Recently I got a B in my Honors Math class, I also had a B in Spanish during Freshman year. Will my two Bs in underclassmen prevent me from going to my dream school?
Recently The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has caught my attention, and I would consider it a dream school, do I have a chance?
If you apply you always have a chance. That chance may be .1% but there is a chance. At Penn ED is a HUGE boost.
That said college apps are about far more than grades. Be the best you inside and outside the classroom - and then youâll find a long list of great schools.
But stop this dream school nonsense now while itâs early. There are no dream schools. So donât fall in love with any. All schools have a prof you wonât like or roommate issues or the food stinks or they straddle you with debt or they didnât âgiveâ you an internship.
You are early. Be the best you - school wise, test wise, EC wise. Get a job. Play a sport. Volunteer in the community.
Youâll see 4.0s get turned down every day and less than 4.0s get in to top colleges.
U Penn isnât the only school out there. You can be happy at many and many find out their dream is a nightmare.
When the time comes, post your stats, what interests you, mention any schools of interest and the collective board will do its best to guide you.
Good luck.
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Holistic admissions depends on a large variety of factors, with your grades being only one factor. A couple of Bs wonât disqualify you. Nor will a perfect set of As get you in.
In the end, UPenn Wharton is a huge reach for pretty much everyone.
Create a balanced list of schools to apply to.
Best wishes!
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The last time that I checked, the University of Pennsylvania had about a 6% acceptance rate. I would expect that the percentage of applicants who are academically qualified to attend is probably in the 80%+ rate that is typical at other top universities. Assuming that you do not have a Nobel Prize and that neither parent is the leader of a medium sized country, the University of Pennsylvania is a reach for everyone.
I do not think that I would worry about two Bâs. Just do the best that you can, keep your budget in mind, make sure that you apply to at least two safeties that you are comfortable with, and you will do fine.
By the way, one daughter had three Bâs in high school, and is currently studying for a DVM in a highly ranked and very good program. The Bâs did not stop her from accomplishing exactly what she wanted to accomplish. I do not think that a couple of Bâs will stop you either. None of us is perfect.
You are fine. Just keep on doing your best, and you will have many good options.
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Your two B grades wonât prevent you from getting accepted to colleges.
I would strongly suggest you NOT have a âdream schoolâ. Yes, you can have a school that might be your top choice if accepted. But elevating this to a âdream schoolâ just isnât smart.
Look at the characteristics of Wharton. What makes you like that school (and pretend you donât know the university name). Make a list of those characteristics, and then craft a lots of colleges that have similar ones.
Smart to include sure things for acceptance. I suggest finding those firstâŠfind two. Then look at colleges where your GPA and SAT or ACT score will yield a probable acceptance. Then add a couple of reaches if you want to.
Look at affordability tooâŠbecause getting accepted to a school without sufficient money to attend is like a rejection.
The tag on this post is for Berkeley. Are you a CA resident?
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So, 1st: +1 to all the people above who said âcut this âdream schoolâ nonsense out right nowâ
2nd:
Is like saying âthe Porsche in the showroom window caught my attentionâ- itâs famous, itâs shinyâŠand itâs shallow.
Instead of getting sucked into the famous brand names that you and your friends /parents /neighbors know, do the much harder (and much more useful) work of figuring out who you are, what direction(s) you think you might like to go, and what environments you flourish in. When you see something in the shop window, kick the tires a bit: how does this fit me? what specific things (besides impressing people) appeal to me about it? where else can I find those things?
Unless you are one of those kids whose who goal is to work for Goldman Sachs/etc and make a ton of money, in which case Iâll leave the natural rhythms of the world to sort that out for you.
eta: typo fixes!
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You also have UCB tagged on your post - which considers applicants using a holistic review process, so it is not all about grades.
Agreed, drop the âdream schoolâ and focus on what interests you and do your best.
Last thing - are you a CA resident? If not, you might want to consider the costs of attending a UC as an OOS student. While UPenn meets need, UC Berkeley will not.
Best to have a chat with your parents about what they will be able to afford for you as you start to grow your list.
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Another vote to drop the idea of a dream school. In my experience the people who get most hurt by the college admission process are the ones who focus on one or two dream schools and ultimately dont get in or canât afford to attend. Wharton has an admission rate in the single digits and must be considered a major reach for any unhooked applicant (even applicants with perfect GPAs and standardized tests). There are simply not enough spots for Wharton to accept all of the well qualified candidates.
During your jumior year work to create a balanced application list with safety, match, and reach schools that appear affordable and that you would be excited to attend. There are so many amazing colleges and universities out there.
For now, do the best you can in the most rigorous courseload you can handle, work to make meaningful contributions to activities you care about, and enjoy time with friends and family.
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