<p>My junior year I took Calc II & III at Georgia Tech, and for my senior year I'm taking Number Theory and Cryptography, and Applied Combinatorics, also at Tech. I know Wharton wants students who've at least taken BC Calc (sophomore year for me, easy 5 on the exam), but how big of an emphasis do they put on even higher level math classes taken in terms of admission? </p>
<p>Having an exceptional math background is a nice perk, but it doesn’t replace an excellent ACT/SAT or unique EC activity. Frankly, this shows you’re quite the determined student, a math whiz, but not much more after that. Don’t let that discourage you, it’s still very impressive.</p>
<p>I think it should definitely help, especially for engineering.@smarty99, I don’t agree with what you are saying about standardized tests. Once you are above a certain threshold (which I am guessing @HalfWaterHalfAir is) they don’t matter as much as people think.</p>
<p>While I do not know how admissions views something like this, I personally think taking advanced math classes at Georgia Tech is just as valuable at any other EC as it shows you are intellectually curious. However, I have a somewhat different perspective than a lot of people on here (especially high schoolers) and possibly the admissions committee). Honestly, attending and graduating from Penn has made me pretty skeptical about the admissions process and especially extracurriculars. I feel like they are exaggerated in many cases ad don’t really indicate how a student will do in college in many cases.</p>
<p>Additionally, I know people who went to Georgia Tech and they have all said it is a very rigorous place, so if you did well in classes there during high school, you should do very well academically at Penn.</p>
<p>I think it is a plus, it is impressive, and it will factor in, but I do not know about “strongly.” I think that it is always dangerous to consider one aspect of an application in isolation. However, if that is reflective of your overall application, then you will be a strong candidate. </p>
<p>I agree with @Poeme that SAT scores will only matter up to a point, but yours are probably very good anyway. I would think that they would be looking for a strong SAT math score and subject test math score to confirm your level of math ability. </p>
<p>Thanks! I surprisingly have pretty “weak” SAT math/subject test scores (SAT I 730, SAT II 740). I’m retaking the SAT II math for sure, I’ve just never studied for the math section, and it’s been ages since I’ve learned that stuff.</p>
<p>Considering that most M&T and Wharton applicants take the most rigorous math courses they can get their hands on, this won’t necessarily be a standout factor.</p>
<p>^Disagree strongly. Sure MIT and Wharton admits are strong in math and will pursue it. But OP is likely two full years ahead of most other applicants.</p>
<p>@T26E4,after Calc III really, math branches off and it’s hard to say which one is at a higher level. The two math classes I’ll be taking, I believe are really classes that math majors and/or CS majors would take. </p>
<p>Your fine. The question is really whether you should major in math or engineering or physics instead. Many business people don’t have business degrees - inventors, founders, discoverers. Wharton produces the types that can come in and run a huge, multinational corporation, organize processes and systems and manage hundreds and thousands of people but most business majors are not skilled enough to design a gene therapy or engineer a device or invent a new technology upon which a business is then built around. Just sayin… It takes all kinds.</p>
<p>@Madaboutx, Well I’m hoping that I get in the M&T program. If not, I will be doing my best to also take engineering and science courses through SEAS as well. </p>
<p>It’s rare to find a Wharton student that is exceptional at math. Most were “great” at math by the high school standards of AP Calculus, but you’ll have to look hard to find truly talented math students.</p>
<p>I think that this is incidental to Wharton admissions. Wharton has no reason to look down upon students of mathematics; after all, we have a fantastic statistics department. It’s more of a self-selection phenomenon; strong math students usually don’t want to diminish the quantitative rigor of their coursework (I would not say that Wharton is qualitatively rigorous). </p>
<p>I would worry more about engineering and business ECs. I don’t think the ECs reflect necessarily “how one does in college” but Penn and other top schools not only look at how people will do in college, but what their potential is after college.</p>
<p>My thoughts on taking college courses in HS are conflicting - yes, it means that a HS student can manage HS and college classes at the same time, but on the other hand, it’s pretty much a hallmark of someone rich and connected which makes you pretty much identical to most of Penn’s (and other Ivy’s) applicants, vote down on diversity. If that is <em>not</em> the case, if you are getting aid to attend college classes, if you were elected as the only one from your school or region to take college classes, that is worth playing up.</p>
<p>@rhandco, I’m paying $100 a semester, the state of GA covers the 2k of tuition costs. Our school’s val, sal, and a few other top students at my high school will be taking this class. We’ll be among a handful of high school students across the state taking this class. </p>
<p>Then definitely push that point, that you are one of only a few eligible.</p>
<p>But definitely hook up with some entrepreneurial types at your HS, as soon as possible. I did Junior Achievement in middle school, but there are other junior business organizations that would be better I think.</p>
<p>Of course, Wharton has pre-college programs: <a href=“http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/academics/pre-college-programs.cfm”>http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/academics/pre-college-programs.cfm</a></p>
<p>such as this:
<a href=“Home - Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology”>Home - Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology;
<p>I disagree. Doing well in college courses in high school shows you will do well in college. There are plenty of students who are admitted because of their seemingly stellar high school records who crash and burn at Penn the first year since the are overconfident and don’t have the study habits. A high performance in college classes makes that unlikely.</p>
<p>My D had to raise her game at Penn. She didn’t crash and burn but she got her first C in her life and more than one. She joins everything and she is in 12-15 different clubs, committees, organizations, etc on top of working part time and volunteer work. I told her to cut back but she’s used to that kind of schedule in high school. There was the dreaded curve to contend with also and now she has found a balance. If you get in Penn, you have to find your balance and I think the sooner the better. The right balance is different for everyone but its good to know a little of this going into it.</p>
<p>By the way, her roommate was a hermit and got burned out. It happens.</p>