<p>Hi everyone! Penn State is one of my top choice schools, and I'm pretty confident that I'll be accepted to main campus. However, I'm wondering about what my chances for Schreyer are.</p>
<p>Here's some background info on me.</p>
<p>Test Scores:
* SAT - 670 reading, 670 math, 710 writing --> 2050; waiting on most recent scores
* ACT - registered for the Oct. 25th test
* SAT Subject Tests - registered for the Math II and Biology tests on Nov. 8th
* APs - U.S. History (3), Chemistry (1), Lang & Comp (4); currently taking Calculus AB and Lit & Comp</p>
<p>Classes:
* 9th-11th - mostly CPs (A's), 3 honors (1 A, 1 B, 1 C), 3 APs (1 A, 2 B's)
* Currently - a bunch of CPs (A's), 2 honors (A's), 2 APs (B's)
* GPA - 4.13 (weighted)
* Class rank - 21/167 (might improve a little this year)</p>
<p>Everything else:
* Extracurriculars - cross country, track, orchestra, honor guard, volunteer pit orchestra, stage crew, chess club, gifted
program, National Honor Society, student council
* Great letters of recommendation
* A handful of awards and honors
* 50+ hours of community service</p>
<p>Based on your stats, your odds are pretty low (although, that’s the case for everyone given that they only take 1 in 9 applicants). The most important thing is that your essays are strong - while GPA, recommendations, and ECs are taken into account, the essays are definitely the most important part. </p>
<p>Good luck from another prospective Schreyer applicant! </p>
<p>My impression (with no real evidence) is that essays and recommendations are what drives most of the decisions. Your grades in AP classes might hold you back though - consider this, once in SHC you need to maintain a 3.4 GPA. So far, you college-ish level work (ie APs) has been 4B’s and an A or about a 3.2.</p>
<p>your grades will make it very difficult to gain admission to SHC. Grades in high school and rigor of the coursework carries the most weight. Your GPA and number of honors/AP courses is well below the typical SHC student. If you were my child, I would recommend you focus your energies to more productive things. Once on campus, excel and apply through the gateway process.</p>
<p>I got a 2190 on the SAT, had a 4.19 GPA, only took three AP classes my senior year, class rank around 25/560, no ACT or SAT2’s, and I was accepted. Stats are important, but if you’re in that higher range, this is a school that doesn’t put as much emphasis on the scores. Focus on a couple of the most important things to you in your essays- overkill listing everything you’ve done just makes you seem like you’ve spent your high school career padding your resume (in the short answers, however, assuming they’re the same as when I applied, do list everything you’ve done/accomplished, just give your long essays a narrower scope). The most important thing is to show heart. Another thing is to try to show “global perspective”, the SHC is big on that, but don’t force it if it’s not there. Essays and recs are what get you in, not stats. Absolutely ignore the people who say otherwise (obviously if yours are very low, this isn’t true, but your stats are good), focus hard on your essays, I spent 100+ hours on mine, making everyone I knew proofread them because this was my dream school. Also, MAKE SURE to submit your app by the first deadline, they say that the interview is optional, but it is NOT, I have yet to meet anyone accepted who didn’t apply early and do the interview. This is a place you want to be, the opportunities are amazing, and being a part of the bigger Penn State community is so fun. I am a freshman, and I this Saturday I am going on a fully funded SHC trip to New York to meet with representatives from Goldman Sachs, and last week I got to personally the author of the critically acclaimed book, Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (you may recognize her from Beyonce’s “Flawless” ). The opportunities here are amazing, the campus is beautiful, and the school is so much fun. Work hard on those essays, and don’t give up, because coming here is so worth it!</p>
<p>(also if you do get accepted, don’t bother taking the Lit test, SHC students have a required english class you can’t opt out of, save your $80!)</p>
<p>Thank you so much @mackenzieb! I’ll be sure to make my essays stellar. And unfortunately, my school requires us to take the AP test if we have an AP class.</p>
<p>They don’t look at the test scores. They scrutinize grades and difficulty of courses taken. Class rank in the upper 5% is what I’ve usually seen, and even from competitive high schools. I’ve seen kids get into ivies and not make the honors college cut because of the test scores aren’t in consideration </p>
). The opportunities here are amazing, the campus is beautiful, and the school is so much fun. Work hard on those essays, and don’t give up, because coming here is so worth it!</p>