Chances At Dream School

Colleges & Universities University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>State: NJ
Ethnicity: Asian (it hurts)
School: Extremely Competitive Public (I don’t know which hurts more)</p>

<p>Expected Major: Biology (or something related, not quite decided yet, but I’m going pre-med so it doesn’t matter anyway)</p>

<p>GPA: 3.91 UW 4.23 W (GPA based on first 2 quarters of this year. Also, school changed weighting systems begin. of this (junior) year, so I dunno how that will work out. Does Penn recalc GPA (only have one B lol)?)</p>

<p>SATs: 2280 (re-took last Saturday, expecting 2300+)
SAT IIs: Math IIc - 800, Taking Chem in June and expecting good score (assume 760+), maybe Latin/English as well.</p>

<p>APs Taken: Physics B (4)
Aps Taking: Chem, Calc BC, English, Comp Sci A (prepping for AB test tho)
(For AP Scores, Assume: Chem - 5, Calc BC - 5, English - 4, Comp Sci AB - 5)
Senior Schedule: AP Bio, AP Stat, AP English, AP Art History, AP Euro, AP Latin V</p>

<p>Recs: Gonna be Amazing
Counselor Rec: I’m quite familiar with my counselor (pestered her to no end for the last 2 1/2 years, but she knows I’m very ambitious)
Essays: I’m pretty a good writer and have some ideas on what to write about.</p>

<p>ECs (here’s where I might be a bit weak):</p>

<ul>
<li>Club Med (10th-present, officer this year and probably next)</li>
<li>NJ Science League (10th and 11th)</li>
<li>Science Competitor’s Club (10th-present, officer this year)</li>
<li>March of Dimes (volunteering)</li>
<li>Princeton Medical Center (volunteering)</li>
<li>Local Senior Home (volunteering)</li>
<li>I haven’t totaled up my hours, but they probably amount to quite a bit (300+).</li>
<li>Competing in Chemistry Olympiads</li>
<li>Central Jersey Math League (11th)<br></li>
<li>Science Bowl (11th, let’s not talk about this…)</li>
<li>Latin Club (9th and 11th, don’t ask about 10th, officer 11th)</li>
<li>Junior Statesmen of America (9th-present, officer this year and probably next, also won a lot of best speaker awards at competitions)</li>
<li>Researched last summer at local (not Princeton lol) University for microbiology project and doing so again this summer. Plan to submit for Siemens/Intel. </li>
<li>Recreational Tennis (7th-present) Team is way too competitive</li>
<li>Piano (7th-present) I suck…it’s just a pastime lol </li>
</ul>

<p>Awards/Distinctions:</p>

<ul>
<li>AIME Qualifier (11th, AIME score sucked tho, 2 )</li>
<li>USNCO, Moved On To National Exam (11th)</li>
<li>Various JSA Awards, Already Mentioned</li>
<li>National Latin Exams - 1 Silver (9th), 1 Gold (10th), ? (11th)</li>
<li>Some local math awards, nothing major, competed/competing in a lot of math competitions</li>
<li>Probably going to receive some recognition for volunteering at local hospital</li>
<li><p>I know I’m lacking something big here, but I’m trying to demonstrate well-roundedness and hoping for something in Intel/Siemens senior year.</p></li>
<li><p>A lot of other little things I forgot to mention</p></li>
</ul>

<p>So, overall, what’s my shot at UPenn CAS (I’ll be applying ED if it still exists, I’m not sure myself)? I know I kind of lack any substantial national awards/distinction and I’m Asian, but tell me what you guys think anyway. Anything I can improve on last minute?</p>

2

<p>Your user name isn’t going to get you many responses on the Penn forum. It doesn’t even explain why Penn is your #1 choice for college, but I guess maybe you live in Princeton, NJ and want to go to the better college, so that is quite understandable. Overall, I would say that your chances are average. You can get in, but it is more likely that you will not (because most people do not). Good luck, but don’t be like me after submitting your ED application, and procrasinate on those RD applications.</p>

3

<p>lol, I’m Penn all the way man, I jus live in Princeton (hence the 08540 zip code). Thanks for the comment.</p>

4

<p>Though no one is a shoe-in for an Ivy League, it sounds like you’ve got a great shot. All of your stats are stellar. You may want to try to add a few more leadership positions to your EC list though, something at a state or regional level is always good.</p>

5

<p>does volunteering done thorugh key club count for hours of community service done? and i had to have a job due to my financial stituation would princeton excuse my lack of too many ec activities (i still had some though).</p>

6

<p>“ECs (here’s where I might be a bit weak):”</p>

<p>What are you talking about?? I think that’s a pretty impressive list…</p>

7

<p>Do these replies satisfy you now, princeton?</p>

8

<p>lol, chill people, I only said I thought they were weak because I lack something statewide/regional as amazon3001 pointed out. Well, all of this is good to hear. </p>

<p>From what I’ve seen around the Penn board, essays are a big deal for them, right? I’m hoping to completely make up for whatever I lack with some good essays. Anyone care to comment? Also, I couldn’t find the acceptance rate for Penn CAS ED online, does anyone know where I could get it? Thanks all.</p>

9

<p>princeton08540 out of curiousity why dont you want to go to princeton?</p>

10

<p>Who in their right mind would want to go to Princeton?? OP has the right idea to get away and come to Penn.</p>

11

<p>can you back up your opinions? princeton has always been my dream school but penn is lokking to be like a more interesting option. also i live in nyc and i fell i wud have somewhat of a hard time adjusting to rural life. however, philadelphia is in many ways similar to nyc. but can you back up your opinions please?</p>

12

<p>Penn and Princeton are rivals. Most of what I said was in jest. Research your colleges. Finally, Penn >>>> Princeton (look at those Ivy League standings) ;)</p>

13

<p>so academically penn is better than princeton? btw princeton ranked #1 this year in US rankings(the magazine thing)</p>

14

<ol>
<li><p>Take USNWR with a grain of salt. They are very imperfect, but give a good rough estimate about the general quality of a school (ie Harvard vs Oklahoma State in rankings).</p></li>
<li><p>Princeton is dead last in the Ivy League and Penn is #1 (which is why we are playing Texas A&M)
<a href=“General - Ivy League”>General - Ivy League;
<li><p>Penn’s business school for undergrads is miles ahead of Princeton’s (for obvious reasons)</p></li>
<li><p>Aside from engineering, Penn and Princeton are pretty close academically, so it doesn’t matter where you go.</p></li>
</ol>

15

<p>the obvious reason, of course, being that Pton’s doesn’t exist.</p>

<p>Also Princeton NJ is boring. Philly is great (so long as you don’t get shot)</p>

16

<p>'Nuf said:</p>

<p>DREAM SCHOOLS</p>

<p>"Parents most wish their kids were headed to Princeton University.</p>

<p>The Princeton Review, a New York-based education services company, has
conducted its “College Hopes & Worries Survey” since 2003. Findings this
school year are based on surveys of 4,902 students and parents nationwide
completed on paper or online from August through February. </p>

<p>Top 10 Dream Colleges: most named were: 1) New York Univ., 2) Harvard, 3) PRINCETON, 4) Stanford, 5)Yale, 6) Brown, 7) Columbia, 8) Duke, 9) Cornell Univ., 10) Univ. of California Los Angeles. </p>

<p>The schools parents most named were: 1) PRINCETON, 2) Stanford, 3) Harvard, 4) Univ. of Notre Dame, 5) Duke, 6) Yale, 7) Boston College, 8) Brown, 9) Cornell Univ., 10) Massachusetts Institute of Technology.</p>

17

<p>This just in: people are dumb.</p>

<p>Notre Dame and BC above Penn, Columbia, UChicago? Please.</p>

18

<p>This just in:</p>

<p>Penn selects Princetonian to deliver 2007 Commencement address.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v53/n25/commencement.html[/url]”>http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v53/n25/commencement.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

19

<p>what’s with all the anti-Princeton sentiment? </p>

<p>I’ve visited both schools many times, and, to be honest, I liked Princeton a lot better. Ok, so Jersey loyalty might have come into play a little bit but Penn really isn’t all that great. </p>

<p>And US News ranked Princeton #1 … sooo I wouldn’t be trash-talking Princeton if I were you …</p>

20

<p>eh…Penn > all…not just Princeton specifically…just all :)</p>

<p>and btw, I’m from jersey too. i don’t like Princeton, for no real reason really, i have never even visited it. i just don’t like the school. oh well. </p>

<p>and us news is a mediocre report if anything. i only consider them semi legitimate because they have Harvard ranked higher than say, NYU, but otherwise, its a “meh…” report.</p>