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

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
81

<p>Decision: Rejected CAS
-Applied as a Theatre major</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 1900
ACT superscore (breakdown):24
Unweighted/Weighted GPA:4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 9%
Senior Year Course Load: AP Environmental Science, AP Gov, AP Macroeconomics
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 1
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Honor Roll (9-12), Delma Theta Sigma Society’s Black History Essay Contest Winner (9), Top nine percent of class, University of California: Eligible Local Context (11), nominated “Best Actor in a Comedic Role” by Directors Choice Awards (2013), nominated “Best Supporting Actor in a Musical” by National Youth Arts (2013), Shakespeare Competition Finalist (2012), awarded “Best Male Solo” by Directors Choice Awards (2012)</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description):
–Performed in over 20 musicals and/or plays
–Associated Study Body (12th: Senior Class President & 11th: Junior Class Vice-President)
–California Scholarship Federation (12th: President, 11th: Treasurer, 10th: Secretary)
–La Jolla Playhouse Student Board (12th: Community Outreach CHairman, 9-11: Secretary)
–Music Theatre Foundation (11th & 12th: Founder and President)
–Rotary International Club (12th: Secretary)
–Mock Trial Society (11th: President, 10th: Member)
–School Site Council (12th: Vice-Chairman, 11th: Member)
–San Diego Unified School District Advisory Council (12th: School Site Council Representative)</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience:
–Work for my grandparents weekly. I sleep there and basically take care of them for 24 hours. They’re both disabled, so they require much more help. </p>

<p>Volunteer/Community Service:
–St. Vincent De Paul (9-12)
–Sharp Memorial Hospital (11) </p>

<p>Summer Experience:
–University of California: San Diego Extension Program (I took a reading and writing course)
–I performed in 1 to 3 shows each summer during high school.
Teacher Recommendation #1: ASB Advisor, really strong! He told me he talked about how I’ve raised $20,000 for my class as President.
Teacher Recommendation #2: Artistic recommendation, really strong. I’ve worked with these past two years and I’m really close to her.
Counselor Rec: Probably pretty good because we’re on School Site Council together.
Additional Info/Rec: Artistic rec., really strong and talks about my qualities as a performer.
Interview: Awesome! It lasted 45 minutes and we just talked about my life as a performer and what I plan to do at Penn in terms of writing and performing :)</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details): 10. I worked my butt off. I talked about how I am as a leader and how I aspire to be like Benjamin Franklin. </p>

<p>Why Penn: Great theatre in Philly :slight_smile: Also, I like to write and Penn has a great writing program.
CommonApp Essay: 7. I talked about my struggles as an actor and growing up into something I love. </p>

<p>Other: I met Jamie Lee Josselyn at my school and she is a faculty member at Kelly Writers House. She wrote me basically saying I was of significant interest to their writers house and that she would inform admissions of that.
Date Submitted App: Nov. 31st
U.S. State/Territory or Country: California
School Type: Performing Arts High School
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: 100-110,000
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): n/a</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Strong Extracurriculars, Essays, Interview, Connections
Weaknesses: GPA and SAT
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: I’ve heard back but I applied to: New York University, Pace University, Carnegie Mellon, USC, UCLA, Penn State, Montclair State, U of Cincinnati, U of Michigan, and UC Irvine
What would you have done differently?: I would’ve focused more on my academics and SAT’s. I worked my butt off in terms of extracurriculars, but that led to my grades being only subpar. I would’ve thought that even though my grades were ehh, I could’ve gotten in. I love Penn with all my heart, but I got rejected so I have to get over it. Penn doesn’t have the BEST theatre, its just what I truly dreamed of having for four years. Congrats to everyone accepted, I’m sure you deserve it! :slight_smile: I’m hoping to get into NYU or University of Michigan! Good luck Quakers.</p>

82

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

<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>]SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 1st sitting (sophomore year) 660/630/590/7
2nd sitting (senior year) 730/710/560/8
[</em>]SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 730/710/590/8
[<em>]ACT (breakdown):
[</em>]ACT superscore (breakdown):
[<em>]SAT II (subject, score): Chemistry- 690 US History- 710
[</em>]Unweighted/Weighted GPA: unweighted- 3.9048
[<em>]Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 7/129
[</em>]AP/IB (place score in parentheses): Didn’t Report but AP Chem( 2), AP US History( 3), AP Psychology(3)
[<em>]Senior Year Course Load: AP European History, AP Spanish 4, Religion 4, AP Physics, AP Calculus, AP World Literature (Lit and comp) ,and Choral 4
[</em>]Number of other ED applicants in your school: 1 ( just me as far as I know)
[<em>]Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): nope
[</em>]Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Honor Roll all throughout high school , National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society[/ul]</p>

<p>Subjective:[ul]</p>

<p>[li]Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): [/li]Spirit Ambassadors, 10th-12th
Spirit Earth, 10th-12th
Spirit Outreach, 9th-12th
Choir 9th-12th<br>
School Play 9th -12th
Drama Club 10th- 12th
Mock Trial Team 9th- 12th , Vice President
Student Government Committee (Sprit Committee), 11th-12th
Academic Triathlon Team 10th-12th
Math Tutoring Club 9th -12th
Interact Club 11th-12th
Book Club 9th -12th </p>

<p>[<em>]Job/Work Experience: Kmart Cashier from 6/2012 to Present
[</em>]Volunteer/Community Service: Nursing Home Volunteer, and other various small to mid-sized service projects in my community
[<em>]Summer Experience: Working for the last two summers
[</em>]Teacher Recommendation #1: Didn’t read, I picked a teacher who really likes me and even though I didn’t get an A in the class ( I got a B+) ,she knows I work hard.
[<em>]Teacher Recommendation #2: Didn’t read, but must have been good if I got in. I picked my AP Chem/Physics Teacher who genuinely likes me (Had him for 3 yrs). I didn’t get an A in the class junior year. (I got a B+ :/) but he knows I worked hard even though I struggled with the 3rd semester of Chemistry and the 1st semester of Physics.
[</em>]Counselor Rec: Good but a little generic. I didn’t REALLY get to know her until early junior year.
[<em>]Additional Info/Rec:
[</em>]Interview: Really good, no awkward moments, had good answers for all of her questions, and it lasted 40 minutes.</p>

<p>[<em>]Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details): 6-7
[</em>]Why Penn: Good overall: Good intro, okay supporting paragraphs, and a strong finish. I answered the question, and clearly showed what I could bring to the table.
[<em>]Any dual-degree program essays: nope
[</em>]Common App Essay: Really good![/ul]</p>

<p>Other:[ul]
[<em>]Date Submitted App: 10-27-13
[</em>]U.S. State/Territory or Country: NJ
[<em>]School Type: Small, Private, Catholic
[</em>]Ethnicity: African American
[<em>]Gender: Female
[</em>]Income Bracket Range: 30,000- 40,000
[li]Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development): URM, first generation, and I live in an underrepresented area.[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Reflection[ul]
[<em>]Strengths: URM, First generation, Essays, Extracurriculars
[</em>]Weaknesses: SAT scores, AP Scores (didn’t report APs) , SAT II Scores
[<em>]Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
Accepted- Fordham, Richard Stockton College, Arcadia University, Mount St. Mary’s University
Rejected/Deferred- nowhere had to rescind my apps
[</em>]What would you have done differently?: Higher standardized test scores if I didn’t get in.
Other Factors:[/ul]</p>

83

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

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 700 M/ 750 CR/ 800 W
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2250
SAT II (subject, score): Eng 780, World Hist 740, US Hist 740
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: OUT OF 4.5: 4.0 UW/4.5 W (my GPA stunk. Utterly. Future applicants, don’t worry, there is hope!)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): just made top 10%
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): WHAP 5 (grade 10), APES, Eng Lang/Comp, APUSH (all 5s, all junior year)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc, AP Eng Lit/Comp, AP GovPol, AP Econ, Physics H, Latin 4
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 1
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): a few writing things, nothing too huge. I submitted my writing a bunch of places and got some Editor’s Choice awards. Also 1st place EuroChallenge
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): AP Scholar w Honor, National Merit Commended, Discus Award (didn’t put on app)</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description):
Newspaper (Editor-in-Chief) all 4 yrs (Features Ed. soph yr)
Debate Team (President, super involved) all 4 yrs (VP soph/junior yr)
Columnist for local paper (all 4 yrs)
Appalachian Service Proj (youth fundraising leader) all 4 yrs
Summer internship at local paper (junior yr)
EuroChallenge (speechwriter for winning team) fresh/soph yr
Track fresh/soph yr, continued running independently
A LOT of creative writing
Job/Work Experience: Internship
Volunteer/Community Service: ASP
Summer Experience: Internship, wrote a book (unpublished, don’t worry)
Teacher Recommendation #1: Fantastic. Highlighted my writing.
Teacher Recommendation #2: Also fantastic, also highlighted my writing.
Counselor Rec: Phenomenal.
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview: Amazing. He told me, “anyone w that level of passion deserves to go to Penn.” I knew so much about the school and blew him away when he asked me why I applied. Specific details help!
Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Common App: 10, about writing.
Why Penn: 10. Again, a ton of specific details. I literally mentioned a portrait on a grad school staircase and why that made me love Penn. </p>

<p>Date Submitted App: Halloween!
U.S. State/Territory or Country: CT
School Type: public, one of the top in the state, hyper competitive
Ethnicity:White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket Range: tricky. Got some Financial Aid, but I live in Fairfield County
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): KWH recruit. :slight_smile: I think this saved me.</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Passion. It sounds cliche, but I think I got into Penn by loving it so, so much and telling everyone I could that. I went to Penn meet and greets, met w professors, basically did everything I could to correct my GPA. Also KWH!
Weaknesses: GPA. Had 1 B/B+ per yr.
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: I showed why each piece of my application made me a perfect fit for Penn, and I made a huge case for why I will thrive there.
What would you have done differently?: Not sucked at science and math. </p>

<p>Other Factors: :)</p>

<p>To future applicants, there is hope! Let your passion shine through. It sounds stupid, but I think it works–and I’m the proof. Best of luck to all!</p>

84

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

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 670/700/650/8
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 29
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score): N/A
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: N/a
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2 (top 5 percentile of graduating class)
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): IB 40/42
Senior Year Course Load:IB HL English, HL economics, HL management, SL math, SL spanish, SL physics
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 0
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): Commonwealth writing award
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.):</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Many- volunteers work 200+ hours, dance, theatre
Job/Work Experience: corporate strategy internship
Volunteer/Community Service: 200 + hours
Summer Experience:
Teacher Recommendation #1: Eco teacher should be excellent
Teacher Recommendation #2:English teacher pretty great
Counselor Rec: N/A
Additional Info/Rec:
Interview: would rate it 9/10</p>

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

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

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

<p>Other Factors:</p>

85

<p>Internet messed up; see below.</p>

86

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

<p>(Preface: I refuse to rank essays/recs on a 1-10 scale. There is literally no good way of quantifying those things, and attempting to do so does more harm than good)</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2340 (790 R, 750 M, 800 W, 11) 2300 (780 R, 800 M, 720 W, 10)
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2390 (790 R, 800 M, 800 W, 11)
ACT (breakdown): N/A
ACT superscore (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (subject, score): 800 Math II, 800 French, 790 Lit
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: N/A, 98.45/100
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): Chemistry (5), European History (5), French (5), English Lit (4), English Lang (5)
Senior Year Course Load: APUSH, BC Calc, AP Spanish Lang, AP English Lang, Honors French VI, New Testament Bible/Microeconomics
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 12-14
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): 2012 JV Policy Debate National Champion
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction, NHS, Cum Laude, National Merit Semi-finalist, AP Euro Award</p>

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

<p>Young Investors Club (10, 11, 12)
President–a group that participates in online stock market competitions</p>

<p>Varsity Tennis (9, 10, 11, 12)
Captain</p>

<p>Varsity Squash (11, 12)</p>

<p>Foreign Language Magazine (10, 11, 12)
Editor–edited submissions in French and Spanish</p>

<p>Policy Debate (9, 10, 11, 12)
Competitor (9, 10)
Coach/Judge (11,12)</p>

<p>Male Leadership Group (10, 11, 12)
Member–meets once a week to discuss male stereotypes. Leads monthly assemblies with the Middle School</p>

<p>Secular Student Alliance (12)
Co-founder–identity group for agnostics, skeptics, atheists, etc. </p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: Elementary School Tennis Coach, 5 week paid internship last summer at an online education startup
Volunteer/Community Service: Policy debate coach/judge, reading torah at my synagogue, leading assemblies in the middle school through our school’s male leadership group, tutoring students in the ESOL program at a local elementary school
Summer Experience: Summer business academy at the University of Georgia, 3 week exchange trip to France, Vernon L. Smith High School Workshop in Experimental Economics, TAG-ed Internship program, High School Diplomats program at Princeton University
Teacher Recommendation #1: N/A (didn’t see; refuse to speculate)
Teacher Recommendation #2: N/A (see above)
Counselor Rec: Good enough?
Additional Info/Rec: Didn’t have one
Interview: Lasted about an hour. She was pretty hard to read but we kept in touch afterwards which may have helped. </p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: Wrote about pursuing the Global Analysis sub-concentration. Mentioned specific extracurricular organizations and a professor with whom I would like to work.
Any dual-degree program essays: Wrote my Huntsman essay about using French to improve economic opportunity in Sub-Saharan Africa
CommonApp Essay: Answered the prompt about where I felt content. I wrote about cities and urban environments, pointing to New York City specifically. I was a bit worried they wouldn’t like my specification of NYC (as opposed to Philly, for instance), but it turned out fine. </p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: 10/29/13
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Georgia
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: 150,000-200,000
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): None</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Standardized test scores, academic awards, grades, essays
Weaknesses: Lack of work experience, community service
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted to Northeastern University (honors)
What would you have done differently?: To clarify, I applied to the Huntsman Program and got into my backup which was Wharton. I am elated to be going to Penn next year and I believe that the extra essay I wrote for Hunstman helped showcase my ability to think in terms of finance and economics. From what I can tell, nearly everyone accepted to the Huntsman program has spent a significant (> 1 year) time living abroad. On a different note, even though I got in I still believe I should have done more community service during high school. My school doesn’t require it to graduate which makes it problematically easy not to get involved with volunteer activities. </p>

87

<p>Decision: Accepted - Jerome Fisher Management and Technology (M&T)</p>

<p>CC has been a great resource for me, so it’s time to give back a bit</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2400 (800/800/800/12 essay)
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):
ACT (breakdown): 35 (36 math/34 reading/35 science/35 writing)
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score): 800 Math II, 800 Physics, 750 Chemistry
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.00
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): 5’s on AP Physics C, World History, U.S. History, BC Calc, Lang, Macro; 4 on Chemistry
Senior Year Course Load: Maxed out everything, so what it needed to be; math at a university
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 14
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): none
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Nat’l AP Scholar, Honor Roll, NHS, National Merit stuffs, other random things</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description):
Tennis team co-capitan (9, 10, 11)
Tech club president (9, 10, 11, 12) - awards
Mathematics team (10, 11, 12) - awards
Speech/forensics (nationally ranked) (9, 10, 11, 12) - awards
Played in a well-known youth orchestra (9, 10, 11, 12)
Research paper - being published (10, 11, 12)
Model UN (10, 11)
Internship things</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: Internship at a software design firm
Volunteer/Community Service: Your basic stuff - nothing special
Summer Experience: Internships/a lot of international travel
Teacher Recommendation #1: Awesome–have known her throughout high school
Teacher Recommendation #2: Decent-struggled in his class at first but did well later so he wrote about that
Counselor Rec: Really good, had a great relationship
Additional Info/Rec: None
Interview: Probably what got me in (along with essays) - two and a half hours of talking about what I wanted to do/technology in today’s world</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: Straightforwards why Penn is a great fit and what I want to do there, 10/10 - the best app essay I’ve written by far
Any dual-degree program essays: The ways I can use both degrees/what my aspirations are/I straight up wrote about my dreams, 9/10 - was proud of it/thought it made a strong case
CommonApp Essay: Wrote about how I love nature, 7/10 - cheesy but did the job</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: October 28
U.S. State/Territory or Country: One of the more competitive states (NJ/CA/NY)
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: M
Income Bracket Range: > 300,000
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development): none</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Test scores, grades
Weaknesses: EC’s (no business stuff at all), no really clear, distinguishing characteristics/factors in essays
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted: MIT - withdrew everywhere else
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Recommendations probably won me the coin flip
What would you have done differently?: Nothing, but I’m really surprised… I didn’t think there was anything different about me</p>

<p>A few other words/things I have picked up throughout this whole process:
-I’ve learned a lot throughout the process - especially that the difference between a 34, 35, and 36 is nothing, and that test scores/overall grades basically give your essays/recommendations a chance.
-Forge good relationships with teachers/talk about recommendations with them as much as you can/the qualities you think want to come through
-If you can, having a ‘theme’ or a passion that some of the things your application is centered around is great
-Be honest in your essays, give yourself a little credit, and don’t be afraid to dream… keep it simple
-I wanted this program because what it offered is unique. Names/prestige is nice and all, but go where there are great resources in the areas you want to study</p>

88

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

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 700/760/670
SAT II (subject, score): Spanish w/ Listening 780, Math II 600
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 3.91/4.4
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Within the top ten students in a class of 107 students.
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): Have not taken my IB exams yet.
Senior Year Course Load: Full IB Diploma (3 higher level and three standard level IB classes).
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 0
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.):
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Headmaster’s list every year of high school(at least 4.0 weighted gpa), Top Social Studies student 11th grade. </p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): 6 different honor societies; I was treasurer in 3 of them. Varsity lacrosse every year of high school and captain one year. Second degree black belt in taekwondo.
Job/Work Experience: I wish.
Volunteer/Community Service: 100 hours mostly at Give Kids the World
Summer Experience: Nope
Teacher Recommendation #1: English teacher who writes like a champ. Had a good relationship with him.
Teacher Recommendation #2: Econ teacher. Good relationship and was applying to Wharton so thought Econ teacher would be appropriate.
Counselor Rec: Never read it but she told me it was good.
Interview: Interview went well.</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: Wharton is the best undergrad business school in the country…duh…
Any dual-degree program essays: Nah
CommonApp Essay: I think the topic was a defining experience in your life or something to that effect. I wrote about my parents’ divorce and how that influenced their behavior towards me. Nothing special, but genuine. Also for the Penn essay I actually did my research and mentioned info from my visit to make the essay unique to Penn instead of writing a generic essay.</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: Don’t remember exact date but it was 3 weeks before the deadline.
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Florida
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: Hispanic. I was born in Puerto Rico and lived there until I was 5.
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: Don’t know the exact bracket but my family is upper middle class.
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): Can’t really think of anything specific.</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: Genuine essays, academic record (rigor of classes taken and grades earned), SAT score was at least average for Penn.
Weaknesses: SAT II Math score
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Ohio State Honors and UGA Honors accepted. I did not hear back from any other schools since I had to withdraw all other applications when I was accepted by Penn.
What would you have done differently?: Whatever I did worked so I wouldn’t change anything.</p>

<p>Other Factors: I really showed the admissions office that I wanted to attend Penn through my essay. I also mentioned ways in which I planned to get involved in the school besides academics. Colleges want students that are going to bring prestige to the institution and I made it clear that I wanted to do that.</p>

89

<p>Decision: Accepted - CAS
(intended major: English) </p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M 690 /CR 800 /W 780 /Essay 10):
ACT (breakdown): didn’t take
ACT superscore (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (subject, score): took 5, scores between 710 and 750 on all
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 90/95 (out of 100)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top quartile
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): 3 4s and a 5
Senior Year Course Load: some AP and honors classes, some senior electives (my school does not offer that many APs)
Number of other ED applicants in your school: none
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): nope
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): NMSF, AP Scholar w/honor, NHS, some random awards at my school i.e. “Scholar Athlete”</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): debate captain, some varsity sports, other minor things
Job/Work Experience: no real work experience (just babysitting)
Volunteer/Community Service: peer tutoring, food bank, occasional work with elderly, elementary age children with disabilities
Summer Experience: summer college program in England, debate camp (only during last two summers)
Teacher Recommendation #1:
Teacher Recommendation #2: good relationships with both teachers, worked hard in their classes, didn’t read the letters
Counselor Rec: know my counselor well, probably a good letter
Additional Info/Rec: none
Interview: went really well</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: wrote a nerdy essay about how much I love learning, decently written but fairly straightforward
Any dual-degree program essays: n/a
CommonApp Essay: again, straightforward but decently written; I wrote about struggling in a class, cliched topic but with a nuanced perspective</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: about a week before the deadline
U.S. State/Territory or Country: Texas
School Type: private
Ethnicity: caucasian
Gender: female
Income Bracket Range: did not apply for financial aid
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development): none</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: test scores maybe, difficulty of classes, interview, rec letters
Weaknesses: GPA, no hooks
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: accepted to Tulane, some schools in the UK (St. Andrews, Durham, shortlisted for an interview at Oxford…heard from Penn the day I got back from England, and had to pull my application), pulled all my other US applications…
What would you have done differently?: I was worried my GPA was not high enough, but since I did end up getting in, I don’t really have any regrets</p>

<p>Other Factors: I sent some creative writing samples to the Kelly Writers House (writing community at Penn that can apparently advocate for people who would be active in their community if accepted). If you’re interested in writing at Penn, I recommend getting in touch with them.</p>

90

<p>@caliclassof14 How did you send writing samples to the Kelly Writers House? Did you just email the head? How do you think they helped you with admissions (did they write you a recommendation/vouch for you)? I’m just asking because I’m highly interested in the club and I want to get in contact with them early on. I don’t mean to make this thread a discussion thread, but I noticed you don’t have enough posts to PM me.</p>

91

<p>Decision: Accepted - CAS
(intended major: English & Film Studies)</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M 790 /CR 740 /W 800 /Essay 12): 2330
ACT (breakdown): didn’t take
ACT superscore (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (subject, score): 710, 740
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 3.9 (Weighted)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top quartile
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): AP Euro (4), AP Lang (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Art History, AP GoPo, AP Lit, AP Psych, Physics, math
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 18+
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): over 15 national/international awards in film - YoungArts Scholar. National awards in writing, photography, screenwriting as well.
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): local film awards, Scholastic Awards.</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): movie club, all years, president
writer/editor of literary magazine, pole vaulting, track, Save the Music Club publicist, student government, yearbook photographer, a few more.
Job/Work Experience: production assistant on some film shoots, counselor
Volunteer/Community Service: help with local TV station
Summer Experience: Columbia University Creative Writing, SOCAPA, NYFA
Teacher Recommendation #1: pretty good, I think - I didn’t get to see it
Teacher Recommendation #2: this one was awesome
Counselor Rec: probably good
Additional Info/Rec: both english teachers
Interview: great - the lady wanted to introduce me to the head of sony pictures!</p>

<p>Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: wrote something along the lines of “I think this is the place where the most eclectic group of artists will be”. Also, quoted Benjamin - “Many die at twenty five and aren’t buried until they are seventy five”.
Any dual-degree program essays: n/a
CommonApp Essay: about how my dad told me that humans couldn’t fly when I was six and I cried for two weeks; somehow, half-way through, a transition into film</p>

<p>Other:
Date Submitted App: two weeks before
U.S. State/Territory or Country: tough state (NY/NJ/MA)
School Type: public
Ethnicity: caucasian
Gender: female
Income Bracket Range: did not apply for financial aid
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development): recruited through Kelly Writers House. also legacy</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: test scores, legacy, extracurriculars
Weaknesses: definitely GPA. There were kids in my school who had a LOT better (my 3.9 is weighted). But they didn’t get in, so Penn seems to holistically look at the candidate.
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Pitt (accepted), and for every other school I withdrew my application
What would you have done differently?: I would have been less stressed.</p>

<p>Other Factors: Kelly Writers House recruited me, so I highly recommend it for all kinds of writers! To people who put their passions ahead of their academics the way I did: It IS possible to get into an EXCELLENT school! Penn does not just see a number when they see you - they see a person as well.</p>

92

<p>@caliclassof14 I emailed Jamie-Lee Josselyn before visiting the campus a final time. Then I met with her there.</p>