<p>After doing extensive research and finally coming to the conclusion that Penn is my dream school (instead of Columbia, where I'd wanted to go since the 3rd grade for arbitrary reasons. I'm actually not even going to apply there anymore (not ideal for premed, expensive city, etc)), I spent some time reading last year's ED results thread. </p>
<p>It really baffles me how random the decisions are. I saw applicants with almost identical stats, where one got flat out rejected (not even deferred) and one got accepted. Every time I see an accepted applicant with stats that are similar to mine and feel a surge of optimism, I see another applicant with those same stats that got rejected...</p>
<p>I do plan on applying to Penn ED, but I'm so nervous. I just wish that there was a clearer reason for why applicants with NOTHING wrong on their resume are getting rejected. </p>
<p>I guess this is more or less a rant, not really an inquiry haha. I'm just so frustrated and anxious about this whole college application season stuff. </p>
<p>I really want to just KNOW where I'll be going before second semester senior year so that I can relax and stop worrying and feel relieved (applying to Penn ED and UChicago/Caltech EA - God please help me get into at least one of those). </p>
<p>This randomness is certainly not helping...</p>
<p>It is highly random and completely unpredictable unless you’re an admissions officer. Anyway, as a premed the undergrad you go to really is not terribly important. Just chill and try to enjoy the end of high school.</p>
<p>Indeed, it is somewhat random. The reason–as I’ve heard Dean Furda, himself, say–is that more than 80% of the applicants to Penn (and presumably other top schools), have the objective statistics (GPA, SATs, etc.) that would qualify them for admission to Penn, and that demonstrate the clear ability to do the work once they got there. And that’s where all of the subjective factors come into play (essays, recs, ECs, etc.), as well as specific needs of the school (i.e., a sufficient number of oboe players, actors, computer geeks, etc. to make a well-rounded class and to fill out extra-curricular organizations, etc.), and–for better or worse–a bit of chance. Which is why every year, a much larger number (tens of thousands) of “qualified” applicants are rejected from schools like Penn than are accepted.</p>
<p>So the best you can do is to present yourself and your interest in Penn as well as you can in your essay, and then keep your fingers crossed! No matter where you end up going to college, however, your happiness and success will be largely up to YOU, and not the name at the top of your acceptance letter. Of THAT you can be certain. :)</p>
<p>The thing about the results threads is that you are just looking at scores and what people post as extracurriculars. Keep in mind that for the extracurriculars, it is hard to tell on a results thread how involved and accomplished a person really is. For example two people might write cross country as an extracurricular. One person might be exceedingly talented. The other might not. There is no way to tell on a results thread.</p>
<p>Also, essays and recommendations are big factors. Just because someone on a results thread rated their essay as being very strong doesn’t mean that it was. Results threads are interesting, but don’t read into them that much. Also, keep in mind that any random person with a computer can go on college confidential, say they were accepted to Penn, and make up stats. I doubt most people do this, but I’m sure not everything on those threads are true.</p>
<p>You are right that there is a fair amount of randomness in this process. It is getting to me too…I also hate that if you are rejected, you will have no way of knowing why. It really stinks…</p>
<p>Also, UPenn has a lot of applicants and very little space. If there are two people who are strong, but very similar, chances are they aren’t going to take both, as they want a lot of diversity. What you might not see is that though they both appear to be similar, one might have edged the other out in recommendations and/or essays.</p>
<p>A way to decrease the anxiety is to frankly, not look fwd to acceptances from schools with <20% admit rates. Focus on the handful of schools you know you’ll likely get admitted to, do your best to fall in love with them. If you get a surprise or two from your reaches, then great. But if not, you’ll still be ecstatic come next April.</p>