Question about Wharton Admissions

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>Someone posted this:</p>

<p>"During the Wharton information session, the Wharton information advisor told these assumptions. </p>

<p>Is it true? </p>

<li>SAT numbers drives Wharton admission. They love higher SAT1 and SAT II scores. </li>
<li>Wharton program loves student who has taken math courses beyond AP BC Calculus. Great AP scores (hard APs) helps a lot, as admission is number driven"</li>
</ol>

<p>Is this really true? I have always heard that numbers are only A PART of the admissions process. The first statement seems to contridict this. Can anyone verify this? Business really has nothing to do with on how well you preform on a standardized test.</p>

2

<p>All colleges love a large amount of AP classes. Wharton is no different. I think they like it if you take AP Stat. But its not a big deal.</p>

<p>I heard completely the opposite. SAT scores are meaningless once they pass a certain threshold.</p>

3

<p>when I went to visit, my wharton tour guide (who's like an assistant to a vice dean of admissions) told me that the emphasis on sats is really not as strong as people think. He told me not to worry and just write great essays.. ;/</p>

4

<p>hmm...I dunno what to assume. I've heard many different things. But I guess SAT's matter more than u want them to, but essays also matter a lot. Unfortunately my SATs are very weak.</p>

5

<p>my SATs and essays are both good, but my school only offers AP Calc AB, and very few other APs (3 total)...will this disadvantage me at all?</p>

6

<p>Alot of people apply to Wharton with high SATs and a lot a them get rejected. Reason being: the essay. SATs are not the end all. Run with what you've got, and hammer out the essays. Just a poignant thought.</p>

<p>JyankeesSS2, you're not at a disadvantage. You're application is within the context of your high school background. It is definitely a plus to have taken Calc AB, since it's one of the few that is offered at your school.</p>

7

<p>ok, thanks for clarifying that...that's what I thought, but people in this thread were making it seem otherwise</p>

8

<p>But what if you were unable to take a class(say AP Econ) but would have loved to take it because your HS does not offer it, how would the admissions officer know this course what not offered at your school? I was forced to take a some AP classes I really wasn't interested in(cough: AP Bio:() because the ones I wanted to take were either not offered or I wasn't qualified to take. I would have LOVED to take AP calc but I needed a prerequisite of Trig/PreCalc. I'm currently taking Trig/PreCalc in the 12th grade because when I came to the US five years ago, I was placed in a course that would land me in Trig/PreCalc in the 12th grade rather than AP Calc. Do I have to add this in my application or would it just sound like I'm whining?</p>

9

<p>That is something you should ask your guidance counselor to clear up through his/her letter of rec.</p>

10

<p>your guidance couselor is suposed to send a coursebook to the colleges with your transcript so they adcom can see if you are taking the most rigorous curiculum and they will also see what situation you are in and what prerequisites were required for certain classes.</p>

<p>Penn_dreamer, I dont think you have an excuse. My brother was also in the same situation and was set to take precalc in 12th grade so he took it over the summer at a local college and was able to take AP Calc in 12th. You could have done the same thing. I'm sorry but there are other ways to get around qualifications. But if a course is not offered then it is ok, the college will know that it isnt offered to they wont hold you to it.</p>

11

<p>I didn't know I could've taken the course during the summer:(.</p>

12

<p>And I know people who would've taken AP Calc AB senior year, but skipped ahead and are taking Multivariable Calc or more advanced courses at a local university.</p>

<p>Summer courses are rarely offered by one's own high school. You have to look to online courses, courses at other schools (especially prep schools), and university courses for these things. Guidance counselors will rarely recommend summer courses because they aren't supposed to promote condensing 40 weeks' worth of material into two months. So really it's your own initiative that gets you these things. That's what they mean when they say taking advantage of what's available to you.</p>

13

<p>Wow, I hope admissions aren't number driven... I'm not very strong SAT -wise. Who knows what goes on behind those admission doors?</p>

14

<p>I took Calc during summer at university so that i could take calc II this semester. i prefer summe5r classes actually</p>

15

<p>Hi Everyone,</p>

<p>I supervise the students that give the info sessions and nowhere should they be making comments on SAT scores and their relationship to the admissions process as that is not their area of expertise.</p>

<p>Numbers are a part of the admissions process in all top schools, but you need to realize that we look at the whole student. </p>

<p>It's always nice if students are able to excel mathematically, but we do not expect applicants to have gone beyond BC calculus. We do expect students to take some form of calculus (not pre-calc) in high school because of the quantitative nature of our curriculum. </p>

<p>If you have questions, you should contact your Regional Director of Admissions.</p>

16

<p>so its ok if im in calc right now (senior year)?</p>

17

<p>Thank you for the clarification whartonadvisor.</p>

<p>By the way, do you know the statistics for Penn early decision this year?</p>

18

<p>Pyar - yes calc as a senior is fine, we don't expect anything beyond that.</p>

<p>411 - No we have not yet received any finalized numbers from the admissions office.</p>

19

<p>WhartonAdvisor,</p>

<p>Do the admissions officers recognize that IB Mathematics HL (2-year course) goes beyond AP Calculus BC, or should my guidance counselor include a note regarding the mathematical rigor of the course?</p>