I’m a rising senior and was wondering if i have a shot at Penn. Here’s my info:
ACT
32-35 english, 33 math, 33 reading, 27 science
34-36 english, 32 math, 30 reading, 36 science
superscore: 35
GPA unweighted: 97/100 (my school does it on 100 pt scale)
Ranking: somewhere in top 15/400 (school doesn’t actually rank though)
Classes
Junior year: AP Lang, APUSH, physics, AB calc/pre-calc honors, spanish honors, chamber orchestra, orchestra (school only offers 3 APs junior year)
Senior year: AP Lit, AP Euro, AP Spanish, calc BC, AP macro, orchestra, chamber orchestra (dropping science bc rly not interested in it)
ECs/community service
2 year editor-in-chief of school newspaper
3 years varsity basketball
local basketball clinics for kids (have made $10,000+ and started business freshman year)
section leader of audition only chamber orchestra
president of midnight run
president of string buddies-teach orchestra at elementary school
Awards/honors
Area all state violin
Tri-M Honors society
national honors society
award winning newspaper, won scholastic competition
Other info
Financial aid? No
Race? White
Parents both attended university
from a big public high school, but one of the best in new york state
You have above average ECs and good stats, so I would consider you a competitive applicant. However, UPenn is very selective, especially if you are applying to Wharton, so I would not count on getting into the school. Most students won’t get in there either though; they reject even the perfect scoring valedictorians sometimes, so I wouldn’t be overly confident about getting in. You would be considered for admission though, based on your stats and ECs. GL!
“they reject even the perfect scoring valedictorians sometimes,”
The valedictorians they rejected can fill the whole class every year… Per one report…
@f2000sa yeah I guess I kinda understated it lmao
I would apply to the school of arts and sciences I think. Is that school less competitive than Wharton?
34 ACT & top 5% class rank with music & editor-in-chief for two years makes for a very competitive application except that how does an experienced editor-in-chief only earn a 30 on ACT reading (and I do see the 33 reading score from the prior test) ? (I also understand super scoring, but Penn is ultra-competitive with respect to admissions.)
Consider sitting for the SAT.
Do you think it looks weird that I got a 33 on the reading for my first ACT and a 30 on the second? The curve was supposedly bad for that reading.
Yes. It bothered me because you are an experienced editor-in-chief.
To which other schools do you plan to apply ?
Do you have any suggestions for something I could add to my resume?
My other too choices are northwestern and tufts
No. I think that you need to add several other schools to your list of targeted schools & write your essays to show both intellectual curiosity as well as your reasons for targeting that particular school.
Both Northwestern & Penn like ED applications. Although you are a very strong candidate for Tufts based on your numbers, Tufts admissions can be quirky so I suggest adding about 6 or 7 other schools to your list.
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