<p>We always hear about the guy with the perfect GPA, ACT/SAT, ECs, and extra...but what were some of the surprises you've heard about who have below average stats, but have gained admittance to the ivies?</p>
<p>1790 SAT, 3.87 GPA admitted to Wharton.</p>
<p>^^^ HonorsCentaur is just being bitter. He was rejected from Wharton and will be attending the University of Chicago, look at his post history. </p>
<p>Wharton is as selective as HYP. It is a long shot, but you won’t know unless you try.</p>
<p>I got in with a 2070 SAT which is kind of low…</p>
<p>@platorepublic: He isn’t being bitter at all. The whole point of this thread is to post the worst stats of someone you know who got into Penn.</p>
<p>He is being a little bitter, but anyway I know an international who got into SEAS with 2020 SAT and for what its worth two of by best friends got into Cornell with a 1640 and MIT with a 1810. Obviously both of them had other factors that made them stand out.</p>
<p>ya…in addition to saying stats I think we should also mention hooks that these applicants had.</p>
<p>Sorry, I read that wrong. I thought he was talking about himself and was just trying to make it seem that Wharton was not as selective as know it is. </p>
<p>He posted in good faith. Again, sorry. I totally think this is useless though unless we mentiuon the hooks that these people had. Otherwise it only serves to give false hope.</p>
<p>Lol I just found this thread again, platorepublic, I wasn’t being bitter. That was the whole point of the thread. And right now, I am happily at University of Chicago, and glad I didn’t get into Wharton. It wouldn’t have been the environment for me. 
Also, I wasn’t rejected, I was placed on the waiting list.</p>
<p>I know an Asian male who got in with a 2300 SAT, 3/380, but literally had no ECs besides swimming…I know his academics were good, but he had no ECs and was Asian.</p>
<p>How do you know he had no ecs? He may have kept things to himself. And did you read his essays? You can’t judge someone until you have seen their whole application, which you won’t, and even if you did there are also many parts that need to be put in context.</p>
<p>^^ One or a few intensive ECs can be more appealing than many superficial ones.</p>
<p>^ Indeed. This is repeated by admissions officials at top schools time and time again. Their goal is to put together a well-rounded class of students with a variety of demonstrable passions, and not a class of well-rounded students. They greatly prefer a student with a singular and intense EC passion to one who has merely dabbled in a variety of ECs.</p>
<p>Yes by many people’s standards here I had no ecs. In reality I actually had two and I was very dedicated to both of them and did a lot related to them over the summer. I felt that doing things I was not interested in would be dishonest to myself. In the end I know I was right. I go to Penn and pursue the same two areas as well as a third I had not really gotten to experience during high school, mentoring at an elementary school which is very fun and rewarding.</p>
<p>I like how you are all judging my judgment of the person when you don’t even know him. Trust me, it wasn’t a passion.</p>
<p>^ Just telling you you do not necessary need a ton of ECs, one or two can do it.</p>
<p>No, what I’m saying is that nobody should be so quick to say that someone didn’t deserve to get into Penn because you never know the whole story. And admissions isn’t infallible, this seems to be a common misconception. If you go to Penn you will meet students who are profoundly brilliant and you will also meet some who really don’t strike you as very smart or unique. But somehow they all got into the same school. Much of college admissions in arbitrary.</p>
<p>Then why am I constantly told my ECs are weak when I only have a few really important ones.</p>
<p>^ Told by whom? Admissions officers? They’re the only ones with opinions that count. :)</p>
<p>That’s just some nonsense high schoolers spew around. The fact is that you don’t need a laundry list of extracurriculars for anything, experienced people can tell what is real and what is “fluff”. I wasn’t president or head of anything in high school, I’m still not, that’s not me. I’m someone who likes to be independent, but will put a ton of time into their part for a team. The particular extracurriculars I did weren’t that unique, but I think people could see from my participation what I was passionate about and what kind of potential I had for the future. At Penn I have already done notable things related to my passions. That’s what the ultimate goal is. They don’t want a kid who does debate to get into college only to never do it once they get there. That’s useless to a school. They want people who contribute great ideas and talents.</p>