Can someone explain the importance of applying early decision? (Like is it possible that someone who would be rejected/waitlist in RD to be accepted in ED?)
Not at all! I donāt know you or your situation but maybe you skipped 10th grade and a year off gives you time to mature and achieve some growth that maybe you couldāve had if you hadnāt skipped 10th grade. My advice is to be completely honest. Being yourself and being genuine is what will really get you far and show admissions committees who you really are. By being yourself they can relate to you and connect to you and by building that connection they can see you as a person instead of a list of accomplishments and words on a piece of paper. They can get an insight to your character and potential, so that is my best advice. You need to take some time to reflect on yourself, your interest, passions, to find your WHY and honestly just to learn more about yourself in this crazy point in our lives where everything is changing.
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Also does the college youāre coming from matters as much (like itās rankings and stuff) because I am considering to enroll in a community college in Philly (but then on the Penn website it says something about not accepting community college credits). I also applied without standardized testing which I believe was quite negative on my application (I should starting studying NOW).
Also congratulations on your success with your cosmetics brand! Iād love to learn more about your brand!
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Of course! I wish I had applied to other schools as well and had more confidence in myself and my accomplishments but Iām super happy with the schools I was accepted to and the one Iām attending. I donāt have any expectations for waitlists but there is one if I got off that I would attend (but again no expectations just hope until the end). Sorry for rambling. Back to you! I think you need to have an answer as to why you didnāt apply this year so you can understand your situation, emotions, and goals. If the reason is something meaningful or important to you then Iād include it in your application as long as it doesnāt take away from whatever your write about in your essays. You need to find something to do in your gap year. A gap year can be a very interesting, formative, and fun year. It can be very transformative and you have a lot of freedom to accomplish amazing things. You need to find something to do and invest yourself in whatever you do. Make sure that you really really are passionate about what you are doing bc you will get the most out of it, will accomplish the most, and will actually have something to write about where you can be completely honest. If you are really invested and care about what you do it will show throughout your writing, I promise. Also have fun! Do other things that donāt have to do with your application and be a teen/young adult!
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@polaroidloops Also if you want some more advice or help you can always pm me. I am more than happy to talk and share my insight even though these are just my opinions and what Iāve learned and I am probably no more informed than any other person applying to college rn.
Someone else should also answer this question because I donāt know anything about community college credits or anything like that. I know plenty of people who attend/attending my cities cc who accomplish amazing things at their cc then transfer to four year universities and then have gone on to accomplish amazing things and who saved a lot of money bc our local cc is free. I am from a city and I know that a lot of internships/programs/organizations like to give opportunities to students in cc bc the school has lots of great students (every college does but in no way are people āhurtā by going to a cc. such a false narrative). I really hate it when people put down cc as if it is a bad option bc itās really an amazing option. I would say that enrolling in a community college could actually really help your application even if you donāt get any transfer credits and Iāll tell you why. I donāt know the cost of attending the cc in Philly but if itās not expensive or if your family/you are willing to pay for it and not get credits you should still consider it. By going and being a great student you really show them your diligent character and show them you can succeed at a college level and if thatās all you get out of it that is amazing and will definitely help your app! You can also build meaningful relationships with profs (maybe even some who also teach at Penn I know some profs at 4 years also teach at ccs) who can advocate on your behalf. They can act as additional letters of rec if you donāt apply as a transfer. While going to cc you can work on your cosmetic brand and do other things like maybe even take the ACT or SAT since you didnāt before. If you donāt get credits that likely means youāll just be at Penn for four years instead of three if you were able to transfer a years worth of credits. It shows you donāt think you are above anyone or anything which is something colleges really appreciate. Going to cc isnāt beneath anyone and it can also help prepare you especially if you missed a year of hs (not that you need more time or anything you are clearly smart and driven). It gives you time and insight which you can speak about in your application. You can build a community at the college in Philly with people who you can help you build your brand (of course, donāt only make friends for profit or benefit but you get the idea). I think this is an amazing option and if anyone else has anything to add or can better answer the original question, please do.
Edit: also please anyone seeing this. Donāt take this as only going somewhere/doing things/building relationships to achieve something else. Make real relationships and do things because you CARE. That is the most important thing!
thanks for calling! really curious to know how the 81 students are divided by schoolsā¦
Thank you and I really appreciate you for writing such a long response to my questions. I havenāt done much research about community colleges but is it possible that I attend such an community college (or something type of academic institution because my parents would not let me leave home as a minor unless itās for educational purposes) but still apply to Penn as a first year student?
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Unfortunately they donāt release such info even after the admissions process, but I did see someone on Reddit that is trying to take a gap year and they were admitted off the waitlist for Wharton (they canāt directly do a deferral so he/she is trying to get a leave of absence or something like that I donāt exactly remember what itās called).
Also keep in mind that Columbia and I believe Princeton (not positive about it) along with some other top universities still havenāt released their final wave of decisions yet which means that there totally can be more spots open for a second wave at Penn.
columbia and princeton have released their first and second wave of waitlist decisionsā¦? unless i am misunderstanding you.
Sorry there was a typo, I meant to say final wave of decisions.
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Of course! I honestly donāt know. I wish I could answer your question but if you would like I could look around a bit unless anyone else has an answer.
You need to look at the definition of a first year vs a transfer. Most schools require you to apply as a transfer if you take any colleges courses after you graduate from high school.
Thatās what I thought at first but then on Pennās website it says that they donāt accept credit from community colleges so I got confused.
No itās fine, youāve answered so many of my questions already. Iāll contact Penn to ask about these questions.
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It is confusing. Pennās website isnāt the best tbh. Iād email admissions with all your questions. Good luck!
I will, thank you! : )
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If Penn doesnāt take CC credits, then you canāt graduate in 4 years (including your CC year) and most likely they will not admit you as a transfer student. Better call them.