Some universities do have dressage teams, for example Cal Poly. The college association I have heard of is IDA (Intercollegiate Dressage Association), but there might be something else as well… I only heard about this because of my daughter looking into Cal Poly’s various riding teams. Just in case it’s of interest to you, here is the list of IDA member schools: https://teamdressage.com/about-us/member-schools/
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Whoa, I had no idea this was a thing! I think I would love CalPoly, but it can be very unpredictable. I’m seeing some other schools that I’ve considered, like Cornell (not super into ag or Ithaca, but their CALS/accelerated DVM program seems super cool!). Stanford Red Barn would be a dream, but I’m not at all willing to REA. In any case, this may influence my thinking about college as a whole so thank you!
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You are a great applicant, but do yourself a big favor and request an official transcript from your school. Without understanding how you are being presented, nobody here can give you an accurate read on schools.
My impression is your list is fine, but you should probably apply non-business at Penn and Notre Dame based mostly on math.
Why would more advanced math than calculus AB in high school be required Penn? Penn business requires in college either an easier calculus (1070) or calculus 2 (1400 which they call calculus 1, with calculus AB as the prerequisite).
Notre Dame does not require higher than calculus AB in high school for admission, according to FAQ - High School Classes
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There’s no way to know and not everyone will have the highest rigor who goes but often time those levels are minimum standards.
That said, the student will be in AB - so they should take their shot but have suitable in backup - and they have plenty that are. So it’s no issue.
Nothing is required, but IMO calc AB is on the very low end for UG biz at those schools. Admission at Wharton, in particular, is near-impossible. Since she is not a business or bust student (and obviously likes Penn), why would she risk the admit?
Just giving my best advice!
So Penn currently says:
In Applicants to the Wharton School, We Would Like to See:
an interest in leveraging business to fuel positive change that advances the world’s economic and social wellbeing
demonstrated leadership
strong preparation in mathematics, including exposure to calculus in high school
Interestingly, that last line has been tweaked. It used to read, “Strong preparation in mathematics, particularly calculus.”
I’m not entirely sure what that change means, but I would personally say a person who is taking through AB and prefers Wharton to CAS should go ahead and apply that way.
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While I agree that Wharton accepts many applicants with only AB, my impression is they are taking the hardest math offered at their school (and few got B’s in Algebra 2). By all means, OP should apply anywhere she wants.
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Yes and yes. IME taking the most rigorous math offered at one’s HS is often an expectation at highly rejective schools, and not always directly stated on websites. This is a good question to ask of one’s AO and/or in admissions sessions, whether live or virtual.
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I actually agree with both of these statements, but the problem is I think that applies to Penn CAS as well.
So if the OP prefers Wharton to CAS, I personally don’t really see much reason to apply to CAS for strategic reasons. What I would suggest instead is that the OP have a robust list of other colleges, many of which are not as highly rejective as Penn. Which the OP does have.
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I don’t disagree. CAS likely has a higher admit rate, so that could cause some to apply strategically because of that….but IMO OP should apply for the programs/schools/majors she wants to study.
From the post, I am not seeing a strong preference for Wharton. Maybe because she is aware of the math situation, or maybe because she does not want to be with a bunch of finance animals. I respect whatever she decides.
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The most rigorous math in the high school, or the most rigorous math available to the student based on 7th-9th grade math placement? The OP appears to have the latter but not the former.
If the former is generally “required” (or seen as “required”), then that ups the pressure to participate in the math acceleration race starting in middle school (or even earlier).
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sad but true. it does imo. in her case, the math act might help (but I think no).
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I’m surprised Georgetown isn’t on the list. Villanova as well.
Do well with Calc AB and apply to Wharton if you really like the school.
Good luck.
This student was able to successfully accelerate her math sequencing by taking geometry in the summer (which I have seen many students attempt very unsuccessfully!) , received B+ in algebra 2 despite missing 110 days of school due to what sounds like a pretty severe injury, earned a perfect ACT score, has impressive fundraising and work experience, and has an overall 3.9UW GPA. She also cannot change anything about what I just described and her calc AB placement is already set in stone. It feels a bit cruel to continue debating her math record and whether she will get accepted to Penn or not. Penn is a long shot for anyone. We can help expand her list without obsessing over the math issue that she cannot do anything about.
FWIW, OP I think you sound like a fantastic candidate and you have a very impressive profile!
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I feel the same way btw. Amazing.
Sometimes, however, we need to get to the bottom of chance me posts. If we do not, we add no value. It is not a judgement; it is a clarification. And we are talking about Wharton, not just any school.
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And to be clear, I don’t personally think Penn is hopeless. Such colleges can and will bend any of their formal recommendations, unspoken expectations, and so on for candidates they want enough for other reasons.
And then if it doesn’t work out (for reasons she would never actually know), her list is full of great alternatives.
Just the opposite for me… I think ED Penn CAS ED is an admit. That is my point.
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I guess I would politely caution the OP to not be quite that confident. In general, Penn’s ED acceptance rate is around 15%, and this includes hooked applicants including recruited athletes. I note ED applicants may well be deferred as opposed to immediately rejected, but then applying ED obviously didn’t help them.
As with all highly rejective Arts and Sciences programs, it is then rather hard to know in advance whether something will stand out to Penn CAS during the admissions process. We of course don’t really know how Penn would evaluate the OP’s transcript in context, we don’t know what they will think of her recommendations or activities, and we don’t know how her essays would come across to them (I note Penn has both general supplementals and school-specific supplementals). We also don’t know who else will be applying, and how they would fit into Penn’s plans for their enrolled class.
What I can say based on what I heard during S24’s process (and Penn is a popular school at his HS, with a lot of kids going there over the years, Penn officers visiting, and so on) is CAS definitely does not see itself as the place for people who could not quite get into Wharton. They are looking for kids who really would love and value the curriculum structure in CAS, and of course who are well-prepared to thrive there.
Of course if that is how the OP sees herself, then great! Assuming Penn CAS was her favorite, and it was comfortably affordable, she could write her best application and see what happens.
But if the OP actually would prefer Wharton, how easy will it be to actually persuade CAS she is their sort of ideal candidate instead?
Like, the CAS Supplemental is currently:
The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences?
That’s consistent with what I have been told about Penn CAS, and I think it can be harder to fake convincing answers to this sort of question than some people are hoping.
For contrast, here is Wharton’s:
Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues. Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it. (150-200 words)
I note the OP reported, “fundraising is kind of my thing but I don’t see what major that fits well into; I see myself taking this passion into either a non-profit or startup environment.” So that already seems like a start on a genuine answer to that question.
Anyway, it is ultimately up to the OP. I just think it is really important to understand that schools like CAS and Wharton each have their own specific values when it comes to admissions, and strategically choosing a school which doesn’t actually align with your own true values may, in my view, actually backfire.