PEEP Admissions?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

Hi, everyone! I’m very interested in attending the Penn Early Exploration Program this fall. The website is brief, but I think the application is just an essay describing why you would benefit from attending PEEP. There is also a recommendation letter that I would ask my counselor to write, since she knows Penn is my first choice.

The program seems to attract high-achieving URMs, but I don’t know if I could get in when compared to other PEEP candidates, especially considering I have already been to a tour.

GPA: ~3.8 UW, ~4.6 W

ECs: MUN (President), Quiz Bowl Team (Captain), Mock Trial (Captain next year), Forensics (President)
I was also part of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Student Emerging Leaders Program but this is only for
sophomores so I’m not sure if it counts as an EC or how I would list it on an application since I only did it for one year

National Awards: American Legion Citizenship Award, 1st Place Prize in Poetry for the American Association of University Women Writing Contest, Award of Excellence from the New Voices’ Young Writer’s Competition

Summer Activities: 2014 - United Nations Association of Greater Boston Summer Institute at Harvard Business School, High School Diplomats at Princeton University
2015 (this summer) - Young Women’s Political Leadership Program at Georgetown University, United States High School Diplomats in Japan
I have also applied to Girl’s State and NASS

I’m taking the SAT next week, so I don’t have those numbers yet. I think my GPA is too low to be accepted to PEEP or to Wharton ED, but we’ll see.

PEEP seeks out low-income students, but my family is middle class. Also, PEEP is labeled as a “fly-in” program, but I live in a bordering state. Will this affect my application?

Thanks for your help!

2

I attended PEEP last year (amazing program, definitely go if you get in) so I might be able to speak on it.

  1. Your GPA seems to be fine to me. Granted there were people that attended that had 4.0s and 34s on the ACT, but there were also people that had "low" GPAs (a 3.8 is fine) and a 26 on the ACT. Quite honestly, I think the most important part of the application is your essay. If you ace that, you'll be fine. Also, your extracurricular activities and awards are far superior to mine (I didn't even really have any awards), so that should be fine.
  2. Living in a bordering state does not matter. There were people that lived in Philadelphia that attended the program.
  3. I know that it says that PEEP is for low income students but... not completely. Granted the majority of people that attended were probably low-income; however I'm middle class and a very comfortable middle class at that so....?

All in all, I really hope that you have the opportunity to attend. It was beautiful and everyone was so kind and helpful. Before the program UPenn was 3rd on my list, but after PEEP it was my first choice by far. Good luck!!!

3

@imtired2015 did you apply ed after peep or rd? I just went and loved it however financially I can’t commit to ed because my family has unique circumstances that the net calculator can not address. I heard the acceptance rate was insanely high for peep students ed but I was looking for information on any peep attendees who got in rd.