Hi, I am a high school junior who is interested in studying business.
At Columbia, I am planning on majoring in appliedmathematics/economics for undergrad. then some years of internship. then wharton dream school of business for grad.
At UPenn, I am planing on applying to Wharton directly as undergrad, and studying business.
I have a paid internship at Morningstar Inc. planned for this upcoming summer. Also, I write about economics on an online newspaper (also a paid internship) during school years.
for "stats," i have a typical ivy league (reject... :/ ) background. 2300 sat, 4.1 gpa (top 1%), 12 aps, 400+hr community service, several leadership positions, internships, instrument, awards, strong in math (AMC12/AIME/calc3atHarvardExtension)
I am not planning on doing any of HYPSM SCEA with my stats because I know I will get rejected....
I was looking at Columbia, Wharton, and Uchicago for early actions..(decisions)
in terms of "getting in," which of the two extremely selective institutes will be "less painful?" Also, with my interest and future plan, which school would fit me better?
Philly and nyc are both great cities for me. so the environment doesn't really matter. (as long as its not dartmouth.... Hanover, NH.... )
Don't be such a downer, just apply to all of the places you evenly remotely want to get into. I got into Wharton and the Joseph Wharton Scholars Program (~30 kids) with stats comparable to yours (lower SAT, top 1%, fewer APs, more community service). And if you know you want to go into business, I think Wharton is really a no brainer over Columbia.
Wharton is the way to go hands down if you're sure about the business route, and it sounds like you have a really good chance of getting in. Historically, less than a third of Wharton grads pursue further education, so keep in mind that your post-grad plans might change. Generally, graduates are recruited directly, and the opportunities are plentiful for Wharton grads and generally more than for business-seeking Columbia grads. Good luck!
you should apply to the Fisher M&T program at Penn. You get a degree from both Wharton and the Engineering school. I had worse stats than you and got in. It's pretty selective (~50 kids) but if I could get in you could.
Both are pretty tough to gain admittance that I wouldn't think about which is harder to get into.
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I am not planning on doing any of HYPSM SCEA with my stats because I know I will get rejected....
That's not necessarily true. People who get into HYPSM are sometimes denied from other schools like Cornell, Penn, etc. Hell, I got in Penn and Notre Dame and was deferred from Michigan.
apparently Wharton is a better choice if i want to pursue a degree in finance. (duh.. )
Now my questions are
1. Do I really want to study business for undergrad, in stead of going to a normal (as in not specialized in one specific field. i.e. wharton - business) college, such as columbia, and having a common college experience? Wharton is so specialized that I am, in fact, limiting myself from the rest of academic subjects. On the other hand, being recruited by an investment firm right after undergrad is definitely a win. I can start early to make some income, and I can also save $200,000 by not having to pursue an MBA degree.
2. In terms of getting in, Wharton ED vs. Columbia ED. Which one has a higher acceptance rate? or because I have such a relatively strong math/business background (extra curricular activities), will things be different?
The Fisher M&T program sounds very interesting. I will definitely look into that. Thank You!
and also, thank you all for such comments as "you really have a great chance of getting in." those comments really help me feel a little bit better about myself... ( ) and my future, which I cannot fathom...
Wharton is so specialized that I am, in fact, limiting myself from the rest of academic subjects.
You need to learn a lot more about Wharton undergrad:
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2. BUSINESS AND LIBERAL ARTS
As an undergrad, you can take classes in any of Penn's undergraduate schools and in eight of Penn's graduate schools. In fact, 40% of your classes will be taken at other Penn schools. Where else do undergrads get that kind of access at an Ivy League school?
* * * *
5. FLEXIBLE CURRICULUM
At Wharton and Penn you have the flexibility to shape your own education. Forty percent of your coursework is outside of Wharton at the University, 23% of our students study abroad, 21% pursue minors, and over 30% graduate with more than one undergraduate degree from Penn. Even within Wharton, you have many courses and areas of study to choose from with 10 different departments and more than 19 concentrations.
I had the same issue as you CSYHP322. I wanted to have more options available to me than just being in a business school. That is why I applied to M&T. With an engineering and business degree pretty much every career field out there is available to you.
bimbop: yes, the M&T program sounds very very attractive to me. According to people's advices, it is obvious that in my case, Wharton is a better case. Now it is time to be a little bit realistic and see what schools I can actually get into.
I think the "acceptance hierarchy" of top colleges in the US will be...
HYPSM/M&T>Wharton>Columbia>UPENN(CAS)/Dartmouth... (caltech's somewhere up there....)
I am not totally sure. I would prefer M&T over just Wharton, and prefer Wharton over CAS. However, I will be happy with UPENN CAS, also. (as long as I get in, I will be very very happy with any ivyleague school...esp if it is UPenn or columbia)
By doing ED, I think I can increase the probability of my being admitted to those aforementioned schools. any thoughts? if Columbia ED will be significantly easier than M&T, I will have to go with Columbia ED (even though M&T is a great program that will fit my situation very well.)
I mean I wouldn't worry about which one you are more likely to get into for your ED decision. I would just visit both schools and see which one you like more. They are very different (at least their campuses are) so it should be easy to find whichever one you see yourself at more.
Location: CT -----> University of Pennsylvania '16
Posts: 535
So your 2300 SAT, top 1% GPA, 12 APs, 400+ hours community service, several leadership positions, internships, instrument, and awards are typical Ivy reject stats? Good to know. I probably shouldn't have applied to Penn then because I had a 2120, 3.83, 6 APs, 200+ hours community service, no internships, and no major awards. I think it's pretty pathetic, and frankly insulting, to publicly post something like that to receive a few compliments.
That being said, I've always believed that pursuing a future in business would best be through an MBA. Study something else as an undergraduate. You'll find that many more doors will open for you, especially if you are not entirely set on going down the business route.
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