PAST APPLICANTS! What was your strong point?

<p>Hello.</p>

<p>I'm a current junior and UPenn truly seems like a cool school.</p>

<p>However, my GPA is definately not my strong point. I have a 3.67UW and 4.0W, mostly because of a C in AP Chem (I know, gasp, everyone on CC is the next Einstein. or so it seems) and Honors math classes (I know, you're probably questioning my intelligence).</p>

<p>So science? not my forte. same with math... yuck. </p>

<p>But I do truly love history and English, and I have gotten consistant As on those classes. My SAT is a 2230 as of now, but I will definatey take it again to achieve a 2300+, and I have four 750+ SAT2 scores. </p>

<p>I have taken community college classes relating to history and english, and yada yada yada. And extra currics, I have it all.</p>

<p>So I was wondering: </p>

<p>Is it completely bogus of me to reach for UPENN because of my GPA? Or do I have a legit chance? </p>

<p>(I would appreciate real insight on this, this isn't a chance kind of thing -- past applicants, especially if you didn't have a 5.0 or a ridic high GPA... especially if you had a rather low UW... insight please!)</p>

<p>By the way, I'm asian. hi.</p>

<p>Honestly, the majority of Asians I know had a solid uw GPA (straight As or a max of 2 Bs pre-2nd semester of Senior year), and the majority of Asian kids you'll be competing with will have the same GPA stats.</p>

<p>I don't know to what extent the GPA will matter, but I get the feeling that if you are Asian, the least the admin counselors expect will be a good GPA because almost everyone else (of that broad ethnic grouping) will have it as well.</p>

<p>However, Penn does look at your application holistically, so if you choose to apply, you can probably help your case if you highlight your differences from the stereotypical Asian applicant.</p>

<p>Just go for it!</p>

<p>i think what got me in off the waitlist was the interview (which was conducted 2 days before RD decision came out). my interviewer (an admission dean for a med school in town) seemed impressed at our meeting. i think his personality/world view might have just been very compatible with the way i was portraying myself. his letter got to penn after i was waitlisted and i told him i would stay on the list. i assume there had been contacts between penn admission and him since then--they are colleagues, after all.</p>

<p>rank rank rank rank rank</p>

<p>that's the only thing that got me in</p>

<p>And I had a 2230 too :)</p>

<p>best of luck to you!</p>

<p>I'm pretty much in the same boat as laurgirl220.
By the way, the point of your standardized test scores is to validate your GPA.
So try emphasizing your affinity to the humanities and the fact that its not like a small fall in science ability will impact your ability to learn at Penn.
But I think the decider for you will be extracurriculars. If you had tons of activities when you got that C, that can bail you out. But they'd have to be pretty epic.</p>

<p>i was pretty upfront about being a douchebag, which most people try to hide in a costume of faked intellectual curiosity that they think the admissions people want to hear about.</p>

<p>What's the point of a 2300 instead of a 2230? IMHO, there a better things to do than waste more time on the SAT, I'm sure other parts of your application may need more tuning than 70 flipping points</p>

<p>freetense: You'd be surprised how many people do that</p>

<p>Well, probably not surprised. But it's still pretty "w.t.f."-worthy</p>

<p>I was recruited for track and field. Im a sprinter. That helped me.</p>

<p>I had a low UW GPA (probably 3.5 or 3.6ish), but I sort of had special circumstances.</p>

<p>lol freetense can you explain? that seems like something i might have to do when applying next year.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I had a low UW GPA (probably 3.5 or 3.6ish), but I sort of had special circumstances.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Why mention this -- "special circumstances" -- if you're not going to elaborate on them?</p>

<p>lol don't take my advice, i mostly joke post.</p>

<p>aw, you had my hopes up and everything.</p>