Ok, I Give In...

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>So I've made comments about how I totally don't believe in "Chance Me!" posts because a) it's hard to completely judge someone without actually reading their essays and b) we don't know what admissions is really looking for, considering you see people with amazing stats get rejected.</p>

<p>That being said, however, I'm curious as to what people think, because I somehow people will think I'm a no-go, but who knows (and I obviously have no life/nothing better to do. Actually, that's not true. I should be studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test right now...). Really, this is just a great way to waste time.</p>

<p>If tl;dr, here are the facts:</p>

<p>Applied for Huntsman ED, target Japanese, single-choice Wharton ED</p>

<p>Female/ White/ Florida resident
High School: boarding, sends at least a third of the class to Ivies/top schools</p>

<p>GPA: 10.09/11 (A=11, A-=10, etc.)
Class rank: Somewhere in the top 12% (out of 314). School doesn't rank, I just know that because only 12% of the class, as of last June, had a 10 or higher. Also, my school does not weight any classes.</p>

<p>SAT: 2280 (CR 800; M 700; W 780)
SAT IIs
Lit: 770
Chem: 740
Math II: 730</p>

<p>Classes:
Took an upperclassmen Genetics course for a term in 10th grade (had to get special permission)
11th: throughout the entire year, all my classes were AP or "College Level" (school doesn't teach for AP, so English is "College Level" and it's denoted on the transcript). Except the first two terms of Japanese (tri-system)
Finished all but a term of BC calc (math program is a bit odd) so I got a 4 on the AB exam because I forgot half the AB stuff/had been doing BC stuff for two months/didn't study for it
12th: Currently in Japan on an exchange, so I don't get grades (just a "Certificate of Attendance). When I return in January, all courses will be "College Level"</p>

<p>Main ECs:
-Head Photographer for weekly 12-16 page school newspaper (oldest secondary school paper in the US?); it won a Pacemaker award last year. Spend maybe 8-15 hours taking photos per week, taught new photographers
-Associate Photographer for yearbook
-Varsity Cycling, 2 varsity letters
-Carbon Committee--small group (about 8 students) focused on getting my school campus carbon neutral, have met with trustees/vice principal with this
-[school name] Jewish Community (boarding, so...)
-Japan America Society (kind of not legit, but it does meet every week)
-Democratic Club (really active, helped get this woman elected to Congress despite tons of obstacles, for example)</p>

<p>Other things:
-AP Scholar (took 3 APs, got 3 or above on them...includes art portfolio haha. Not listing these since I didn't exactly study/prepare for them)
-National Merit Commended Scholar (got 4 hours of sleep the night before, great idea, that)
-won two prizes from my school (math, Japanese)
-Highest Honors (above 10 gpa) for all but two terms
-had a two week internship in Senator Kerry's office when I was 15 (kind of not too legit, but still)
-worked for a month this summer at Nordstrom</p>

<p>Essays:
-love my common app one--about the culture shock of moving to Memphis when I was 8 from a thoroughly Jewish Baltimore neighborhood, and how it taught me an answer in history class no one else knew...or something like that.
-Why Penn--could be better. Kind of regretting not spending more time on this one, but can't change it now.
-Huntsman--love this one, probably spend over 10 hours on it.
Recs--no idea, my school recommends you waive the right to look</p>

<p>If you actually read all this, I commend you. It got way, way too long.</p>

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<p>Of course your stats are great and there was mention in the Penn article yesterday about admission that next year they want to increase recruiting efforts in the Southeast so one can assume that your area may have been underrepresented this year which of course would increase your chances. Best of Luck!</p>

3

<p>i mean this is great – and plus who doesn’t like your boarding school? haha, no really though, i mean you should be proud that you’re in the top 12% at your damn school. it’s epic.</p>

<p>but about city lights up here, i don’t think scribs would be considered from the southeast region? don’t you think? i mean you’re going to be in whatever region phillip’s is in. at least that’s what i got out of the regional officer i thought was mine.</p>

<p>whatever though. good luck. hopefully might see you next year!</p>

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<p>Yeah, my regional director is for my school (they do regional directors because they know the schools and can look at a student’s profile against their school), but I’m pretty sure in the actual stats they release for each class, I’d be in the Florida part.</p>

<p>Haha, I just feel incompetent next to all these people with over 10 APs, 20 billion ECs and leadership positions (I still don’t understand how it’s possible), etc. And my main EC is photography, but then, maybe that makes me stand out haha (and hey, I plan on continuing it and they always need photographers for the DP, so…)</p>

<p>Good luck to you too, and I would say hopefully we’ll be living on the same floor (Huntsman) but that sounds really creepy.
One week, aahh…</p>

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<p>prohpet, are you saying the boarding schools are their own region? I am confused. I was just going by state of origin because on their giant map chart on Penn’s website they talk about how many kids come from what state. I realize if they are at a boarding school that skews the stats but they can still say she is from FL.<br>
Good Luck to both of you wherever you are!</p>

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<p>haha – the way you put it, it does sound awkwardly creepy. but it’s all good, i got you. yea i know right – one week! i can’t believe they pushed the date back to the 12th. that just like – (sigh).</p>

<p>words cannot express my mindset scribbs. it cannot be done.</p>

<p>we’ll see what happens.</p>

<p>when are you coming back from japan? like you doing the whole year there or just a semester?</p>

7

<p>city – i thought like though scribbs is from florida, she is in a boarding school. so her “region” be technicality of admissions, would be where her boarding school is – so she could be compared with the other kids from it.</p>

<p>however, scribbs pointed out that like in that huge map they make – she would be from florida. i don’t know! haha, screw it, good luck to you too. hopefully we’ll be enjoying philly’s city lights.</p>

<p>corny i know.</p>

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<p>I can’t believe my new nickname is scribbs haha. Never expected that (this username is also about 4 years old, not something I would choose now haha).</p>

<p>I’m flying back to the States Jan 3 (just a semester). I stupidly wanted to stay in Japan as long as possible (already leaving early, end date of the program is the 11th), but school starts the 6th and missing class is basically death (plus my parents wouldn’t have let me go to Japan if I came back after school started haha). However, I am now seeing the stupidity of flying into Boston, putting my room together for two days, then having school start. Ever heard of reverse culture shock?? Yeah…
It’s sad though, less than a month left in Japan, and just two weeks at school (though really one, because next week is just tests/few hours per day).</p>

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<p>“a thoroughly Jewish Baltimore neighborhood”
Are you referring to Pikesville?</p>

10

<p>Yes.
Do you live there/I wonder if we have any mutual acquaintances? Haha.</p>

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<p>Try SUNY Buffalo</p>

12

<p>Mmm, I would rather not disclose any private information ^^</p>

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<p>Exonian is the second oldest SS newspaper.</p>

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<p>Bump…honest opinions, anyone? (My school doesn’t mean an automatic acceptance, by any means).</p>