What do I need to improve on for UPenn Wharton??

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

I am currently a junior in a public high school. I have around a 3.75 unweighted GPA and around a 4.85–4.9 weighted GPA. I have a 34 on the ACT, and I am taking the Math Level II SAT II and the American History SAT II tests in June. I have taken an extremely rigorous course load: so far, ten AP courses and ten honors courses. I am very interested in economics, and since my high school doesn’t offer any economics, I am currently taking a Principles of MMicroeconomics course at my local community college. I am doing extremely well in that class - 100s on every test - so that has led me to attempt to enroll (colleges have dumb cap limits) in an Intermediate Microeconomics course at my local University. Aside from the classroom, I have lettered in a varsity sport all four years of high school, I have been EXTREMELY involved and hold GREAT leadership positions in a business club (for privacy reasons, I am retracting certain information, lol), and I will be attending a highly-selective entrepreneurship program this summer (again, retracting).

My weaknesses comes in with grades and rec letters (the two worst possible weaknesses). I have made mostly As in courses, though these As have been either high or low (no middle ground); however, I have made poor grades in calculus (which Wharton takes seriously): a 90 in AB and a B (not finalized, but it will be a B) in BC. For my two rec letters, I will be using my econ professor and my calc teacher. My econ professor has been teaching for a very long time - including in some universities - and holds a PhD. She absolutely loves me, so I think this will be a great rec letter. For my second letter, however, I will be using my calc teacher. I have not been performing so well in her class, and I think she notices the lack of effort, so the letter will probably be weak.

While visiting the campus (twice), I have amassed a LOT of information in preparation for my Why Penn essay and my interview. This information will be tailored and specific to Wharton (in the essay). I am applying ED. I think I have a decent shot, but I’m not sure what I can do to bolster my chances. Thanks!

P.s. Please don’t pay attention to my lack in effort towards grammar :wink:

2

You hit it on the head grades and recs, but you should be able to find someone else who really likes you to write a rec. Grades you just have to keep working on. Better to have a great rec from a history teacher than a weak one from a calc teacher.

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You’re right. The teacher who likes me the most taught me in speech and debate and twice in our school’s selective leadership class. While this rec would probably be great and show off my school involvement and leadership skills, Wharton does stress calculus, and since the teacher hasn’t taught me in a core class, I’m not sure how that would turn out. I could look more into that. Thanks! @CU123

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@imunderstress49 you have a good profile for Penn. Your GPA is a bit in the lower side for Penn (the average for the incoming class last year was 3.93 and every year it is over 3.9), but i wouldn’t really worry about that, you GPA is still good.

Regarding your Why Penn essay, you should definitely talk a lot about Wharton, but it would be good to mention other things you like about Penn, apart from Wharton. (The prompt is why Penn, not Why the specific undergrad school you are applying to).

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You can’t avoid a math/sci rec. And it’s not straight GPA. They’ll look at the transcript and see the calc grades. (Some others with a similar GPA may have that from less significant courses.)

I have a sense, from the post describing stats, the number of AP, and a couple of ECs, that you don’t quite know what Penn adcoms will look for. That’s going to be critical. It’s more than hs club titles.

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Try to stand out in some way. Right now I don’t see it.