Possible Double Legacy? (Hook?) (Chance Me)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>Hey CC, I'm new here - I'm currently a High School Sophomore and I was wondering if Penn accepts "double legacies".
- Father - CAS Class of 1990
- Uncle - Class of 1992</p>

<p>Would this put me at an advantage - or at least a double legacy (if such a thing exists)? </p>

<p>Also, I'd like to get your guys's opinion of my chances and how/what I could/should do to improve getting into UPenn. (not sure what school at Penn I would apply to, although I would go ED for sure.)</p>

<p>GPA: 3.7 (currently)
Rank: School doesn't rank, however I'd be in top 10% if they did.
SAT: Not taken
SAT II: Plan on taking: Math I, Math II, Chemistry, Physics
ACT: Not taken, def. taking</p>

<p>Honors: all possible honors taken
AP's:
- Junior Year: Computer Science A, Calculus AB, US History, Chemistry
- Senior Year: Computer Science AB, Calculus BC, Physics, English, Chinese</p>

<p>Hooks (possibly):
- Double Legacy?
- Tri-lingual (English, Ukrainian, Chinese)</p>

<p>EC's ([-] indicated topic, [+] indicates sub-topic/further detail)
- Ukrainian Scouting Organization (8 years+)
- Current Ukrainian Life Scout, working towards Eagle Scout
+ Have coordinated 4 camping trips for my Scouting Group
+ Current head of Ukrainian Scouting Group (3 years in a row)
+ Attend Ukrainian Scouting Camp for 3 weeks every year (6
+ Youth Counselor at Ukrainian Scouting Camp (2 years)
- Ukrainian School 2 hours per week
- Accomplished Musician
+ Alto Saxophone (2 years)
+ Baritone Saxophone (4 years+)
+ Guitar (6 years)
+ Performed 2 solo pieces at local Lutheran Church
+ Stokes Forest Concert Band + Jazz Band + Rock Band (2 years)
+ Co-Founder of a 4-man band in New Jersey (occasional gigs)
- Petitioned School to offer Intro to Computer Science + AP Comp Sci
- Co-Founder of Chess Club, and Vice President
- Founder of Computer Science Club, and President</p>

<p>Awards
- Possibly NHS
- Won School Science Fair (Freshman Year) with a C++ project
- 2nd Recognition Award in Ukrainian Scouts</p>

<p>Other Information
- Will study abroad in China for a semester Junior year
- Have spent 2+ weeks in Ukraine learning about my heritage and birthplace(s) of my family and how they lives
- Have visited (not sure if relevant to colleges): England, France, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Ukraine.</p>

<p>-- The Handy Man (sorry for the long post)</p>

2

<p>REGARDING LEGACY: Sorry, but you’re single legacy. The Penn application only asks for parents/grandparents</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the reply - I was hoping I could have a double there. If I were accepted to Penn, would my brother have a double legacy (sibling legacy?)?</p>

4

<p>i THINK (not 100% positive) that they ask about siblings. you can look up the Penn supplement on google and it’ll come up as a pdf. it’s best to check there</p>

5

<p>338 views and NO replies - thanks guys. I feel so welcome.</p>

6

<p>Way too early to chance. You have good stuff so far, but come back once you’re done with at least some of your exams (aka SAT/ACT/SATII).</p>

7

<p>You would be considered a “first generation legacy,” since it’s only your parents/grandparents that are considered (i’m sure they consider siblings as well but definitely not uncles). Also there’s no such thing as a double legacy or something that would actually boost your chances/hook twofold. Though you can have more of a family legacy at Penn like second-generation (Mom/Dad and Grandparent) or third, it’s not necessarily going to literally double your chances of being admitted. In other words, they just consider the extent of your “leg” and whether your parents/family have been contributing to the development of the university (donating or teaching etc.)</p>

8

<p>I’m really paranoid about my EC’s being really out there putting me ahead of other EC’s… Any comments or reccomendations to add/improve on any of mine? I know that I still need to take the SAT/ACT/SATII but I got a 200 (72 Math, 68 CR, and 60 Writing) on my PSAT (out of 240) and a 27 on PLAN (Pre-ACT) (out of 32).</p>

9

<p>By the way, you shouldn’t take Calculus AB and Calculus BC the next year. Calculus BC is just AB + a <em>few</em> new concepts. Students that take AB usually only do so because their school doesn’t offer BC. My school only offers AB and I had to independently study for the BC topic outline.</p>

<p>Also, your Calculus BC score will come with an AB subscore. You won’t get any additional college credit by taking both Calculus exams. At my town’s local university, AB = 1 semester and BC = 2 semesters. Most other universities consider the AP Calculus exams similarly.</p>

<p>If you do take both calculus exams, then you’ll only need a semester (probably even a quarter) to prepare for the BC exam after taking AB.</p>

10

<p>^I don’t really agree with that statement. My school offers both AB and BC calc as well and many people take both of them in their high school career. If you feel that you are strong in math then I would suggest going directly to BC Calc. However, if you do not think that math is your strongest point then BC Calc may not be something to jump right into. There is nothing wrong with taking both courses though I do agree with the fact that only the BC Calc exam would matter in the end.
However, definitely do NOT take both the Math I and II SAT II’s. Elite colleges prefer the Math II test and the Math I test will just be a waste of time and money.</p>

11

<p>You should know that lots of legacy candidates are being rejected.</p>

<p>Your Ukranian is interesting, especially if you want to do Eastern European studies or something else international that involves Ukranian and Chinese.</p>

<p>Eagle Scout is always good, because it’s an objective measure of skill and character.</p>

12

<p>If you’re going to take the BC exam, then there’s absolutely no reason to take AB. BC doesn’t have any more depth over AB topics. It’s essentially AB + basic series/sequences. Would you take Algebra II twice?</p>

<p>“Eagle Scout is always good, because it’s an objective measure of skill and character.”</p>

<p>An “objective” measure of skill OR character? … <a href=“U.S. News: Latest Breaking Stories, Video, and Photos on American Politics, Economy, and Society | NBC News”>U.S. News: Latest Breaking Stories, Video, and Photos on American Politics, Economy, and Society | NBC News;

13

<p>Credit-wise I agree with you. However, the overall decision really depends on the school you go to. Some schools force kids to take AB calc junior year and then pick up with BC calc senior year. Others, like mine, have some taking AB Calc junior year and then BC Calc senior year while others going straight to BC calc. The AB class is simply beneficial to those who cannot handle the rigor and speed of the BC class. At my school, the BC class finished the whole AB curriculum by midterms. Not all kids can handle going that fast for hard topics. I was just suggesting to the OP that he should simply take whatever course he is comfortable taking.</p>