<p>Hi all, I'm considering applying either to UPenn Wharton Early decision or Columbia SEAS early decision. My goal in life is to work as an investment banker. No...I don't really want the money, but I love the atmosphere of working on wallstreet. Wharton is obviously the best place for banking. But I go to Columbia every saturday for SHP and I've felt in love with its Operations Research: Financial Engineering program. Here are my stats and please give me some advice!!!
SAT: 2400 (first try; single sitting)
SAT II's (havent taken any yet)
Rank: 4/350 in a pretty competitive public school in New Jersey
GPA weighted: 4.6
GPA unweighted: 4.0
AP's: not listing but many (heard AP's dont matter for admissions)
EC's: President of Math club and very dedicated, math league perfect scores. Robotics Team programmer, builder, and scout. Won several state awards. And other misc. clubs with semi-involvement in community service. Columbia SHP 2 year participant(fairly selective I guess). Founder of school service business that provides study guides and tutoring service for students (designed and developed a pretty professional website that allows for discussions and purchase of guides). Earned some money from that so far (not alot of course!)
Awards: national Bio Contest second prize. A possible National Institutes of Health summer internship this summer(pi emailed me back saying he loved me). National Merit Semifinalist (yeah, pretty common). Some service awards. AIME qualifier. Overall not much i guess.
But I think my turning point would DEFINITELY be my essay. My essay, which I'm almost finished on, will be very unique and probably depict me as a unique and respectable character. I won't say the details but I will say that the essay will have more weight than my 2400 and will be the tipping point for me.
Teacher recs: possibly one from Chem teacher who likes me, and one from English teacher who said to me that "you are the best student I've had in 21 years of teaching."
And I'm an asian male from New Jersey
Which one will be a better fit and which one would I have a shot of getting in? I really want to get in so I dont have to apply to 15 school for RD Thanks so much guys.</p>
<p>Whoever told you APs don’t matter for admissions is an idiot, btw. The rigorous classes you take are more important than the grades you receive. It is always, ALWAYS better to get a B in an AP class than an A+ in a regular class. </p>
<p>ED is not about which ones you’re more likely to get into-- that’s what RD is for. Don’t let this site brainwash you. College is about YOU, not about the admission rate or its ranking in US News and World Report. Pick the school you think is the best fit for you as a person and apply there. </p>
<p>A school is what you make out of it. If you end up at Wharton but don’t do anything there, it means a lot less than going to Boston University and being incredibly active and taking advantage of the opportunities. It’s also only undergraduate school. Graduate school is what matters. </p>
<p>Just relax and pick the one that’s right for you. Seriously. Oh, and get off this site. I’m only on it right now because I don’t want to do work and I was accepted ED to CU SEAS and don’t have to stress about college anymore. </p>
<p>Good luck! If you have any questions about CU SEAS admittance process or anything of that sort, feel free to PM me (:</p>
<p>I will say one thing here about your stats, I hate at times breaking my rule and actually ‘chancing’ a student, but I will say that as of now a) you have a good chance at SEAS ED, you’re marginal for SEAS RD. b) you have an ok shot at Wharton ED and long shot for Wharton RD. </p>
<p>Why (a): you’re applying from a school not far from Columbia, good testing, smart, your application doesn’t really stand out, but you seem solid. Why (b): The applicants to Wharton are very top notch - the best that apply to CC and SEAS, imagine if you could make that group and then say admit just a few folks. In that pool, I am guessing without a stellar summer, great recs and a good essay, ED is not a sure bet.</p>
<p>So that would ultimately mean you are caught between shooting high (Wharton) or shooting realistically (SEAS, still not a sure deal, but a very good shot ED). If you get in to Wharton your best chance would be early, so there is that. If you just want to get the worry out of the way, then SEAS ED is a good option.</p>
<p>As for fit…I mean everything you say is pretty generic thus far, you sound like dozens of SEAS kids I know. I guess you need to decide if you want to attend school in a big city. Ask yourself some of the questions folks on here do - what if you figure out you don’t love engineering, are you okay still studying OR/FE? From both schools you can become an I-banker.</p>