12), few others. Founded ecommerce website based on one of my interests, generated small amount of revenue. Unique agricultural overproduction project completed with local public policy officials.
Job/Work Experience: two relatively unimpressive jobs
Volunteer/Community Service: many, many hours. Huge commitment to this area.
Summer Experience: work
Teacher Recs: Never read, but was told they were very strong by GC. One was probably very good, other just good.
Counselor Rec: Great…have personal relationship with her
Additional Info/Rec: One from employer…never read, but assume it was good, probably (8/10)
Interview: Went poorly. Only lasted 45 mins. Had me worried! </p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):</p>

<p>Why Penn: Very strong, specific to Wharton’s programs, centered around Finance and Social Impact (MGMT 100, etc.) (8/10)
CommonApp Essay: Not my all-time favorite, but very unique and strong. Very well-written, chose topic that showed my personality and catered to Wharton’s ideals. (8.5/10)</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 10/28
U.S. State/Territory or Country: NY
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: M
Gender: White
Income Bracket Range: N/A
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development): Candidate of Significant Interest to the Kelly Writers House!!!</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Academics, Writing, Unique ECs, KWH, essays
Weaknesses: ECs aren’t amazing, interview, essays could possibly have been received differently than I wanted
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: N/A
What would you have done differently?: Started essays earlier, gotten involved with stronger ECs and been more dedicated to them. Future students: set yourself apart outside of the classroom, relate your interests to business, and write phenomenal essays! That, with leadership and high math scores/grades, is what Wharton looks for! I almost didn’t apply because I didn’t think I was good enough…what a mistake that would have been!</p>

<p>Other Factors: I was very academically qualified, had unique ECs. I’m a very good writer, and got the KWH to support me. I feel my writing ECs, KWH, and essays got me in. So excited to join UPENN! This is a dream come true. W’18!!! :)</p>

70

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

<p>Honestly, get off of this site. It adds unnecessary stress to a college application process that isn’t as gruesome as you think. Just be real with yourself and write a killer essay.</p>

<p>Regardless, I’m incredibly stoked that I’m officially a member of Ben Franklin’s crew!! University of Pennsylvania '18!!! Hurrah, Hurrah!!</p>

71

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): N/A
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 36 (36 English, Math, Reading and 35 Science and 11 essay)
ACT superscore (breakdown): 36 36 36 36 11
SAT II (subject, score): Chem (770), Math II (800)
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: Unweighted: 4.0 Weighted: 4.8
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): AP Gov (5), AP Chem (5), IB Spanish B SL (7), IB Math SL (6)
Senior Year Course Load: Most rigorous possible, IB along with AP BC Calc and AP Spanish even though I got a 7 in IB Spanish the year before
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 2
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): Basically none… I got recognized for my perfect ACT by the CO board of education?
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Honor Roll all 4 years, National merit finalist, valedictorian, I think that’s it</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Ummmm tutoring for all four years, FBLA, NHS, Speech and Debate. Thats all folks
Job/Work Experience: Work at a golf course, run personal tutoring business
Volunteer/Community Service: 200+ hours of required service for IB and NHS
Summer Experience: Play golf and relax? I don’t go out and do all these programs you crazy people do. I don’t want to spend my summers in classrooms, usually.
Teacher Recommendation #1: 9/10. Physics teacher. Formulaic response but very praising.
Teacher Recommendation #2: 9/10. English teacher. Very personal response, I made sure he included personal information.
Counselor Rec: 10/10 she spent hours refining her essay she said
Additional Info/Rec: noneeeeee…
Interview: 8/10. With an older Penn graduate who is still very involved with the school. He said I basically don’t have a chance! Suck it! He said my best quality was an interest in Penn</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: 9/10. Basically talked about how my tutoring has made me a good person and how I could maybe bring that to the campus? and I said I wanted to be a campus tour guide
Any dual-degree program essays: zip zilch nada
CommonApp Essay:8/10. About my personal life and how my parents’ divorce caused me to use academics as a way to find a place to feel accomplished since my parents were focused on other things.</p>

<p>Other: idk
Date Submitted App: 10/15
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Colorado
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: 80K
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development):
No hooks really. 36 ACT?</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Grades, test scores, schedule, tutoring
Weaknesses: ECs
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: So far accepted at DU and Northeastern
What would you have done differently?: Nothing. I went completely honest with my application and it worked out.</p>

<p>PEOPLE WITH GREAT GRADES BUT LITTLE TO NO EC’S DO NOT FRET. This website is full of kids that spend every ounce of their free time cramming in clubs and programs and excursions. You do not need to do this. I’m extremely happy to see that I can still get into an Ivy without a plethora of ECs.
Other Factors:</p>

72

<p>I suppose it’s time I post this and get some closure.</p>

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

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2210 (760/660/790)
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2260 (770/700/790)
ACT (breakdown): Didn’t take
ACT superscore (breakdown): Nope
SAT II (subject, score): Math II - 800, US History - 690, Literature - 700
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 3.92 UW/4.4 W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 13/262
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): US History (5), English Lang (5), Calc BC (5), BC Subscore (5), Physics C: Mechanics (3), European History (3)
Senior Year Course Load: AP English Lit, AP US Gov and Politics, Sales and Marketing 3 (Student Store Management), AP Statistics, AP French, AP Environmental Science
Number of other ED applicants in your school: None
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): DECA State Conference Finalist/National Qualifier
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit SF, National History Day State Finalist, Presidential Volunteer Service Award</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): National Honor Society (10-12, Treasurer), History Club (11-12, Historic Content Officer), DECA (10-12, Chapter President & Regional VP), Calculus Tutor (11-12)
Job/Work Experience: Microsoft Intern (12, managing benefits for corporate partners/running mathematical diagnostics to determine what makes the “best” partner/merging partners/researching new benefits to offer), Destiny Merchandising Intern (11-12, improving sales and marketing efforts for the company)
Volunteer/Community Service: King County Library System (11, research to improve bandwidth on Outreach service/handled purchases and invoices for all hardware in all libraries), Eastside Baby Corner (10-12, packaging clothes for less fortunate families in urban Washington areas), Mountains to Sound Greenway (11-12, trail restoration/tree planting/wildlife preservation)
Summer Experience: Washington Business Week (10, First Place Overall Company), Advanced Washington Business Week (11, Second Place Overall Company)
Teacher Recommendation #1: 9/10. I’m her favorite student in years and she told me she said some amazing things on it - worked on the rec for months
Teacher Recommendation #2: 7.5/10 Should have been good but it’ll be pretty generic stuff despite the praise
Counselor Rec: 9/10 Should have been fantastic! Built a personal relationship with her.
Additional Info/Rec: None though I kind of wish I did…
Interview: 8/10 Overall it lasted over an hour! We had a lot of quirky but really fun similarities between what she did at Penn and what I wanted to do. But it wasn’t super deep and remarkable.</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: 8.5/10. Honestly I thought this was very specific and spoke tremendously about who I am and what I want to do at Penn and Wharton. I spent months on it.
Any dual-degree program essays: Nope
CommonApp Essay: 9.5/10 I have no idea how I would improve this essay. I worked on it for nearly 7 months and I really thought it turned out amazing. Not too personal, but it was soooo me.</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 10/30
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Washington
School Type: Mid-sized public, not known for students to get into top tier schools…yet
Ethnicity: Indian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: A little over $100,00-0
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): Not even</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Overall a focused profile, internships (Microsoft gimme a break), essays
Weaknesses: Test scores, no major awards/accomplishments
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Nowhere yet. Submitted to UW-Seattle, Berkeley and UCLA. Nearly done with apps to Harvard, Chicago, Duke, Columbia, Georgetown, Dartmouth, NYU and Minnesota
What would you have done differently?: I would’ve studied harder for my SATs and my SATIIs and I would’ve started earlier in high school in terms of building up a more impressive profile of ECs with more commitment.</p>

<p>General Comments: Ignore what I said above. Honestly I’m not sure what else I could’ve done. Yesterday I didn’t feel as bad, but today it really hit me that I’m never going to Wharton as a undergraduate. It’s been my dream to attend since 7th grade (don’t ask why) and it’s an extremely hard feeling to grasp that this dream is gone.</p>

<p>My advice to future applicants: There’s only 380 pure Wharton spots. Of those you can’t expect the school to accept more than 140-ish in ED. Still I wouldn’t have done anything different and don’t let anyone or anything take that from you. I love Penn all the same. Choose the ECs you’re passionate about and roll with it. Ultimately you won’t regret it. But remember to get your testing done early and not cram in the last few months.</p>

73

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 770/740/800 (1 sitting)
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):
ACT (breakdown):
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score): 800 Chemistry, 800 Math II, 760 US History
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 3.82 UW/5.18 Weighted (out of 6)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 5/323
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): AP Chem (5), APES (4), APUSH (5), AP French (5), AP Computer Science (5), AP Statistics (5), AP Calc BC (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics C Mechanics, AP Physics C Electricity and Magnetism, AP World History, AP English Literature, AP Government and Politics, Linear Algebra at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 3
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.):
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): National commended, AP scholar with distinction, Durham Mayor’s award, AMC 12 school top scorer, other stuff</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): mostly comp sci-related, all of my ECs were programming-related
Job/Work Experience: programmer
Volunteer/Community Service: lots more comp sci-related volunteering
Summer Experience: my programming job
Teacher Recommendation #1: I had my APUSH teacher write it. I didn’t read it, but she really liked me, and I was one of the very few people who got an A in that class.
Teacher Recommendation #2: my differential equations professor at UNC wrote my 2nd rec. She got to really know me well through her office hours, and she also really liked me. I think it was excellent.
Counselor Rec: Really good.
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview: The interview for me lasted an hour and ten minutes. My interviewer was an electrical engineer, so we bonded over a lot of my interests and activities. I thought the interview went pretty well.</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: 8.5, really detailed and well-researched
Any dual-degree program essays:
CommonApp Essay: 9.5, really unique</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 10/30
U.S. State/Territory or Country: North Carolina baby!
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: M
Income Bracket Range: 150,000+
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): none!</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: ECs, Recs, essays
Weaknesses: GPA, no major awards
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: got into NC state engineering! I guess I have to rescind my UNC application now.
What would you have done differently?: I should’ve tried for M&T.</p>

<p>Other Factors: </p>

<p>I’m so excited!! aaaaaaaaaaaah!</p>

74

<p>I’m not going to lie, these decision threads were quite helpful. I suppose it’s now my turn to give back.</p>

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

<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>]SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2350+
[</em>]SAT II (subject, score): 800 M II, 790 WH, 780 Chinese
[<em>]Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.0 uw
[</em>]Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/330ish
[<em>]AP/IB (place score in parentheses): Seven 5s, one 4
[</em>]Senior Year Course Load: 6 APs, most rigorous
[<em>]Number of other ED applicants in your school: 3
[</em>]Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): None
[li]Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): AP Scholar, Scholastic Art and Writing Awards HM[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Subjective:[ul]
[<em>]Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Model UN (President), NHS (President), Relay for Life, Theatre
[</em>]Job/Work Experience: Tutoring
[<em>]Volunteer/Community Service: Large regional project: my main focus, wrote essays and had a rec about it
[</em>]Summer Experience: Community service project, internship with politician, internship for science/research
[<em>]Teacher Recommendation #1: Average, didn’t see
[</em>]Teacher Recommendation #2: Average, didn’t see
[<em>]Counselor Rec: Average, didn’t see, included excerpts from the community service rec
[</em>]Interview: Wouldn’t have helped, but the lady was super friendly and we shared some laughs[/ul]</p>

<p>Writing[ul]
[<em>]Why Penn: Very well researched, but quite dull
[</em>]Any dual-degree program essays: Huntsman essay on environmental degradation
[li]CommonApp Essay: The community project[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Other[ul]
[<em>]Date Submitted App: Late October
[</em>]U.S. State/Territory or Country: Mid-Atlantic
[<em>]School Type: Competitive public
[</em>]Ethnicity: Asian
[<em>]Gender: XX
[</em>]Income Bracket Range: Barely enough for financial aid
[li]Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development): None[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Reflection[ul]
[<em>]Strengths: I really don’t think anything stood out as amazing; I just worked hard in school and took advantage of the opportunities available to me. I suppose focusing my energy on a single activity helped, especially because I couldn’t even fill in all the available spaces on CommonApp for the activities section.
[</em>]Weaknesses: Essays were so-so. I’ve never started a business or a nonprofit or made national news. My extracurricular involvement was really not that impressive at all. Also no big national awards, no music, no sports.
[li]Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Rejected from Huntsman, accepted to UChicago with merit[/li]What would you have done differently?: Nothing! I thoroughly enjoyed high school, and made some lifelong friends! [/ul]</p>

<p>To those accepted: I cannot express how excited I am to be part of this community for the next four years! Congratulations to everyone!</p>

<p>To those deferred: This is honestly the toughest possible result I could imagine. I probably won’t be able to make you feel better, but know that there are people who care about you and support you. You are all beautiful :)</p>

<p>To those rejected: I’m so very sorry :frowning: I’ll try to emphasize with you, but I must not be able to fully understand what you are going through. I truly wish we could all go to Penn, but I’m sure bright things are in store for you for the future. Keep you chin up!</p>

<p>To underclassmen: Really love high school, because they have honestly been the best years of my life thus far. Don’t pull all nighters and go watch some Disney movies and do things you actually care about! So clich</p>

75

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

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 660/760/800/12
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):2220
ACT (breakdown): 31 (28 Math, 25 Science, 34 Reading, 36 English)
ACT superscore (breakdown):----
SAT II (subject, score): US History 600; Molecular Bio 700
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.1 W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School Doesn’t rank, but 10 Decile
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): US History (4), English Comp (5), Bio (4)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc, AP Chem, AP Gov, Honors French 4, AP Lit, Theology.
Number of other ED applicants in your school: None, but many are planning to apply RD
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): Nada
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): AP Scholar, Berks Outstanding Young Woman 1st Runner Up (Local thing), Honorable Mentions in regional science fairs, National Qualifier for 3 different Speech and Debate Events over the past three years, Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Award, Distinguished Honors, Essay Contest Finalist</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Varsity Cheerleading 9-11, School/Community Theatre, Chorus, Select Chorus, Voice and Piano Lessons, Student Ambassadors, Student Government, Student Body Secretary, National Honors Society, Peer Listening Group, Forensics
Job/Work Experience: none
Volunteer/Community Service: Volunteer with Catholic Heart Work Camp for 2 summers
Summer Experience: Discover the World of Communication at American University, St. John’s Summer Academy in Annapolis, Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (Top Marketing Company, VP of Marketing)
Teacher Recommendation #1: My Forensics Coach of 3 years and Teacher of almost 1 and 1/2 years now, she said she’s going to let me read it later and also added that she essentially threatened them in the last paragraph, like “You don’t want to be the school that doesn’t take her” haha :slight_smile: She’s extremely well educated - 2 Bachelors, 2 Masters, and and working on her doctorate. I think it was probably stellar because of this.
Teacher Recommendation #2: This was my English teacher, she always encouraged me to write how I wanted and break boundaries. Since my intended major is communication, my best subject is English, and she can vouch for not only the quality of my essays but the character indicated by their content, I think this helped.
Counselor Rec: I knew my counselor extremely well, did some work for him over the summer (data-gathering stuff) that helped me gain a lot of perspective on the process. It was probably excellent.
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview:Good, I think. It was over skype, so I felt as though it was a little rushed, but my interviewer was WONDERFUL, just like every other single person I’ve met who went/goes to Penn, haha :slight_smile:
Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):Probably between 8-10. I love writing, and spent a ton of time crafting my humorous-ish essay. I wrote about Entertainment Weekly, my favorite periodical, and how it brings together my interests. It was a little strange and my teachers wanted me to use another one that I wrote about censorship. Basically it came down to me liking the Entertainment Weekly one better. Maybe Penn did, too.
Why Penn: 6? I basically just attempted to talk about who I am in one paragraph, and what that would mean if I went to Penn in another paragraph. The theme was “flexible rigor” - and eh, I thought it was Ok.
Any dual-degree program essays: Nada</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: October 29
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Pennsylvania!
School Type: Catholic, which is apparently rare, so I feel extra-lucky.
Ethnicity: White, but didn’t report it.
Gender: Female
Income Bracket Range:N/A
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): KWH? I visited a second time, fell in love, and got in touch with someone who reviewed my writing samples. I later got an email saying that in my file it would be noted that I was a student of “signficant interest” to the Writers House, or something like that. I don’t know how many people get this status, even in ED, but I think it definitely helped because my intended major is writing-related, and the stuff I write is weird. </p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Probably my essays and the connection I made with the Writer’s House; also, Communication is not one of the most popular major in CAS, and my activities aligned well with the major.
Weaknesses: Scores. My 2220 came from the November date, and I was supposed to retake the subject tests in October, but couldn’t due to a scholarship competition. So I took the ACTs, which were eh, and prayed very hard haha :slight_smile:
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted to Temple and Pitt. I applied to those two, my backup schools, beforehand, and now all I have to do is withdraw my BU app.
What would you have done differently?: Tested well in advance, honestly I thought my 600 and 700 on subject tests that weren’t even relevant to what I wanted to study (I only took them because I’d just done the AP tests and thought hey, why not! lol) would really weaken my application. The ACTs weren’t much better, but I think submitting both definitely helped. Also, I thought my measly 660 on math would tank me, but it didn’t. Math for Poets, here I come! XD</p>

<p>so … SCORES AREN’T EVERYTHING! YAY! </p>

<p>Other Factors: I think I had a really detailed portrait of what I wanted to do there and I think that my activities complemented it, even though I’ve never done anything super-impressive, extracurricular-wise. </p>

<p>Hope this helps any prospective students, best of luck! And let me just say, I am SO incredibly grateful to have been accepted, I felt it was a long shot for me but it was my first choice, so applying ED was definitely a good decision. It’s all very surreal! Congrats to everyone - Accepted, Deferred, or Rejected - because your initiative in applying here already shows that you’ve accomplished great things, and will continue to do so in the future :)</p>

76

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

<p>Objective:
• SAT I (breakdown): Did not take
• ACT: 34 Superscore taken on two dates (English 35, Math 34, Reading 34, Science 34)
• SAT II: Did not take
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.71
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Does not rank
• AP (place score in parenthesis): All 5s
• Senior Year Course Load: I am taking 4 AP classes, a college level Calc class, as well as student teaching an APUSH class
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
Subjective:
• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Operation Understanding DC, Tutor (volunteer), Volunteered for Political Campaign, I forget what else I wrote down
• Job/Work Experience: Hebrew Tutor at my Hebrew School and Paid Tutor
• Volunteer/Community service: I get paid for most of my work, but I used to tutor for free at my local middle school
• Summer Activities: Operation Understanding DC!
• Essays: The Common App topic of showing the transition from childhood to adulthood truly spoke to me. 9/10
Why Penn: I loved Penn. Spoke about my first time walking onto campus and that fact that I immediately fell in love and truly believed that it was my place to go to school. Guess they didn’t think the same haha. 0/10
• Teacher Recommendation: From APUSH and AP Psych teacher that I teach under, loves me and was excited when I asked him to write my rec. From my AB Calc teacher is good but not great, did not know me that well.
• Counselor Rec: Amazing, we have had a very strong connection and I truly believe she wrote me a fantastic rec.
• Additional Rec: Written by employer at Hebrew School who also has seen me progress through leadership positions through the temple from 10th-12th grades
• Interview: I thought it went really well. It lasted for about 40 minutes, bonded over our mutual love for history!
Other
• State (if domestic applicant): Maryland
• School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: Male
• Ranking: School does not rank or give percentages, but we are #1 school in the state
• Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): Definitely not qualifying for FA
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Nothing…
Reflection
• Strengths: ACT Scores, Essays, and Recs
• Weaknesses: GPA and ECs
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Penn has not accepted anyone applying Early Decision from my school in two years (about 6-7 kids a year), even though we all appear to be qualified. I don’t know, it’s up to a man in a suit and how he’s feeling that day.</p>

77

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

<p>Objective:
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2280 (800/680/800/don’t remember)
SAT II (subject, score): Math II (790), US History (760), World History (760)
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 98.57/102.31
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2/434 unweighted, 5/434 weighted
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): World History (5), US History (5), Physics B (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Latin, AP Calc BC, AP Biology, SUPA Public Affairs, SUPA Economics
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 4
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Clarkson Collegiate Leadership Award, AP Scholar, National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, 3 National Latin Exam Golds, Tri-M Musical Honor Society, Tennis First Team All-League, numerous scholar athlete awards</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars: MUN Club President, Secretary-General of Conference that hosts about 700 high schoolers every year, MUN awards as a delegate at Brown, UVA, etc., Junior Classical League Club Secretary, 5 year varsity tennis member and one year captain, 2 year varsity volleyball member, Viola (Area All-State, All-County, Musical Camp, etc.), Math League Captain, Science Olympiad, Link Crew Leader (for incoming high school freshmen), karate black-belt
Job/Work Experience: Upstate Medical Center research intern, Syracuse Dark Matter research intern, coached tennis
Volunteer/Community Service: Local Hospital Volunteer (250 hours)
Summer Experience: see above
Teacher Recommendation #1: AP Physics teacher in 11th grade-Probably was decent, maybe not special
Teacher Recommendation #2: Honors Trigonometry Teacher in 10th grade-again was probably pretty good
Counselor Rec: Great, counselor said he had a very easy time writing it
Additional Info/Rec: additional rec from my MUN Advisor/Tennis Coach-outstanding, had a great bond with him
Interview: Very good, lasted about 40 minutes, alum said I was very well-informed</p>

<p>Writing:
Why Penn: 8/10 - I talked about Ben Franklin’s vision, interdisciplinary study, research opportunities, what I would bring to Penn, how my internships have informed me, etc.
Any dual-degree program essays: N/A
CommonApp Essay: 9/10 - I talked about my heritage, how my Ukrainian background has influenced my complex, and the American Dream.</p>

<p>Date Submitted App: 10/29
U.S. State/Territory or Country: New York
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: <$100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development): first generation born in America</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Strong Essays, Strong Counselor/Additional Recs, solid transcript, good activities/research, leadership
Weaknesses: Definitely not a lot of business exposure, Not a lot of APs, test scores aren’t stellar
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: nowhere (Go Quakers)
What would you have done differently?: I would’ve focused my summer activities on business and economics. For awhile I pondered medicine, biology, and physics, and didn’t know what I wanted to do until relatively late.</p>

78

<p>I got accepted into the Huntsman Program.
I don’t really see the point of this though. I don’t want other kids seeing this and thinking that this is what they have to attain (or higher) and basically lose confidence and hope.</p>

79

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

<p>** Objective: **

[ul]
[<em>]SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): **2240<a href=“800/670/770”>/b</a> & **2200<a href=“740/760/700”>/b</a>
[</em>]SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): **2330<a href=“800/760/770”>/b</a>
[<em>]ACT (breakdown): N/A
[</em>]ACT superscore (breakdown): N/A
[<em>]SAT II (subject, score): Math II 800, US History 780, Biology E 770
[li]Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.0/4.79[/li][li]Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 5%[/li][li]AP/IB (place score in parentheses): IB Biology SL 7 IB Business Management SL 7 AP Calculus BC 5 AP US History 5 AP Biology 5 AP English Language 5 AP European History 5[/li][li]Senior Year Course Load: AP Macroeconomics, Math IB HL 2, AP English Literature, AP Physics B, AP French Language, IB Philosophy HL[/li][</em>]Number of other ED applicants in your school: ~15
[<em>]Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): Nope
[</em>]Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, AP Scholar With Distinction, Principal’s Honor Roll, #1 Community Service Project in Orange County, National Honors Society
[/ul]</p>

<p>** Subjective: **

[ul]
[<em>]Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): **Future Business Leaders of America Chapter President & Treasurer<a href=“Since%20sophomore%20year;%20widely%20known%20around%20campus%20as%20%22the%20business%20girl%22%20because%20of%20my%20involvement”>/b</a> **Board Director at Community Non-profit<a href=“Won’t%20name%20due%20to%20privacy;%20spend%20at%20least%2010%20hours/week;%20deals%20with%20leadership%20and%20networking”>/b</a> ** Chinese Dance <a href=“Not%20sure%20this%20was%20of%20much%20importance%20since%20Penn%20doesn’t%20review%20dance%20portfolios”>/b</a> ** Piano Level 10 <a href=“Again,%20not%20very%20important”>/b</a>
[</em>]Job/Work Experience: **Legal Intern at Los Angeles Department of Justice<a href=“Worked%2040%20hours/week%20summer%20before%20senior%20year;%20conducted%20lots%20of%20legal%20research%20and%20drafted%20memos%20used%20by%20supervisor%20in%20court;%20surrounded%20by%20people%20at%20least%205%20years%20older%20than%20me%20haha”>/b</a>
[<em>]Volunteer/Community Service: Planned a couple community fundraisers, volunteer at local soup kitchen, participated in a political advocacy group with my district senator
[</em>]Summer Experience: **Columbia University High School Summer Program<a href=“Leadership%20in%20Law;%20not%20very%20important,%20only%20listed%20under%20%22Activities,%22%20didn’t%20even%20send%20in%20letter%20of%20rec%20from%20this%20program”>/b</a>
[<em>]Teacher Recommendation #1: 9/10 Teacher adores me, but he doesn’t strike me as the best writer
[</em>]Teacher Recommendation #2: 7-8/10 I don’t think he knows my name, but he’s a great guy and wouldn’t write anything bad about his students
[<em>]Counselor Rec: 9/10 Know her very well - on excellent terms; gave her lots of information about my passions, involvements, future aspirations, etc
[</em>]Additional Info/Rec: 10/10 I seriously think that this recommendation trumped all the others. From FBLA adviser and business teacher. Such a great connection with this teacher; it resembles more of a mentor-mentee relationship.
[li]Interview: 9/10 Just another interview. Nice conversation.[/li][/ul]</p>

<p>** Writing: **

[ul]
[<em>]Why Penn: 10/10. I would bet my life that this is what got me into Wharton Took a very creative spin on it. It was really risky, but I figured that with a school so competitive, a risk is necessary to even stand a shot as an applicant like me with absolutely no hook.
[</em>]Any dual-degree program essays: N/A
[li]CommonApp Essay: 9.5/10 Very stream of consciousness and bursts of fun/quirkiness. I chose the environment one and ended up writing about one of my favorite rides at Disneyland. It sounds childish but came across sophisticated and mature, in my opinion.[/li][/ul]</p>

<p>** Other: **

[ul]
[<em>]Date Submitted App: 10/28 (well before the extended deadline)
[</em>]U.S. State/Territory or Country: Southern California, USA
[<em>]School Type: Public Magnet
[</em>]Ethnicity: Chinese
[<em>]Gender: Female
[</em>]Income Bracket Range: Didn’t apply for financial aid. 'Nuff said haha.
[li]Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): **None **[/li][/ul]</p>

<p>** Reflection **

[ul]
[<em>]Strengths: Essays, Additional Rec, GPA; It may seem that I don’t have many extracurricular activities but I’m so, so involved in them that I’m sure my passion and dedication showed through
[</em>]Weaknesses: Awards, Hooks, Standardized Test Scores
[<em>]Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Only heard from Penn! :]
[</em>]What would you have done differently?: Nothing (Easy for me to say, I know)
[/ul]</p>

<p>** Other: ** Well, this is officially my first post to College Confidential! I can’t even begin to articulate my gratitude toward this website. It’s helped me out so much (I’ve been a lurker for quite a while) and I hope that my information will give hope to other seemingly “normal” or “cookie cutter” applicants. Seriously, if I can do it, you definitely can.
I’m so wonderfully excited to see all of you on Locust Walk next year!!</p>

80

<p>Decision: Accepted - Jerome Fisher - M&T
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 770/690/710 2170
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):800/690/750 2240
ACT (breakdown):
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score): Math II 800 Physics 800 Chemistry 800
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.38 Weighted
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): Computer Science, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Chinese, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics(all 5s) US History (3)
Senior Year Course Load: 4 APs, 3 Honors
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 2 (both got in)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): National High School Mathematics League Competition 3rd prize (China),National Olympiad in Informatics in Provinces 3rd place (China) 2011,US Cum Laude Society, Presidential Service Award Silver, AIME qualifier,AP Scholar with Distinction, etc
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): So many that I can’t even include in my application</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description):School Ambassador leader, Volleyball captain, found a used book sale committee that donated 1300 dollars to UNICEF, Go Club founder in the city, Science Bowl State second team, International Club founder.
Job/Work Experience: Internship at a technology company in Texas, China Petro, Designed a scanner software that was put into application
Volunteer/Community Service: Over 200 hours and presidential service award
Summer Experience: Used book sale and internships
Teacher Recommendation #1: Perfect, he says I can win Noble Prize
Teacher Recommendation #2: Perfect, he loves me like his own child
Counselor Rec: Pretty good, he knows me well
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview: Really good, on skype because it’s from a M&T alum and got many interesting questions like specific programming and math questions and business cases.</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details): 8 experience on my used book sale
Why Penn: 7 not my best writing
Any dual-degree program essays: 8 combination of my interest and experience in business and applied science
CommonApp Essay: good maybe</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: October 15
U.S. State/Territory or Country: China.
School Type: Private Competitive
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender:Female
Income Bracket Range: didn’t apply for FA
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): NO</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: National Awards, GPAMEC activities, met the college rep and she loved me.
Weaknesses: SAT, Asian, essays
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Case western reserve, UMich(accepted) UChicago(deferred: I was so surprised)
What would you have done differently?: Not spend time writing essays for 10 other schools and waste a lot of time</p>

<p>Other Factors: Got into my first choice, gotta work harder in college. Penn did not use SAT score as the most important part i application, see I proved it.</p>