Should I Consider Penn?

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>I'm currently torn between applying ED for NYU Stern and Penn Wharton. I love both schools for different reasons, but I don't want to use my ED on Stern if I have a reasonable chance for admission into Penn.</p>

<p>School info:
rural public school
SC
Has sent someone to NYU in the past, but none to any Ivy</p>

<p>Me:
Enrollment: Fall 2011
African American Male</p>

<p>Academics:
Unweighted GPA: 4.0
Weighted GPA: 5.005
Taken every AP class my school offers (only about 5 though-Bio, US Hist, Euro Hist, Calc AB, English)
Rank: 1/235
National Achievement Scholarship Semifinalist</p>

<p>Test Scores
SAT I:
First Attempt: 730 Reading 670 Math 640 Writing
Second Attempt: 720 Reading 680 Math 560 Writing (2050 Superscore; Retaking in October)
SAT II: Have not taken (Should I? If so, when?)
ACT: Took Sept. 11 (pretty confident consistently made 33 on practice tests) and will retake in October</p>

<p>Leadership
-Student Body Vice President
-Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Class President
-Beta Club Vice President as Junior
(Find out if I'm Beta Club President Tuesday)
-Jr. Civitans (Service Organization) Secretary-Treasurer
-Drama Club Director, Secretary, Technical Producer, Stage Manager
-Taken a leadership course for past 3 years
-Lead Lawyer for our Mock Trial Team (lead/taught other lawyers)
-Delegate to Palmetto Boys State, elected Attorney General, Chief Supreme Court Justice, County Party Chairman, and chosen as a Boys Nation Alternate (3rd of 900 boys)</p>

<p>Other
-Volunteer 20 hours a week at the local middle school for past 3 years
-Tutor Students with Learning Disabilities (ADD, Dyslexia, etc) and Adults for GED
-Interned at a Local cellphone store where I observed Sales, Purchasing, and Hiring.
-National Honor Society Member
-Worked the 2008 general election and 2010 primary as a pollmanager
-Ran Varsity Trck (2 Letters) but stopped due to injury</p>

<p><em>The thing that worries me is that my school is so small, I can take every AP (which I have) and be in every club (I'm in the majority) and have nothing on those from larger schools</em></p>

2

<p>Any help would be appreciated…</p>

3

<p>I think you have a shot at Penn. The question is, do you want to go to Penn? If Penn is definitely your first choice, then apply to Penn ED. If NYU is your first choice, apply ED there.</p>

4

<p>Thank you for your response. Penn is my first choice so if my ACT scores are good enough, I would like to apply to Penn</p>

5

<p>Well, actually you have an advantage on kids from larger schools. Kids from larger schools have to struggle more to get a good rank and good leadership positions in clubs. I’m from a smaller school too, but my school sucks so much, they never did any class president stuff because the teachers in charge of it were too lazy.</p>

<p>Anyway, everything looks good except for your scores. 2050 is below the average for entering Penn kids. Once you get your ACT score, you should update this. And you don’t have to take SAT IIs since you took the ACT. I think most Whartonites take Math II and like Physics or something though. </p>

<p>I, and everyone else, really have no idea whether you’ll get in or not. You look to have a decent chance, though. But then again it is Wharton, the best and possibly most selective business school in the country.</p>

<p>Anyway, I think you more so need to weigh your options. How likely is it you’ll make it into Stern ED? If you do Penn ED, and don’t get accepted, how likely is it you’ll make it into Stern RD? How much more would you rather go to Wharton? You need to weigh these things against each other.</p>

6

<p>It’s all good as long as you take advantage of the opportunities that you have. Best of luck on the ACT. :)</p>