@Chc260810 I’d say take this decision based on your career and education goals, not what you think will help you get in. NETS is a fabulous program, and if you think that’s your thing, apply for it. About your activities, I’d highly reccomend you intern at a software/engineering firm over the summer which will boost your engineering related activities. Feel free to ask any more questions!
Also, those of you who want to ask me questions please do tag me in your comment
@winky1 A lot of the top tier schools don’t really give credit for APEGS which lead me to feel like it is less respected than the classes they do give credit for. Does your school offer multiple AP Physics classes (1, 2, C). If your school offers all of them there are potentially 4 years of AP Physics they can take. Most kids in our district who are planning for STEM majors do take an AP Physics class Jr and Sr year and then take AP Bio and/or AP Chem as an elective. Your daughter could take the SAT 2s for Math2 and Bio though unless she is interested in a school that requires only Physics or Chem. Every year less and less schools are requiring SAT2s though.
@bluekou23 I also took bio and lit on May 7. For me, the literature was little bit easier. Bio was a struggle (even after having taken AP Bio). I’m holding off on sending those scores until I see them.
Does anyone know if we have to send all of our Subject Test scores like we have to send both SAT and ACT scores, or do we have the option of not sending a test score we’re unhappy with?
Also, are Subject Tests superscored?
By the way, does it help if you have connections to Penn alumni (not blood-related, but closely-tied).
My mom’s friend did her doctorate work at Penn and she was one major influence in my decision to attend there. Would she be allowed to vouch for me, or would this “relation” be considered in the admissions process?
Thank you, @dcplanner. My daughter’s guidance counselor is looking into the subject matter on the Physics subject test to see if AP Mechanics would benefit her before taking it or if there is more advanced physics on it as well which would mean that taking mechanics wouldn’t fully prepare her for the test. The geoscience class is a requirement for graduation and is offered junior year, so she’ll be taking the AP version. Right now, her electives are AP Bio and Honors Spanish 4. She is taking as many advanced classes as possible. She could opt to take AP Mechanics and then the AP Bio Senior year.
What’s APEGS?
There may be a valid reason to take an AP class even if top tier schools do not give credit for it. eg. AP Human Geography and World History are often the only AP options for freshman/sophs. Just because the student won;t get credit is not necessarily a reason not to add a class with more rigor.
While true, this would be a total waste of time. Few colleges will give credit for all 4 exams. Additionally it would be disadvantageous to jam in so many physics classes at the expense of bio/chem, or to try to accomplish this by doubling up on sciences at the expense of another core subject.
@skieurope , APEGS is AP Environmental Geoscience. The way classes are offered at our high school, my daughter will either be taking AP Bio as an elective her junior year or AP Mechanics. We are just trying to figure out if she takes the AP Mechanics, would that prepare her enough for the Physics SAT Subject Test at the end of her junior year. If not, then she will probably take the AP Bio junior year and the AP Physics senior year as well as AP Psych and AP Statistics. The whole reason this topic came up in our family is that Penn has on their website that they recommend engineering applicants to submit the Physics SAT Subject Test with their application. They recommend 2 subject tests with physics being 1 of them for engineering. However, they do also say that subject tests are not mandatory. Also @AHeyes, the website says they want the whole testing history sent to them. I am thinking this means to send everything. Cornell is also like this. Perhaps other schools request all testing as well.
OK thanks. I usually see it abbreviated as APES.
Well, that’s easy - it won’t. None of the 4 AP classes on its own will prepare for the Subject Test.
Your thinking is correct, although since SubjectTests are now optional, they may, at some point in the future, decide that all scores are not required.
This might be worth a conversation with Penn admissions. It is my belief that those HS’s that eliminated Honors Physics to make room for AP Physics 1 and/or 2 did a disservice to the students, since, as mentioned above, the AP courses do not prepare one for the Subject Tests. Many STEM schools recommend/require Math 2 and a bio/chem/physics Subject Test. IMO limiting the option to physics is a bit limiting.
@skieurope For someone planning to be an engineering major and applying to the most competitive schools taking at least AP Physics 1 and 2 or both segments of Physics C would be pretty typical. Most of the top students at our HS applying for STEM majors at schools like MIT, Penn, Cornell will take all of the AP Physics classes offered. If a school offers all of these classes and a student only takes 1 I would think they would be at a disadvantage even without the whole SAT2 issue. For any other majors it probably doesn’t matter at all but for engineering Physics and Calc is important.
I never said it was not typical. In fact, I would encourage students pondering a major in engineering or some STEM disciplines to take AP Physics C. So, taking AP Physics C Mech and E&M is fine. Taking AP Physics 1 and 2 is fine. Taking AP Physics 1 and AP Physics C because the school only offers AP Physics 1 as an intro is fine, and the uni will not fault the student for the HS’s curriculum guide. Taking AP Physics 1/2/C (unless each course is a semester-long) is just overkill.
No college advocates the everything including the kitchen sink approach to AP classes. As MIT [states](http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/on_aps_1):
[quote]
Let me state clearly: we do not admit students solely because of their AP courses/scores. There is no minimum or recommended number of AP courses. AP scores are not part of an admission formula. We’re not simply going to look at a weighted GPA and throw everything else out. Challenge yourself in a way that is reasonable for you, while making sure that your courseload provides your with material that keeps you excited and engaged, and that you have balance in your life. What we are saying is that, despite what you may have heard, college admissions isn’t a game of whoever has the most APs, wins.[/quote[
I agree with you @skieurope definitely no need to go crazy with AP classes but for students going into really specific majors like engineering showing you have the interest and ability in things like math and physics by taking the most rigorous courses you are offered in those areas is more important than taking some of the AP classes that don’t make sense with the what the student says they are all about. The school advising students to take AP ES junior year over AP Physics is probably doing most students a disservice.
Is anyone aware of the acceptance rate for Wharton ED?
@Winky1 If your daughter has already taken regular Physics in her Freshman or Sophomore year, she can handle SAT Subject - Physics. AP Physics doesn’t help too much on SAT Subject test. You may order a preparation book (Princeton, Barron’s) for her.
Thank you, @Canoon. She has not taken any physics yet because it is not required for graduation in PA, and it’s an elective. She took Spanish 2 and Applied Engineer/Honors Applied Engineering her freshman year as electives. Then as a sophomore, she took Spanish 3 and AP Chemistry as electives. The Honors Physics class at our high school is very easy, and she is opting to take APEGS and AP Bio next year, as of now. We are still discussing taking the AP Physics instead, and then AP Bio as a Senior. Thank you for your thoughts.
@Canoon “If your daughter has already taken regular Physics in her Freshman or Sophomore year, she can handle SAT Subject - Physics.”
At our school the regular Physics covers the majority of the SAT subject test, but not all of it. There are about three chapters worth of topics that they don’t cover. If your school is like ours, you may good to get a review book and either teach yourself the missing material, or get a tutor.
Applying ED to SEAS lesgooo
@lauraazumah did you apply for financial aid? and would mind sharing your stats please
Hey guys, i plan to apply ED to CAS…does upenn allow you to send in first quarter grades? My grades usually come out Nov 10. I have an upward trend going (3.61, 3.9, 4.0) and I believe my senior year grades can reinforce my upward trend and boost my app.
Hey everyone, I’m planning to apply ED to CAS 
I took the old SAT I in December 2015 and will be taking the ACT in September. Do you guys have any tips for the ACT? in terms of what prep books/websites or techniques worked for you? Thanks in advance! I’m so glad I found this thread because I’m super stressed right now lol… I don’t think I’m qualified enough to be even thinking about applying to Penn tbh
Hi everyone!
I’m the parent of a hookless (no legacy, URM, athlete) daughter who is strongly considering ED Penn CAS. It’s totally her decision, but I’m not sure I think it’s a good idea given the competitiveness of the admissions process.
Looking for some advice…She will be applying as some kind of social science major (urban studies, international relations, econ or sociology?)
Her stats: single sitting: 780 Math, 760 CR, 730 writing (which doesn’t count as much?), so 2270 but I think equates to 1550 or 1560 on New SAT.
She is likely Valedictorian and has a perfect GPA…first time EVER at our high school (public, NJ) and her counselor is going to be sure to make this clear on her rec. Pretty sure she has a lock on the Number 1 spot which will officially be recalculated in February, but ED will be over by then but still likely she is going to keep it. Might lose the perfect GPA though.
She hasn’t taken Subject tests yet because her focus this year was on keeping her rank. So far from sophomore year has a 5 on AP micro and a 5 on AP macro. Waiting on AP scores for junior year. Hoping for at least one more 5 (AP gov?, maybe English Language? NOT chem). Is taking Subject tests Math II and English Lit in October.
She has a great resume, tons of leadership and awards including YMCA youth volunteer of the year award for coaching special olympics swimmers, got picked for the Fed Challenge (competition team that competes on economics), 4 year varsity athlete (swim, won states last year), Youth Secretariat Model UN, Italian Club officer, lifeguard, and other very meaningful community service/activities).
Biggest question is despite her being very strong in math, she is not applying to nor does she have any interest at all in a STEM field. As a result, she is NOT taking BC calc next year…she is taking 5 AP’s, including AB calc, stats, italian, art history, and eng. lit. Taking accelerated physics (you cannot take AP physics at our hs until you have taken Accelerated Physics…she took AP chem this past year).
Will not taking BC calc look really bad even though she is still taking AP AB Calc??
The plan all along was that she was going EA to Georgetown and Notre Dame but has since seen Penn twice and loves it the most. I just sense deferral and then a rejection. I still think she is just too Vanilla…our HS has sent some kids to Penn, but very few. Mostly URM’s and athletes…
Any advice or input would be awesome. Thanks!