Can I get into UPenn even though I was dismissed from military school as a Sophomore?

Colleges & Universities University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>As a Sophomore approaching the end of the year, I have afforded myself some time to reflect on the first half of my High School Career. UPenn is definitely a top choice (on par with Cornell and Duke), but something is particularly worrisome to me.</p>

<p>I was dismissed from a military school in January.</p>

<p>I was dismissed for nothing really serious, but rather repetitive behavior. I didn’t want to be at the school at all, and I showed my distaste for the ethics surrounding the ‘leadership’ there on a daily basis. There were fights every day and many of the kids did drugs. Overall, I did not feel very comfortable and I hated the curriculum. The classes were far too easy (not to be arrogant), even the honors classes. I DO accept full responsibility for my behaviors (just generally being disrespectful; none of my offenses were ‘honor code related’).</p>

<p>Here is my resume for core classes (tenth grade classes are the ones I took at public school following my dismissal):</p>

<p>9th
Honors English 9th: A+
Honors World History: A
Honors Math I: B+
Honors Biology: A+
Spanish II: A</p>

<p>10th
Honors English 10th: A+
Honors Pre-calculus: A+
AP Human Geography: A
Honors Chemistry: A+
Honors Spanish IV: A</p>

<p>I took the SAT and got a 2150, and plan on getting 2300+</p>

<p>What’s more, I’m entering the IB Program next year (for those of you who may not know, it’s essentially taking all AP’s).</p>

<p>I am volunteering at a zoo all summer to educate kids aged 5 or younger on environmental awareness and animals (for a total of 200+ hours over the summer).</p>

<p>I’m in the National Spanish Honor Society as a Sophomore</p>

<p>I created a chess club at my school, hosted a tournament (managed all finances; entrance fee-expenses, and used an iPod 4 as the incentive to enter and potentially win), and donated all proceeds to the school Basketball team.</p>

<p>My school is NOT very reputable at all, but the IB Program is and the kids around me are very smart, yet I am currently the 5th in my entire 10th grade class (including those outside IB) of 400.</p>

<p>Could all of this make up for a dismissal? Everyone else is telling me it can’t and that I should just go to community college and it’s really discouraging…</p>

2

<p>Unfortunately, it is pretty much next to impossible to get into a top rank school with an expulsion on your record. To be honest, your chances seem minimal. If I were you, I would focus on schoold outside the top 20 and then apply to transfer as a sophomore if you’re still deadset on going to Penn.</p>

3

<p>Well, that’s discouraging. So, is there really any point anymore? I may as well just like, not try in school anymore. I can not try and pull a 3.0; I’d rather do that then try and pull a 4.4 or 4.5 but still not be able to get in.</p>

4

<p>My guess is that kbolisetty23 has absolutely no basis for the post above. Certainly a disciplinary expulsion is a negative factor, and at a highly selective college like Penn any negative factor is not good news. But I doubt it’s an absolute bar. There is at least one parent who posts regularly on CC whose child was accepted at Penn (and graduated a couple of years ago) with significant disciplinary issues in high school, including at least one expulsion. </p>

<p>As you move down the collegiate food chain a bit from the Penn level, very fine colleges will be willing to take a sympathetic look at an applicant who had disciplinary issues in 10th grade but who seems to have dealt with them. There’s no need to decide that you should “just go to community college”, at least not because you think that no other type of college will ever accept you.</p>

5

<p>I’m not saying OP won’t get in for sure, but he needs to have realistic expectations. He should apply to Penn,
but it’s a crapshoot for anyone and doubly so if you have disciplinary issues.</p>