<p>Hi! I'm beginning the college application process and, like many, many before me, have absolutely fallen in love with Penn. As it's one of the most selective and prestigious schools in the country, I would like to know if I should even bother applying. I've included a brief description of my academic and extra curricular record below and would appreciate brutal, brutal honestly. </p>
<p>ACT: 33
GPA: W- 4.21 UW-3.8 or something, I'm not certain</p>
<p>Every core class I took as a freshman and sophomore was an honors class. As a junior, I took AP Language and Composition, AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, and AP United States History. I plan to submit AP scores for APUSH and APLangComp, both of which I received 5s on. </p>
<p>This year I'm taking AP Literature and Composition, AP Statistics, and AP Psychology. I'm also enrolled in an honors creative writing class along with my elective and gym courses. I will also be taking a Chinese course at Northwester University (I live nearby). </p>
<p>I was the recipient of a NSLI-Y scholarship through the State Department my sophomore year and spent that summer in Xi'an, China for seven weeks. I am the co-founder and co-president of my school's Ukulele Club, an opinion columnist for my school newspaper, involved with speech team, play JV soccer, was the kicker for my boys football team my sophomore year, a participant in my schools best buddy chapter for two years, and I'm currently a Girl Scout and have been involved for 13 years. I am involved with the theater department at my school and am currently head writer of my school's sketch comedy show. </p>
<p>In terms of honors and achievements, I have won departmental awards at my high school for English and Chinese. I was also a winner for the NCTE and am a member of the National Honor Society. </p>
<p>I am a caucasian female. I work at a local ice cream shoppe. </p>
<p>I think my strong points are my extra curricular activities and success in English and Chinese. However, my science and math grades are significantly lower, which accounts for my relatively low ACT score and grades, at least for Penn. </p>
<p>Wow! This was longer than I thought. If you stuck with me, please let me know if you think Penn is realistic for me. I visited and it was great, but obviously extremely expensive and competitive. I am also interested in less prestigious but academically rigorous schools with money to give me, but I am curious to know if it's fathomable for me to exist in the Ivy realm. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>