<p>Location: southern California School: Public, high ranking 10/10 on college lists</p>
<p>I am dead set on breaking into the M&A division of investment banking one day, and to do so I hope to attend a top target university for top job recruitment. I am trying to decide if I should apply to Wharton ED or CAS Economics ED. </p>
<p>Freshman GPA: UW/W: 4.0 classes: Eng Honors, Bio, Alg 2 Trig, Spanish 2 Honors, and elective requirement class.
Sophomore: Gpa UW: 4.0 W: 4.2 : Pre Calc, Eng 2 Honors, Chemistry, Spanish 3 Honors, Weightlifting, World history
Junior GPA: UW: 4.0 W: 4.6 : AP Calc AB, AP Chemistry, AP Language, Physics, US History
Senior Schedule: AP Macroeconomics, AP Stats, AP Env. Science, Modern Literature, Elective requirement.</p>
<p>1st sitting ACT Scores: cumulative: 32, Writing: 10/12, 34, Reading: 34, Math: 31, Science: 28(low I know)
SAT 2: Math Level 2: 730 Literature: 730</p>
<p>I wish I took AP US and World history, I feel like it weighs down my GPA...so far my cumulative 9-11 is 4.35 but I've never gotten a B, my 10-11 weighted is 4.40. I have excellent letters of rec from my English teacher who has a phD, and my counselor whose known me forever and is a strong writer. Additionally, I plan to get a letter from either my AP Econ teacher senior year or AP Chem teacher from 11th. </p>
<p>As far as Extracurriculars, they're not as strong as they could be. I've been in CSF all 4 years, however no other clubs.
I have been tutoring students in algebra I and II, as well as geometry all four years. This year I'm starting 2 clubs at my school, each already with 50-100 members lined up, called Financial Leaders of America and the Environment Club.
My freshman and sophomore summer I volunteered a ton at a water polo camp helping watch the kids attending, setting up matches, working the snack shack, etc so I have 200 volunteer hours Thus far. </p>
<p>My essays are extremely strong, they briefly mention how my father passed freshman year but focus on my self-motivation and persistence. I am very active in class and I believe my teachers will highlight that in their recs.</p>
<p>As far as now, I attended an Experimental Economics Workshop at Chapman University that I got accepted into, not paid into. Right now I have a paid internship at a distressed mortgage investment firm that has an office in NYC. I've been working all summer, 5 days a week. I hope this internship will demonstrate my passion for investing and finance and somehow be my hook, as it is rare to achieve an internship at this young of an age. I am a data manager, not just some highschooler who files documents all day. I help create recovery plans for people and assist in building financial models. I was recently asked to stay and work for the school year, which I will do 5 days a week, 3 hours a day after school.</p>
<p><strong>Just Recently, I developed a Microsoft VBA code that has cut down processing time on loans in my office by 1-2 weeks. I am in the process of licensing this code and marketing it to servicing companies across the nation. My boss will write about this in his letter of recommendation and highlight the hours of work he saved my company, ultimately saving us thousands of dollars.</strong>* </p>
<p>Thanks for reading this, I have cut my list down to about 10 schools with 2-3 safeties. As I fill out the common app, I am unsure if I should apply to Upenn Wharton Early Decision (no financial aid) for Real Estate and Finance Concentrations, considering my exposure to real estate. I understand my test scores are low for Wharton, and I am retaking the ACT in March and plan to ace my science and math sections that I messed up on the first sitting.... With an ACT score around a 34-35, would I have a decent shot at Wharton? </p>
<p>I love Wharton's teaching style and pre-business focus and am not big on the humanities. Wharton's curriculum resonates strongly with the way I operate; however, I know it is far harder to get into Wharton ED than CAS Economics ED. </p>
<p>Should I apply to CAS ED or Wharton ED? Do I have a much better shot at doing CAS ED and taking classes at Wharton once I'm there?! </p>
<p>Thank you. </p>