<p>Hi.
I am a junior right now and i want to know my chances of getting into UPENN (Penn Engineering Program).
So below is my profile
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Asian(Korean)
State: California
GPA: 4.33 (weighted), 3.91 (unweighted)
Class Rank: 10th out of 734 people
AP Classes that i took: AP European History, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Physics mechanics "c", AP US History, AP Chemistry, AP Statstics
SAT Reasoning Score: 2150
SAT Subject Test score: Math IIC(800), Korean with listening (800), Physics (750).
Extracurricular Activity
Founder/President of Math Tutoring Club (2yrs)
President of SAVY (3yrs)
Member of Keyclub (4yrs)
Member of Science Olympiad(4yrs)
Principal flute player in Youth Symphony (3yrs)
Volunteer at the local hospital (3yrs - 150 hrs)
Tutoring a 5th grader (2yrs)</p>
<p>Awards
Silver Star Award (4.0 GPA or above)
KASEA Math Competition 3rd place
AMC 12 participant - made to AIME
Flute competition 2nd place
Science Olympiad Award (3rd in Cell bio, and ecology)</p>
<p>Do you think i can get into UPENN engineering program?</p>
<p>Engineering's a bit easier to get into than CAS or Wharton, so yeah, I'd say you've got a pretty good shot.
But to be honest, I'm not seeing a ridiculous amount of stuff on your resume right now. GPA's good, SAT okay, Class Rank okay (though I read somewhere at CAS, like 70% of the kids are either 1 or 2, so I dunno how important that is to Penn), and ECs solid but not spectacular. Really I'm not seeing anything that makes you stick out. So I'd definitely apply, and if Penn's your dream, then ED and you'll most likely get in, but I can't guarentee it based on what I see here.
Good luck!</p>
<p>AHA! I got it. thank you so much</p>
<p>I'm not really responding directly to your question, but I just wanted to mention that Penn' CAS acceptees do not have to be at 1 or 2 in their graduating class. Granted my school is unusually competitive, kids in the top 25% in my school are accepted to Penn every year. Yes, if you're in the bottom half your chances are poor, but your stats definitely give you a shot at CAS and even, perhaps, Engineering.</p>
<p>just work really hard on your essays on the application. remember test scores aren't everything. I got all freaked out because I thought my SATs werent good enough for penn, so I worked that much harder on the application and letting the admission board know that i wanted to go to penn more than anything. I was told flat out that if I got a little higher on my SATs I would be a better candidate. I took them again in JANUARY of my senior year...crazyyy. and I got the numbers they told me to get. </p>
<p>i kept in touch with my interviewer who knew people in high places and i told her that i wanted to go to penn more than anything and I'm sure she put a good word in. Penn was my top choice, I got into CAS, and I will be attending in the fall...I never thought i would be accepted, but it happened. Good luck</p>
<p>jeoshea8, congratulations on getting into Penn! </p>
<p>May I ask who told you to get your SATs higher to be a better candidate? Was it an admissions officer & did you meet them personally? Did they suggest you take the ACT at all? Also would you mind telling what your inital and final SAT scores were? </p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Thank you! </p>
<p>I was told by a local Penn representative, an alumna, who interviewed me. I had already taken the ACT but I didn't like it because I did very poorly on the science section and it brought the rest of my scores down because colleges don't look at the parts like the SAT. My original SAT scores were 700 M, 690 CR, 680 W. I was never good at standardized tests and my grades made up for it but I was told that a 2100/1400 was a HUGE benchmark for applicants. Not that I wouldn't get accepted with what I had, but it would help alot if I got those numbers and I wasn't going to take the chance. I took the SAT in January after I had already applied, and I got 750, 750, and like 680 Writing but writing isn't all that important to colleges now since it's still new. I did get a tutor who pretty much told me to "dumb down" for the test because I over-analyze everything and I make easy questions into hard ones.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>thanks for sharing your stats and insights, that really helps. so you only took the SAT twice? do they frown upon you if you take it a 3rd time? Would a high ACT above 33 make up for SAT in the low 1400?</p>
<p>thanks a lot!</p>
<p>yea I took it twice. When I took it the first time I was happy with my score because I just wanted to go to the Naval Academy and I was pretty much in already. When I first saw Penn, I decided that I wanted to go there so I realized I needed better scores.</p>
<p>No they dont frown upon you for a 3rd time taking a test...more than 3 wouldnt look good...at least that is what my high school college counselor always told me. The high ACT would definitely make up for a low 1400. but i cant emphasize enough that standardized tests aren't everything. I know kids who got perfect scores who were turned down to Penn because they had nothing else going for them and their application was "cookie cutter" just like everyone else's. They need to see something special in a candidate, something that cannot merely be seen in an SAT score. My advice is to write a REALLY good essay that shows something about you, not necessarily that youre a good writer, but shows some part of your character. I wrote about how a 5 year old neighbor moved next door to me and I would play with him all the time and it reminded me of how much I miss being a carefree kid not having to worry about college and SATs blah blah blah. It was pretty sentimental but it doesnt have to be. Don't pretend to be somebody else. Just write about something that you can write easily. It wasn't hard to write my essay because I wasnt trying to write eloquently, I was just writing like a normal 17 year old. Don't make it seem like a parent wrote it.</p>
<p>Also, somebody should be interviewing you in January or February...Make sure you make a good relationship with them. They are your connection to the Penn admissions board. IF Penn is your top choice, TELL THEM. repeatedly tell them. I know for a fact that they would rather have a qualified candidate who wants to go to Penn more than anything than a more qualified candidate who wants to go to Harvard and Penn is their backup.</p>
<p>OK sorry for babbling on and on, but I enjoy sharing stuff like this. Keep asking questions! Seriously haha. I really hope to see you in Fall 2009! Good luck!</p>
<p>If I could chime in, Mrs Mom, I actually took the darn thing 4 times and still got into Penn (superscored was 800 R, 780 M, 730 W, if you're curious). So while it definitely doesn't look good to take it that many times, I think if you can get a significant improvement (like I was fortunate enough to get), than it might be worth it.
And I second all of that stuff jeoshea8 said, it's very good advice.
And I'm willing to answer any questions too, just so you know.
Good luck!</p>