Decision: Accepted - SEAS
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 1590 (800 Math, 790 Reading) - one sitting
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): N/A
ACT (breakdown): N/A
ACT superscore (breakdown): N/A
SAT II (subject, score): Math II 800, Chemistry 800
Unweighted/Weighted GPA: 4.59 weighted
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): no rank at my hs, but definitely in the top 5
AP/IB (place score in parentheses): Calculus BC (5), Chemistry (5), Statistics (5), APUSH (5), Psychology (5), Physics 1 (4), Physics 2 (4), English Language (5), Computer Science A (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP French, Honors Anatomy & Physiology (rigor of an AP class), AP European History, AP Physics C, AP English Literature, AP Biology
Number of other ED applicants in your school: 5
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): N/A
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): National AP Scholar, National Merit Semifinalist, National French Exam Gold Medal (3 years)
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description):
JV Cross Country Runner (9, 10, 11, 12): Senior Leader
Key Club (10, 11, 12)
National Honors Society (11, 12)
Job/Work Experience:
West Penn Hospital Internship (12): 8 weeks long, 7 hours per day, worked in various departments, especially in the Intensive Care Unit as an assistant for nurses. Also conducted research in a hospital environment and participated in planning and implementing initiatives to increase the efficiency of the hospital.
Private Academic Tutor (11, 12)
Volunteer/Community Service:
UPMC Hospital Volunteering (10, 11, 12): approx. 150 hours total
Allegheny General Hospital Volunteering (11): approx. 50 hours total
World Vision Volunteer (10, 11, 12)
Living Ministry Volunteer (9, 10, 11, 12): outreach events for the homeless in my city
Summer Experience:
Hospital Volunteering and Internship (see above)
Teacher Recommendation #1: 9/10 - (waived right to read, but…) AP Chemistry and Honors Organic Chemistry teacher, knows me really well, did great in both classes, talked outside of class
Teacher Recommendation #2: 9/10 - (also waived right to read) APUSH teacher, great guy, loved my presentations, did great in his class
Counselor Rec: 8/10 - (didn’t get to read) one of the top students, talked to her more than the average student, writes good rec letters, probably a little bit generic
Additional Info/Rec: N/A
Interview: 8/10 - really hit it off, interesting conversations, seemed impressed with me, was pretty well prepared, talked about a lot of her own experiences that I was interested in too, nothing amazing though
Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Why Penn: 8/10 - very specific, talked about different experiences and programs on campus that would directly influence me and my career goals, emphasized interdisciplinary studies, collaboration, and innovation
Any dual-degree program essays: N/A
CommonApp Essay: 10/10 - LOVED writing this, many people/teachers read it and helped me edit, talked about my hospital summer experiences, but also a difficult decision that challenged my character and integrity
Other:
Date Submitted App: 10/30/18
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
U.S. State/Territory or Country: PA
School Type: Large Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket Range: ~100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): from PA?, female in engineering?, not quite sure if these really count lol
Reflection
Strengths: GPA, scores, essays, rec letters, passion really showed through my app
Weaknesses: extracurriculars were pretty limited…, lack of leadership roles in general
Were else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: University of Pittsburgh - accepted (didn’t apply anywhere else yet)
What would you have done differently?: probably been more involved in extracurriculars
Other Factors: Honestly, I’m still completely in shock! I’m so happy I’ve been given this amazing opportunity. I’m so grateful to my teachers, family, and friends for helping/supporting me through this process. I’m so excited to meet my fellow classmates on campus soon! For those who are still continuing their college search, good luck, and I’m sure you will find an amazing and vibrant community that you will love and thrive in. For hopeful applicants, remember, you don’t have to be the best candidate out there to be accepted. You just need to show Penn why you are a good fit for them. Explain how passionate and committed you are! Good luck everyone!