UPenn ED vs. Regular?

Applying to College
1

<p>Like many schools, UPenn has a higher ED acceptance rate.
I'm considering applying early decision for this reason, but I'm wondering if the higher rate is due to BETTER candidates applying (so it may actually be more competitive earlier) or the admission system FAVORS early-deciders (because it helps the school's yield, and the people reviewing the apps are <em>GASP</em> human and may be tired and bored of reading all those essays by the time regular apps are submitted).
Does anyone know? Also, I understand athletes and legacies apply early ... are there only a certain # of spots available, and such candidates take up those spots in ED?</p>

<p>Any info/commentary is useful! Thanks!</p>

2

<p>ED admission rate may be higher due to a different applicant pool.</p>

<p>Ask yourself this question: is Penn your clear first choice, and, if admitted, will you be able to decide to attend without being able to compare its financial aid offer to that of any other school (have you run Penn’s net price calculator to get an estimate?)?</p>

3

<p>UPenn and Stanford are my top two choices (I would be equally content and overjoyed to go to either), but I think (while both are reaches) UPenn is a BIT safer (again, a safer REACH, yet still difficult). I have run the financial aid calculator, and it is definitely affordable for my family.
Also, is it worth applying RD to get higher SATs and a higher GPA?</p>

4

<p>That depends. What are your test scores and GPA?</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=1536207[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=1536207&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>I’ve pasted this from another one of my posts, it has info about scores, ECs, etc…
Sorry it’s so long!
…</p>

<p>My academics:</p>

<p>-I’m a senior at a small New England high school (total students < 800, my class ~190)
-My school’s highest grade is an A (no A+)
-we have a 4.0 and 5.0 scale (like most schools), but it is impossible to get a 5.0 because we’re required to take gym/health, which are NON honors</p>

<p>-Classes:</p>

<p>Every honors/AP core class possible throughout all 4 years (with the exception of freshman year math, where I was in the advanced but not advanced-honors class).
I’ve taken in my Junior year: French 4 Honors (A), AP Lit/Comp (A), AP US History (B+), Sociology Honors (A), Physics Honors (A), AP Chemistry (B-), Advanced PreCalc Honors (B). </p>

<p>My senior year schedule is as such (haven’t started school yet, so no grades thus far):
French 5 Honors, Zoology (wanting to change that to an honors elective, but guidance makes that difficult), AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics (2nd semester), AP Physics, AP Bio, AP Calculus, American Lit Honors.</p>

<p>-Test Scores:</p>

<p>AP Exams:
Chemistry: 4
US History: 4
English Lit/Comp: 5</p>

<p>SATs (will re-take in October, to be honest I’ve never prepared for an SAT, SAT II, or ACT … I usually don’t even get a good night’s rest but I’m planning on taking the SAT more seriously in October. These are my current scores though…)
Reading: 660
Math: 700
Writing: 770 w/ essay score = 12</p>

<p>SAT IIs
Chemistry: 670
Physics: 610
Math II: 680</p>

<p>-GPA:</p>

<p>weighted: 4.5, unweighted 3.61</p>

<p>-ECs/accomplishments:</p>

<p>NHS (accepted during junior year),
FTC robotics (won the promote award, junior year … plan to do it senior year, competition in February),
Science Olympiad (earned a bronze in Microbe Mission as a sophomore, silver in robot arm as junior, and gold in chemistry lab as a junior, will compete senior year as well, but competition isn’t until April),
Academic Decathlon (junior year),
tutored 15 hours at local elementary school via InterAct (was an InterAct member sophomore year),
student council member,
math team member (sophomore and junior year, plan to do it senior year as well)
Environmental club member (junior year, plan to do senior year),
Took National French Exam (levels I-IV, although only levels II-IV in HS)
Took National Latin Exam (level I) sophomore year, earning second-highest awards; silver and Maxima Cum Laude,
As a freshman, qualified for and competed in State gymnastics meet, won 5th out of 21 all-around, placed 3rd on vault, 5th on beam, 10th on floor, and 6th on bars. My team finished 4th out of 10,
Attended the Student Leadership Training Conference summer into senior year.</p>

<p>-other app elements
*Building a D/C motor for Senior project
*Anticipating great letters of recommendation (I’m fortunate enough to have amazing teachers who I feel really know me and are aware of my leadership experience, etc)
*Finished my common app essay in June, I have yet to edit it but everyone I’ve shown it to has loved it … planning on showing it to someone working in admissions at some schools to see their take on it, if possible</p>