Hello guys, I hope u will be able to help me to predict if I have a chance of going into Wharton.
So here is my stats:
International student from Singapore. A Singapore Wharton alumni said I have a benefit since there are very few Singaporeans there and there would be a better chance for me.
From raffles institution, best school in Singapore, south east Asia, Asia and even regarded as the best foreign feeder school in the world. I have attained the raffles distinction diploma. Raffles institution gives this to all its students which usually gives them an edge to qualify for overseas universities. U can either recieve distinction, merit or participation in the diploma.
GPA: 3.87/4.00
A-levels: all a’s including higher economics. So full-marks 90/90
SAT: total 2340 math 800 reading 760 writing 780
EC’s:
National Singapore track and field team member 1 year.
Raffles institution track and field vice-capt
Economics club president
Geography club treasurer
Malay cultural club member 5 years
Numerous awards both academic and sports.
Essay is good ( tried to write creatively)
4 recommendations great (1 from the senior deputy principal)
So guys will I make it to Wharton early decision. Or should I apply other good undergraduate business schools like nyu stern, umich ross and Cornell aem. Thanks
It’s possible. However, I’m concerned by the way that you’ve described some of these items. “Essay is good (tried to write creatively)” is one that sticks out at me. Trying to write creatively does not make your essay good. The question is: did you SUCCEED at writing creatively? And was the essay actually good? That’s a huge part of your application. Without reading it, it would be hard to give you advice.
Economics club president is good. How many members? How often do you meet? What do you guys do?
1 year of being a team member on the track and field team is bad. Shows low commitment. To get into the Whartons of the world, you want to show serious commitment on as many fronts as possible.
SAT score is great, but Wharton cares about a lot more than numbers. I think this will come down to what story you can tell about yourself. The best colleges in America are not like colleges elsewhere: it is not just about numbers. It’s about uniqueness. Are you unique? Have you proven that you’re unique?
As it turns out, I’m an admissions consultant, so I know what I’m talking about. I work with prospective students at Wharton as well as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and the like. If you want more advice, let me know.
Thanks for the feedback davidcross. Really appreciate it. Alright I did mention everything. Here in Singapore all citizens must do a 2 year military service before university. I am 22 now. 2 years military officer. Will my age be a disadvantage since I am 4years older than normal students at Wharton?
I asked one of my teachers to vet the essays. She said is quite good and creative.
For the economics club, there are around 45 group members in total. We meet up once a week mainly to increase our knowledge of economics study for students who are generally driven in this subject. We compete in economics competitions as well. Won last year’s national economics competion. We do research and anything economics learning.
For the national track and field, I was selected to represent Singapore while I was still studying in j2 for my a levels. So I was part of singapore’s national team but training at Raffles institution. So after my a levels, I was no longer in Raffles Institution and I could not train there. So, the national council had to sponsor me now but they had a budget crisis that year. So, I was not inside anymore. Then I had to serve my compulsory military service for 2 years and things did not get better. So that how that happened. Please advice me further
I think that @davidcross overlooked the fact that you represented Singapore in track and field! That is a huge achievement. Congratulations!
Have you contacted the coach at Penn and spoken about being recruited to play at the collegiate level? That will give you a huge boost in admissions because apart from that, you seem like just another candidate to Wharton (of course, I havent read your essays, so take my words with a grain of salt).
I guess that NYU Stern in ED should be well within your reach. If I were you, I’d ED to Wharton. And if things do not work out then, I’d ED2 to Stern. That’s the most (relatively) risk free path. Best of luck!
PS: 4 recs are too much unless all of them tell something new about you. I’d just send in 3 recs
For your Essay, I’d worry more about the why’s than creativity… or perhaps you can creatively thoroughly explain the whys… straight from The admissions dean:
"What really stands out about applicants? What really sets them apart? And then, how can those qualities come across in an application? As SB indicates, students are involved in a range of courses and activities. To the admissions committee, the question is not only “what” has a student taken academically or “what” is she involved in? We want to dig deeper beyond the lists, to find out the why – why this class, why these activities?
To take it a step further: how has that piece of literature moved you and challenged your thinking? How has your physics teacher influenced your interest in research? What came from the leadership experience in student government when your peers didn’t agree with your stance on an issue? How has your commitment to service organizations shaped your view of affecting change in society?
The applicants who stand out are able to communicate their experiences beyond the lists and resumes to convey more about who they are as a person. Some students share this through their short-answer question response, while others choose to write about it in their longer essay. Whether through a short essay or a longer one-page essay, my best advice is to remain true to your own voice and tell your story. Admissions officers want to hear a 17-18-year-old voice, not a 40-50-year-old voice. (Sorry, parents.)"
Thanks for the reply guys, it is really helpful. I’ll just send my best 3 recommendations and maybe rewrite my essay. How do I contact the coach? If I get into Wharton because of my track and field achievements, do I have to be in the track and field team for all 4 years since I wanted to try other sports as well because I have mainly been just doing track for the last 11 years? That doesn’t really matter to me that much but I am also a little bit unfamiliar with the application system in the USA. I know what is Rd and ed. But what is ea and ed2? Thanks again