Siriuss

So I'm going to be a sophomore in Highschool next year. Meaning I have ample time to screw up in the next 3 years and ample time to improve.
Basically I'd like to know from current members of The University of Pennsylvania what sort of SAT, ACT and GPA you had. Personally. As well as what sort of clubs/sports and volunteer work you did.
I guess Ill share what im doing so far so you cab advise me on how to continue.
1) I play tuba in the marching band
2) Im an officer in our Youth and government.
3) I was an attorney for our schools mock trail
4) I do track (indoor and out)
5) Im on our equestrian team.
6) Im a member of student council
7) I'm a member of national junior honors society
---
1) I foster parrots (personally my parent hate them i work with the agency directly)
2) Ive been volunteering for a therapeutic riding center for 5 years
3) I volunteer at the Y
4) I volunteer tutor
Basically I'm trying like crap to be involved but I'm at a loss for what I should do now. I mean I know it's not enough but!
And I have a 4.0 unweighted GPA in all honors classes. (All A's) ((But it's only 9th grade))
So what does one do?
I'm studying with a friend for the PSATs and hoping I can do decent on those and then better on the SATs and Acts. It's just maybe I'm starting to worry too early but I've always wanted to go to University of Pennsylvania. Or even another school like it. I don't want it to not be an option because I screwed up.


therapeutic riding centervolunteer

Siriuss

I'm so sorry about my typos I can't figure out how to edit.
It's about 2am here so I'm extra sorry.
But everything I've listed here I plan on continuing the next 3 years.
One more club I forgot to mention
Model UN
-- The thing that kills me is I can't fit too much more into my life AND get the grades I've been getting. How on earth did you guys manage?!

knight2011

first off dont worry. You seem anxious but just remember you have plenty of time, heck you might even lose interest in penn (even though I think you shouldn't).

First off the objectives.
SAT score of 2200+ will make you competitive or ACT score 33.
Your GPA is great keep it up. Just remember that the avg. high school gpa for a penn student is a 3.9...make sure you don't fall too low if you do fall.
make sure to demonstrate a pssion in your ECs and show this through very poignant and powerful app essays.

you sound like a great fit though and I hope you get in!

bimbop

stop worrying now. Just get good grades and do whatever you want and don't even think the word "college" again until your junior year.

MissDeterminded

^ why would you recommend that? Thats how people fudge up their future. The fact he/she is worrying about college is a great thing ! Although its a good thing to be concern about college & making sure your on the right track; don't stress over it. I know first hand how everything is going smoothly & it seems doable but as time goes on it gets..complicated. Just don't try to over do it & take on too much.

Focus on your main EC's, the ones you're passionate about & continue to maintain them. If you keep the record your making now up + amazing sat/act scores im positive you'll get it.


Good luck ! Don't forget to have a little fun in highschool too.. (:

Siriuss

Thanks~ And no I wouldn't say in extremely stressed but I am concerned. I just want to know kind of how others planned in advance for University if Pennsylvania and if I was doing it right. Which from what you said as long as I go for leadership positions and score great on my SATs I'll have as good a shot as any. (And of course keep my GPA at 4.0)
My high schools big, 600+ kids so we have a lot of options as far as class rank and things. Top ten are usually all A's all AP classes and very few of them do band or anything but a language that would decrease their GPA.(honors is 4.5 everything else descends) I've decided to continue with band and language (as well as mandatory health and gym) simply because I think that I stand a good shot at top 20 if I keep my grades up and I really like band
You say 'have fun' in high school as if there's anything I can do. I can't drive and even if I could there's not really anywhere I can go. Although to be fair the horses are a blast~
And thank you because as far as I can tell relaxing is exactly what screws things up. I mean of course I'm thinking small picture. Next year study a little more promptly to avoid close B's. Try to get into a higher position in Youth and Government. Stuff like that.
So what sort of EC's should I be doing. I hate track but I felt like I needed a sport. (Other then with the horses) what sort of ECs did you take before getting into U penn?

yoyo17

Don't stress out too much yet. You make it seem like there's a magic formula to getting accepted into a great college, and there isn't. Once you have good grades and test scores, the entire application process becomes a crapshoot. Like MissDeterminded said, just pick a few things you enjoy and focus on them. You shouldn't think that certain EC's are valued over others.

Siriuss

Of course you're right it's just I wish there was. At least I wish there was something a could do now. It's not so much that I'm 'stressed' that I hate that it can't be guaranteed. AHH well thank you guys I'm going to work on my ECs and volunteering as well as PSATs and SATs and ACTs. Hopefully I'll be able to visit the campus next year or the year after to see it in person.

bimbop

There is so much wrong with this thread. Don't listen to what missdeterminded said. Don't think about college at all. You are a 15 year-old kid in high school. Go out with your friends, watch movies and do whatever else 15 year-olds do. If you like school, then continue to enjoy it. If you like band then continue to do it, but do it because you like doing it NOW as opposed to liking it for the college app.
When you say things like "I'm going to work on my volunteering" I cringe a little bit. The point of volunteering is to help a cause. You don't work on volunteering at all. If you happen to stumble on a cause that compels you to give up time for it - that's great. Otherwise don't 'work' on finding some place to volunteer.
I got into places such as Penn because I did what I wanted to do in high school not what the college wanted me to do. I did not know what my high school transcript was when until I was in 11th grade and it was perfect that way. I wrote my essays about playing card games - because that's what I did to enjoy myself. High school is about learning new things and growing into an adult. Don't let the thought of college screw that up.

Siriuss

^
I enjoy volunteering. I love the horses, the parrots make me laugh, I love the hospital, I enjoy kids at the Y.
The work I mentioned was the work with the finding of volunteering. And maybe I should hang out with friends more often. But I don't because I don't want to.
I like reading more then talking to people. I prefer listening to conversing.
In short I hate most things about high school. I hate the perverts who say horrible things and get away with it. I hate the fact that the girl who dances in history class gets called weird. I hate that I get teased for not wanting to date. I like the classes. I like volunteering and actually doing something. I like talking to the kids who get called names .
And I love fantasizing about college. The libraries solely for studying the freedom the parks the dorms. I romanticize about it more then any guy.
So maybe I'm too young to care and I'm not a genius so I have to work hard. But it makes me happy.
And so when you tell me not to worry and to have fun. Well Im having fun. Just maybe not in the way that you did.
I'm not accusing you of judging me or anything but I am saying that I wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't fun. And I'm not sure I believe anybody here is either.

bimbop

In my eye I guess.

calishanghai

in this whole 'to think or not to think about college' debate, i think what people are trying to get across is that you shouldn't think of college as a goal. in the short term, it probably is, but it shouldn't be the focus of your life. with that being said, i definitely agree that mucking around is not a good idea. having fun while staying on track though, is completely okay. and i think you (Siriuss) have a pretty good approach of thinking about college - i fantasized a lot about libraries too.

in terms of what you can do right now... well, i think very few people actually 'planned in advance for the University of Pennsylvania', thought i'm sure most planned in advance for university in general. keep doing what you love and you'll be fine. if the university doesn't see it, it's their loss, also probably meaning that it wouldn't have been a good match for you anyway. after meeting some incoming college freshmen of various colleges, i am beginning to truly believe that everybody ends up where they do for a reason.

for my whole life i was aiming for stanford. and then the summer before my senior year i toured the east coast. i ended up applying for Penn ED and got in. so yeah, you'll be fine.

Siriuss

^ Your post made me smile
Thank you. I found an alumni who will talk to me in person and I dont know I just kinda like planning
But yes. You're quite right.
If you don't mind me asking what were your SAT scores and GPA?

kiddo64

I think if you just keep doing what your doing you'll be fine