PennDreamer

Hi.
I am currently a junior in high school
I was wondering if my GPA is decent enough to get into UPenn
In my freshman year, i got a 4.0
In my sophomore year, i took 2 APs. I got 2 Bs in first semester, and straight As in 2nd semseter
In my junior year, i took 5 APs. I got striahgt As for 1st semester and i am currently on 2nd semester.

So basically, the only Bs i got was in 1st semester of my sophomore year.
Since then, i got straight As.
I think i can get 4.33 GPA (9-11th grade) by the end of my junior year.
Do u think it's gud enough for upenn?

swimfast

Yeah definitely. Few kids have straight A's who apply to Penn because they're some of the most well-rounded ivy league students. Their talents also lie elsewhere, in leadership, service, etc. So, a few B's wont hurt you. However, if your applying to the engineering school or Wharton, you need straight A's in Math (and for engineering in science as well).

Crust

How important are internships and extracurricular activities when applying?? Are they crucial??

CapeCodLady8

Dear Penndreamer:

Using the word 'gud' even if it's just text speech here somehow gives me pause, but to answer your question, I don't think that Penn looks at applications and says, 'Hmm. I think this student is good enough to attend our university, let's accept him.' They don't want students that are simply 'gud' enough, though I suppose those students exist everywhere.

The Penn Admission webpages do go over what they are looking for in their applicants. Interestingly, I was recently reviewing them and I realized how dead on they were pertaining to my son's admission. Other universities in the Ivy League were not as transparent, in my opinion, or aligned with what they seemed to state upfront, though he was accepted at others, too. Penn seems to mean what they say.

On princetonreview.com they have a list that seems fairly accurate with what we experienced:

Test Prep: GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, SAT, ACT, and More

Freshman Admissions Factors/
Academic Criteria Importance

Rigor of Secondary School Record: Very important
Class Rank: Important
Academic GPA: Important
Standardized Test Scores: Important
Application Essay: Important
Recommendation(s): Very important

Non-Academic Criteria Importance
Interview: Considered
Extracurricular Activities: Important
Talent / Ability: Considered
Character / Personal Qualities: Very important
First Generation: Considered
Alumni/ AE Relation: Considered
Geographical Residence: Considered
State Residency: Not Considered
Religious Affiliation / Commitment: Not Considered
Racial / Ethnic Status: Considered
Volunteer Work: Considered
Work Experience: Important
Level of applicant's interest: Not Considered

Ny0rker

funny how class rank is only "important" when on their stats for the class of 2012 and elsewhere they rave how over 97% of the class is from the top 10% of their secondary school class.... (and only 3% of the kids who applied from their school's second decile got an acceptance)

chrisw

Crust, being GOOD at extra curriculars is important and having a job is also pretty good. It's crucial that you excel at what you try, not just that you do it. They don't want a bunch of people who did a lot of crap to get into college and then just say screw it once they get there.

panman

yeah just keep it up and remember that you have to be well rounded get into many extracurricular activities

panman

extracurricular are crucial more important than a great gpa

breaker746

UPenn looks at Unwighted GPA, which would probably need to be above 3.8/9 at least. Post your unweighted GPA if you can because that is as equally as important as weighted GPA.

dejamazi

When you got a B and how many Bs you got isn't really that important. What matters more is how difficult your courseload is. For instance, if you were getting a 4.0 in honors courses, and your school offers AP, then your GPA is less impressive. Your SAT scores will also play a role.

More importantly (at least I think so) is how social you are. If you are part of any clubs, volunteer, etc. I know two valedictorians, one got a 2200 and the other got a 2400, both had a really high gpa, took the most challenging courses, but didn't do ANY extracurricular activities and they are both at state schools. ON the flip side, I know a student at Penn who went to a average high school, didn't graduate top of his class, but was involved in many community service groups and activities (actually spearheaded a couple) and got in. It's all about how well rounded you are.

Bo_bo_09

OMG...what if I got a C+ first trimester of sophomore year in AP U.S. History...then moved to a B+ second tri, and ended up with an A last tri. Does that improvement mean more than the grade?...Please don't tell me that's gonna ruin my chances for Penn...^_^
Also...if I had decent school grades for my AP courses, but only passed my AP tests with 3's and 4's, do you think that'll play against me?...

Bo_bo_09

Oh! and, is it really bad if I don't have any work experiences at all? or very little? like, I've tutored some friends' kids in music and stuff, and got paid, but does that count??

peekaboo

a quick question: What is an alumi interview? (I know what on campus interview is. )What is weighted GPA? (How is it different from unweighted GPA?) Thanks in advance for your insight.

Skyisblue92

An alumni interview is an interview that takes place between an applicant and graduate of a college/university (which can occur in a different city.)

A weighted GPA (grade point average) is grading that has been boosted or raised by taking AP classes, which are scored higher.

Hope this helps and good luck!

peekaboo

thank you : )