<p>Hey guys, I'm kinda a total n00b at this but here goes:
I'm a sophmore who really wants to go to Wharton
I got a 2200 SAT in one sitting (76oCR 710Math 730Writing)
I am retaking (my low math score being the most obvius reason) in March
I have a 3.9 gpa so far (a B in Freshman English first semester managed to get an A second semester)
As far as EC's go, I do tennis and swimming
I started a local volunteer program for tutoring lower income kids
I plan to start FBLA at my school as well Amnesty International
I am a pretty good trombone player (in highest level of band at my school as a sophomore)
I might also be section leader in Marching BAnd next year
I do youth court and jazz band outside of school also
I am only taking Algebra 2 honors this year htough :( my school wouldnt let me skip because my STAR test scores from 5th grade were too low so in 7th grade I went to pre algebra instead of Algebra 1
I'm Asian
and I need to know
Is the fact that I didnt skip a year in math going to kill me?
What long term goals should I be setting and carrying out to put me in a position where I can get in ?</p>
<p>oh and my highschool is really competitive public highschool in CA
second in district but thats to the #4 school in the state</p>
<p>Yes, the fact that you’re Asian and you didn’t skip a grade/received such a low Math score on the SAT as well as STAR will be seen as detrimental on your application.</p>
<p>/sarcasm</p>
<p>:( no ill will meant
just want to know if I’m done for because of it or whether I still have a good chance
i think i can pull up my SAT math
but what to do about being behind a year in math?
self study for BC and stats AP tests?</p>
<p>No, you’re not going to be harmed for being a year behind</p>
<p>two things</p>
<p>double up in math as in take one match class per semester or you could self-study ap stats, self studying calculus is suicide</p>
<p>As long as you get Calc in, you should be fine.</p>
<p>Being Asian does hurt you, but most people deal with that fine. It just makes your grades/scores less impressive unfortunately. </p>
<p>Tips…do what your passionate about and go really into it. Whatever it is, it will be more authentic, more genuine, and probably better if you legit like it. Trying to please colleges results in fake ECs. In your ECs, try to demonstrate leadership, problem-solving skills, etc. People who worry so much about trying to get in so early never enjoy either. I think that’s an important factor to consider, and you should easily still be a strong candidate. Plus, your essays will be MUCH better if written about something you truly had fun doing and felt very strongly about. </p>
<p>Make yourself into a person, not a list. Uniqueness never hurts, so develop those quirky parts. For example, I’m applying to Wharton, but I love analyzing and critiquing movies. I’ve got a desire to revolutionize our current education system completely, focusing on nurturing creativity (this can be related to business though). Things like this make you more than one of the hundreds who started DECA/FBLA, tutored, or was in band. I’m not saying to try and MAKE yourself one of these things. I’m saying that you need to find something like this that you truly enjoy as a SUPPLEMENT to your passion in business (get INTERNSHIPS, organize a FUNDRAISER, etc.)</p>
<p>@DRose2012 :
Wow. Good advice. (not being sarcastic at all)
as for being a person, not a list, I was mostly concerned with
being even close to other applicants
As for personal passions besides the stuff above
I am an avid amateur photogrpaher
I enjoy weight lifting
And (one of my dreams) one of my goals is revolutionize healthcare
to make it cheaper, more accesible, and more efficient namely
any way I can turn any of those into a really big benefit?</p>
<p>Photography: Get involved with school newspapers, but also try to get involved with local newspapers, magazines, and the such. Photography can make for an interesting twist on an essay, but not very many “big” ECs that I can think of.</p>
<p>Weightlifting: I enjoy this too, but it’s more for a health thing. I didn’t really expand on this because I don’t do competitions, but maybe you should? </p>
<p>Healthcare: Get involved. Plenty about this. You can start a healthcare-themed club at school, but I suggest you look into a more political side of things. There are so many options here, but just pursue it passionately. It will come to you.</p>
<p>You can also try and find an internship that relates to these ideas. Honestly, you don’t need business ECs to get into Wharton, but showing an interest in business can’t hurt. Could you potentially work on starting a business/nonprofit/organization that somehow revolved around one of these three things? A photography magazine flickr-with-a-twist website (revenue from ads), weightlifting competitions that raise money for charity (could be linked to healthcare), etc. The ideas are numerous. When you genuinely enjoy what you do, you honestly have so much available to you.</p>
<p>amitp123: lol we are kinda similar as I’m Asian, I also got a 2200 on my SAT(same math, horrible writing but perfect CR) and I’m heavily into photography. and I applied to Penn, though to the CAS.</p>
<p>And I second what DRose2012 said. I’ve become an honorary member of yearbook (honorary because apparently you have to be in a Yearbook class at my school and I didn’t express interest in yearbook until the football games started XD). Getting a press pass to take photos for school events is just awesome!</p>
<p>Photograph for your school clubs, Google photo contests and enter them (that’s what I did, won one lost several lol) See if your local library does art contests! And if your school offers Beta Club and competes at conventions, there is also art competitions at the conventions. =D</p>
<p>And take a photo class if your school offers it.</p>
<p>Awesome sats, bro. I hope you got in!</p>