[ color=green]Decision: Accepted - CAS[ /color]
[ color=red]Decision: Rejected - Huntsman, target language Spanish[ /color]
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 770 CR 770 Math 24 Essay (Composite 1540)
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 770 CR 800 Math 24 Essay (Composite 1570)
SAT II (subject, score): Spanish 800, Chemistry 730 (impressive considering I only took 1 yr of honors chem and not AP), Math II 740
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 3.79/4.51
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): unreported to Penn, but i know my uGPA puts me somewhere around 30-40% in my class (yikes) and my wGPA puts me somewhere around 20-30% in my class
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): AP Comp Sci (5), Spanish Lang (5), AP English Lang (5), AP Calc BC (5), AP Calc AB subscore (5), AP Environmental Science (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Econ (micro¯o), Honors English IV, Multi-variable calculus, Post-AP Spanish Lit, AP Biology, Honors Contemporary Ethical Issues (trimester), Senior Exhibition (2 trimesters), String Ensemble (I play cello)
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 0
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): National Merit Semifinalist; AP Scholar w/ distinction; academic commendations (top 10% of class in subject) for foreign language, history, science, math and the arts (for music) all my junior year, National Hispanic Recognition Program, gold medal on National Spanish Exam
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): freshman prefect (live with frosh boys, discipline them, give them support etc.), Campus News Reporter (I write & take photos for the school social media), School Newspaper (Exec. Editor, but not Editor-in-Chief), Cello (I’m 2nd chair in Ensemble and I earned an independent study)
Job/Work Experience: Landscaping at local company 5 weeks, intern at Latin American VC firm 5 weeks, intern at dad’s investment banking firm 6 weeks
Volunteer/Community Service: Turtle Conservancy, local family organic farm
Teacher Recommendation #1: 10/10 US History teacher who loved me, loved Penn and was willing to write a Huntsman-specific rec
Teacher Recommendation #2: 9/10 teacher who’d taught me math and comp sci for three years who somehow always found my failures endearing
Counselor Rec: 8/10 I always got the sense she hated me, but I go to a tiny boarding school that has a rep for great recs
Additional Info/Rec: from my boss at the Latin American VC firm. He was a Lauder alum (Penn’s graduate version of Huntsman) so I think that helped greatly.
Interview: I DIDN’T HAVE ONE. No idea why, especially considering I ED’d to Huntsman and they always brag about how all Huntsman ED applicants get an interview with a Huntsman alum. My guess is that because I walked into Huntsman Hall in October and met with Inge and Marco they counted that as my interview, but who knows?
Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: 7/10 I did what I could to avoid discussing business, because I knew that if I did, the admissions officers would ask “Why aren’t you applying to Wharton?” (Answer: I was scared of the competitiveness) I said that from a young age, I wanted to be a diplomat, and I showed how Penn’s pre-professional environment would help me become the best one there is. I showed how I would explore my international relations major and I talked about the languages I would study (to focus on Latin America, I’d continue Spanish and learn Portuguese and Quechua - a language they fortunately teach). I discussed classes that I’d sat in on and how they are uniquely fascinating (I think that helped). I concluded with discussing how the diverse and international community - brought together by Penn’s Writing Seminar, the Quad, etc. - could teach me much.
Any dual-degree program essays: 7/10 I think I bit off more than I could chew. I talked about how Peru’s cultural reverence for the past impedes entrepreneurship. I was fortunately able to draw on first-hand experience from my ineternship at the Latin American VC firm (where I had worked in Peru) and drop a bunch of numbers that I got from my former boss, but my essay lacked unity for sure.
CommonApp Essay: 9/10 I wrote about my experience landscaping, which I really think set me apart from the rest of the pack. I did what I could to make the imagery super vivid and really show the work and the personalities of all the characters I worked with. As the workers all spoke Spanish, I included Spanish where I could, but used context and translations to make its meaning obvious. The essay basically described one day of work with my coworkers Juan and Leonel, exploring what we did, who they were and who I was. It didn’t ever mention the word privilege, but it showed how I realized that Juan and Leonel lived an arduous, difficult life. The conclusion, which was the most important part, I guess, was that I have this fascination and interest in people. I love to hear their life stories and get a sense for who they truly are.
Other:
Date Submitted App: Oct 20?
Applied for Financial Aid? No
U.S. State/Territory or Country: California (but central cal thank god)
School Type: Small (260 students) private boarding school
Ethnicity: Hispanic (Cuba)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: 200k+
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): Legacy, URM, development? (I wouldn’t say I am development, but my dad is a successful entrepreneur who donates big so maybe they think I am?)
Reflection
Strengths: No idea. I don’t know if I would have gotten in without my legacy and URM hooks (especially legacy). I think the strongest part of my application was the recommendations. And I think that my activities (freshman prefect, landscaping, farming, etc.) were quite unique. I think that my “real” job, career-centric job combination helped, as did my academic commendations junior year.
Weaknesses: My freshman/sophomore grades were certainly in need of improvement and even had an alarming dip sophomore winter. My Math II subject test left much to be desired, and I wish that I’d spent more time on the supplemental essays. But the worst part of my application by far I think was my meeting with Inge. I know that her word has a lot of sway when they’re reviewing Huntsman applicants, and I certainly didn’t impress her. At the time, I didn’t really know why I wanted to study international business. I hadn’t slept well the night before, so I lacked the enthusiasm she was looking for, too, I think. I asked Inge what she looked for in applicants, and she responded that she was always looking for a certain “sparkle”. After meeting many of the students, I came to realize that this “sparkle” is passion. In her words, she was looking for the students who would “pick up a newspaper every morning to see what’s going on in the world.” I didn’t demonstrate that at all.
What would you have done differently?: I would not have met with Inge, as meeting strangers is not my forte. If it is yours, I highly encourage you to sit down with Inge. She’s really open to that. I also would have studied more languages over my high school career. That would have helped for Huntsman, certainly (I met so many Huntsman students who spoke 4-5+ languages) but also that would have made me a more attractive applicant to whatever school I applied.
I KNOW this is long, but my mom would spend hours researching the students who were admitted/denied to Huntsman on CC, trying to figure out why, and I hope to give the moms of future prospective Huntsman students some material to do just that and some piece of mind. Even though I didn’t get into Huntsman, I still have the opportunity to do an uncoordinated dual degree (and maybe even transfer in). Plus, in the College, I have more room to explore my interests. (Also it’s 2 a.m. on Winter break and I have nothing better to do with my time 