Transferring to Penn (Wharton)?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>Hello, I’m a sophomore at Ithaca College. My current major is journalism. I’m a Pennsylvania resident (not sure how much of a factor out-of-state is for transfers) However, I’ve decided that I might rather do something with the stock market, like investment banking. I pretty much have eliminated journalism as a possible career field and was just going to finish out the degree and go to law school. But now, I think I might rather pursue an MBA or joint JD/MBA program. So I decided business undergrad might be the better way to go. While IC’s journalism program is very strong, the business program isn’t so strong. One of my problems as you will see is my lack of gen ed courses, mathematics courses, accounting courses, and business courses, although I do have some economics courses. IC doesn’t require gen ed for their journalism program and let you jump right into the major as a freshman. Anyways, I’m just gong to post my stats + EC’s and see what you think my chances are of (A) getting in? (B) getting into the business school after a semester? (C) getting academic aid?</p>

<p>College Currently Attending: Ithaca College
High School: Connellsville Area High School ¶ -
College GPA: 3.775 (through Spring '04, will be slighly lower after this semester though should be over 3.7 barring unforseen grades)
High School GPA: 4.0
Class Rank: 1st of approx 400
SAT M: 720, V: 660
SAT II: Math IC: 660, Writing: 620, History 600 (wasn’t too happy with these, would’ve taken them again if I thought I would have needed to)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: </p>

<p>College:
Vice Chair of On Campus Affairs, Ithaca College Republicans
Newscasts (105.9 FM VIC and 91.7 FM WICB in Ithaca)
Field Reporter, ICB Reports (91.7 FM)
Sportscasts (105.9 FM and 91.7 FM)
Color Analyst:
-Ithaca College Men’s and Women’s Socer (91.7FM)
Pregame Show:
-Ithaca College Football (105.9 FM)
Halftime Reports:
-Ithaca College Football (105.9 FM)
-Ithaca College Men’s and Women’s Basketball (105.9 FM/91.7FM)
-Ithaca College Men’s Lacrosse (91.7FM)
Intermission Reports:
-Cornell Women’s Hockey (91.7FM)
Assistant Producer, Newswatch 16 (Sports Department) (ICTV)
Reporter, Ithaca Sports Weekly (ICTV)
On-Air Talent (ICTV):
-Quabble, Cast (Improv)
-By The Book, Cast (Sitcom)
-The Solarium with Professor Smedley Drake, Cast (Field Sketch Comedy)
-Another Late Night with Mike Diaz, Cast (Late Night Talk Show)
Disc Jockey, 91.7FM
Society of Professional Journalists
Comedy Club
Volunteer Swimming Coach - CAHS: December-January (04/05 season) </p>

<p>High School:
CAHS Swim Team: 10th-12th
CAHS Soccer Team: 9th-12th
CAHS Track and Field: 9th-12th
CAJH-West Freshman Basketball Team: 9th
Connellsville Soccer Club’s Spring Traveling Team - 2001-2003
Connellsville’s Indoor Soccer Team (South Union Indoor Soccer League) - 9th-11th (not officially affiliated with CAHS)
YMCA Swimming- Regional Family of Laurel Highlands YMCA: May 2001-August 2003 (all year), May 2004-August 2004
Academic Quiz Team: 10th, 12th
Knowledge Master Open: 9th-12th
National Honor Society: 11th, 12th
French National Honor Society: 10th-12th
PA Stock Market Game: 12th
TEAMS (Engineering Group Competition) - 10th
Mock Trial Team - 10th
Student Council - 9th
Theatre Club: 12th
Senior Class Play: 12th
-Adaptations of Othello (Iago) and MacBeth (Banquo)
Senior Class Play </p>

<p>Awards/Honors:
Valedictorian, CAHS Class of '03
Quiz Team - Fayette County Champions: 12th
PA Stock Market Game - Regional Championship Team - Fall 2002
YMCA Long Course Nationals Swimming Qualifier - 2003, 2004
Recipient of President’s Scholarship at Ithaca College
Recipient of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials Scholarship
Three Sport High School Letterman: Soccer, Swimming, and Track
Dean’s List (3.7 GPA Minimum) - Fall 2003, Spring 2004</p>

<p>Classes:
Freshman
-Fall
Intro to Journalism - A
Intro to Mass Media - A
Principles of Microeconomics - A
Academic Writing I - A-
Intermediate French I - B+ </p>

<p>-Spring
Journalism Research - A-
Principles of Macroeconomics - A
Ideas and Ideologies - A
World Civilization II - A
Intermediate French II - B </p>

<p>Sophomore
-Fall
News Reporting and Writing I - not received yet (he just gave pass/fail instead of letter grade for our midterm grade reports)
History of American Mass Media - B+
Ethical Issues in Mass Communication - B+
Current Economic Issues - not received yet (grade at midterms was an A)
Lifeguarding - pass </p>

<hr>

<p>AP Tests
US Gov + Politics - 4 (Spring 2002) </p>

<h2>Note: Also took AP Classes for Calculus I, Biology, English (Literature), and French, but didn’t take tests. The only other AP class offered was Spanish. </h2>

<p>College Credits Earned During High School
Calculus I, California University of Pennsylvania (Spring 2003)</p>

2

<p>high school ECs and awards don't matter for the transfer app right(i'm also applying, though to the College)?</p>

<p>I think you have a shot, though I'm not too familiar w/ the stats of Wharton transfers. I do know that the average transfer college GPA is a 3.6, with 1300 SAT.</p>

3

<p>Three more important questions (although if anyone else wants to apply to my first post that would be great also.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>SATII scores.. mine aren't that great (probably my worst stat)... Math IC: 660, Writing: 620, History: 600. Do I a) send what I have, b) not mention them on my application/not send them a copy (thinking this is bad idea) or c) retake. (PS, had I taken them again in high school, probably could've gotten over 700, however having not had a math course in 1 1/2 years makes me nervous about retaking now).</p></li>
<li><p>Letters of Recommendations... As you can see in my first post, I have had a lot of ECs at Ithaca College (+ I think I'm going to do debate team this semester and maybe edit a conservative newspaper), but these things are pretty much all student run. I have one or two professors that might write me ok letters of recommendations, but I don't feel that these guys know me like my high school teachers or coaches. Yet, I feel like they'd be happier with letters from college-related individuals. I've heard that 2 is probably the best number of recommendations to send. Do I send one college and one high school or what?</p></li>
<li><p>I have enough college activities to fill out the activities section of application. I have no internships, so that isn't too good, but I don't feel like it will hurt me that much. However, pretty much all of the awards I've ever won were in high school (except for the academic scholarship I'm getting at Ithaca, and even that is a reflection of my high school record). Do I list the high school awards?</p></li>
</ol>

4

<p>stay at ithaca cause that's where tom green was in that movie...</p>

5

<p>Any actual answers?</p>

<p>Also for the recs question, my choices are probably going to be, High School mathematics teacher (Trig + Calc), High School gifted teacher (7th-8th, 10-12th + I think he might've attended Penn), my YMCA swimming coach, journalism (my current major) professor, economics professor. Not sure about the writing skills of the econ prof or that would definitely be included. I'm guessing I should probably ask all of them to write them and then choose the best? Like I've said before, I feel the high school teachers/coach know me better, but that college profs are probably the way to go for a transfer. Mix and match?</p>