First it boils down to whether you want to go to Harvard or Penn. If Harvard is your top choice it’s pretty simple. The REA admit rate in 2014 was 21.1% and the Regular Decision admissions rate (which you have to calculate) was 3.5%. I don’t know who actually gets admitted Regular Decision but they must be superhuman and if I really wanted to go Harvard I wouldn’t waste the application fee applying RD. You are at a disadvantage with a 3.8 UW GPA when you compare yourself to the applicant pool at Harvard or any of the more selective Ivy’s. My D this year was in the same situation, 3.8 UW GPA, plenty of academic rigor, 36 ACT. Your subject test scores are stronger though. Compare yourself to admitted students at Harvard, yes there are some 3.8 UW GPAs admitted but probably URM, or athlete or legacy if you fall into one of those three you would have an edge. Pick your top school and then throw yourself at getting in. Engage with your regional admissions officer. Pull any strings you can in terms of connections to advocate on your behalf. Don’t delude yourself into thinking that an admissions decision is based objectively solely on qualifications. You need to stand out from an incredibly talented applicant pool with some unique talent, something that makes you stand out
http://inquiry.princetonreview.com/leadgentemplate/GPA_popup.asp
Based upon the above chart, an unweighted 3.8 GPA translates to a 93 on a 1 to 100 scale. Both my kids attended Stuyvesant High School, and although I no longer have access to their admissions data, I distantly remember that only a small handful of students in the last 15 years were admitted to HYPSM or UPenn with a 93, no matter what their test scores. And some of those were probably legacies, URM’s or athletic recruits.
@IvyWin: It may be the same at your high school, or it may be different. That is why you need to check the naviance data, if your school subscribes to the service, or speak with your guidance counselor. When you come from a competitive high school – and you keep stressing that factor – and have your GPA, it can be difficult to get the attention of the very tippy-top colleges. Please speak with your GC, as they are going to be your best resource.
@ivywin I hope you realize that, although no one knows the exact figures, the ED acceptance rate for Wharton is quite a bit lower than the overall ED rate for UPenn. Also, the ED applicant pool for Wharton is much more competitive in terms of stats and EC’s - particularly those related to business- than the overall ED pool for UPenn.
You shouldn’t base your application strategy on the false assumption that Wharton ED is easier to get into than Harvard SCEA. The two are probably equally difficult to get into but for different reasons.
I’ve checked Navience and the avg UW GPA is a 3.8 UW and by Weighted GPA is a fair bit higher. I’m pretty committed to Wharton at this point, so I’m going to go full throttle there. At this point I guess I’m gonna do everything I can to stand out! My tests and Ec’s are good (and so is my W Gpa compared to school average) but i guess ill jsut have to focus everywhere else to make my 3.8 not stand out!
Is that the average UW GPA for your high school? Or, is that the average UW GPA for students accepted to Wharton from your high school?
You really need to have conversation with your GC and recommendation writers. The most important part of your application for any selective college is your high school transcript – all other factors are secondary, so it’s impossible to refocus your application to make your 3.8 not stand out. Probably the next most important part of your application are your teacher recommendations. What are your teachers going to say about you to Wharton that will help your cause? The third most important element of your file is your guidance counselor’s Secondary School Report, where they rate the rigor of your course load as compared to all other students at your high school, and comment about your scholastic ability and character. See page 2: http://ugadm.northwestern.edu/documents/UG_Admissions_SecondarySchoolReport.pdf. What is your GC going to say to Wharton that will help your cause? You really need to have a sit down with your recommendation writers and GC and ask them that question point-blank.
Its the average accepted. My GC has a very positive opinion because I’ve done literally everything possible to make my course load as rigorous as possible (such as skipping a grade of math, taking voluntary classes that show up on my transcript but not my GPA and taking similar classes online on VHS about my passion). My teacher recc’s wll also be great since I TA’ed for one and the other was an advanced math class I took a year early and my teacher knows how much work I have put into it.
Then you need to focus your time and energy this summer on writing your essays. Both my kids spent more time writing, rewriting and polishing their essays than they did on SAT/ACT test prep – and most kids don’t do that. And FWIW, they just didn’t write on one topic, they wrote full essays on about 6 to 8 different topics. It was only after writing so many essays on different topics they really could decide what story they wanted to tell. So use your time this summer wisely. Best of luck to you!
Thank you so much @gibby!!! I hope everything goes well 
@uesmomof2 Was this at Laguardia HS in NYC?
If I were you, I’d apply to the school that you want to go to more, because in the end, you could get rejected from either one, and you want to give yourself the best chance to get into the one you really want to go to. The vibe at Penn and Harvard are completely different from each other. I can’t imagine being torn between the two… If you are nervous about Harvard’s acceptance rate and that is the reason you are torn, think of it this way: the acceptance rate for every school is really 100%, because you’re either in or your not. If you are torn simply because of the programs, from what it sounds like, you should try for Harvard undergrad and go to Wharton for your graduate program, since it seems like you really do want to do business, they can’t be beat. However: you may want to have a liberal arts background, because that will benefit you in almost every instance. Ultimately, why not aim to have degrees from both institutions?
@Jwest22 yes
@gibby, thank you for that excellent advice about the essays.
@oxoxhawja3xoxo can you explain how you think Penn and Harvard are different? I thought them to be pretty similar, since I plan on applying to them both like the OP.
OP, I think you have a greater chance at getting into Harvard EA than Penn ED (although it’s still a slim chance for both, like for everyone else really). Since you’re going for Wharton, you’re up against an even tougher group than just another major. However, apply to whichever one you like best, you don’t want that “what if” feeling.
I think the vibe at Penn is more in line with what i want then Harvard. So I think I’ll ED to Wharton. The “What If” part was the struggle I originally had. But at this point, I think i’ll be a far happier person at Penn than Harvard, since I have looked at what living on campus is like for both.
@ZBlue17 , in some instances, the two schools attract a different crop of people. Also, have you visited both? Penn has a much more modern vibe, while Harvard feels… well, very old and traditional. Also Penn has multiple undergraduate schools, while Harvard just has a college of the arts and sciences, which means all undergraduate students will receive a liberal arts education there. Penn also has one of the top nursing schools in the country. Harvard doesn’t even have a nursing program. Harvard’s social scene doesn’t really revolve around frats and sororities, while a much larger proportion of students participate in greek life at Penn. Harvard also has the house system. Penn does not. Philly and Cambridge are two very different cities. Depending on what you want to study, what kind of vibe you want, and what kind of social scene you want to be a part of, most people definitely prefer one of these schools over the other.
@oxoxhawja3xoxo yeah considering the different social scenese and college options, i am heavily considering Penn. The campus and college just seem to be more in line with what i am looking for. That being said, both are tremendous colleges!
Your stats are very, very good and I think you would be competitive for both Harvard and Wharton. I would strongly encourage you to apply to Harvard because it is non-binding. You can then roll the dice with the other ivies in the regular round, keeping all your options open.
Also, having worked in wall street, Harvard is still more prestigious than Wharton. Yes, Harvard does not have a business undergrad, but don’t kid yourself-- you do not learn anything in business school. I went to Stanford for an MBA, and it is clear that you learn “business” for the networking. Your Harvard network will be more influential and you can attain the world’s best liberal arts education to prepare you for a career in business. Best of luck with whatever route you decide to choose!
@JWong4145 I definitely see what you are saying, but as Gibby said, I think theres a very strong chance I’ll get deferred in the early round at Harvard since i simply don’t have the highest GPA in my class
@IvyWin @IvyWin This reminds me of my daughter’s application. She was being recruited by Duke and the coach wanted her to sign a national letter of intent-- thus making her illegible to apply to Harvard. The Harvard coach, a few days before national signing day, said he would not be able to recruit her, but will try to support her application without slotting her. My daughter was cautious, and said she wanted to minimize risk, and said she was strongly considering just signing with Duke to “maximize her odds of getting in somewhere good.” The Harvard coach responded, “In 20 years, you do not want to be reminiscing on your college days, wondering if you could have been a varsity athlete at the most prestigious school in the world.” Luckily for her, she did get in to Harvard. Look, if Wharton is your first choice-- apply there. But, if Harvard is your first choice, and you are too scared of rejection because of your academics, thats ludicrous. If you are afraid to apply with your 2380, then we are all unworthy to apply. The business/finance world is tough, and every single one of them are top dogs shooting for the best. If you want to enter this line of business, thats what your mentality should be too.
@jwong945 I guess you are right. That very much is my mentality, and I guess it might just be worth it to go there. The truth is that Harvard would be my #1, but after seeing legions of 4.00’s getting rejected I think I got a little timid. I’ll definitely rethink this all over!