Penn Vagelos LSM Application Tips and Chances

fcm951
Sun, 11 Oct 2015 20:10:55 +0000

For those of you who have gotten into Vagelos LSM or know someone who has gotten into it, or have gotten into a similar dual degree program, what are your tips on getting to this highly competitive dual degree program?

Vagelos LSM is my Top Choice right now, and I’m much less interested in just doing Penn ED at CAS (which would be my second choice if I don’t get in to the dual degree; – I don’t want to do only business so I’m not doing Wharton second choice). Thus, I really wish to get into the dual degree, and just that program. I know I’m definitely a competitive applicant for normal UPenn ED, but for Vagelos its astronomically harder because they take only 25 kids (and less than that if you take into account international students)… what are things they are looking for for this specific program and what can I do to improve my chances?

Profile (i’ll try to keep it brief as possible):
SAT/GPA: The usual for a typical competitive Ivy Applicant. (3.9-4.0 UW)/(99th percentile SAT score - though took SAT’s 3x)/(750+ SAT’s in Math 2, a science, and US History)
Other academics: Class Top 10, National Merit Semi, etc. Course schedule very loaded. Have a couple of school awards. Nothing too outstanding though.

EC’s:

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Not related to Science and Business: Violin - Nationally Recognized; Three season athlete (soccer - [team nationally ranked], winter track+spring track). Art - [scholastic art award gold key winner], Various but not hardcore Volunteer stuff (tutoring, benefit concerts), Chess club (meh), contributor to school newspaper and magazine.

Related to Science and Business (Their website seems to like kids who have more science activities; not sure if I have enough):
Interned at a Lab at UPenn last summer(have a rec from the head director too), DECA member (Business Club - only made it to states though due to conflicts), NSLC (1 summer - national student leadership conference entrepreneurship incubator, my team won the product pitch competition?), Econ Club member, Astronomy Club + Reincarnation/UFOology club (just started with my friend, so this means probably nothing to the admissions officer)

Leadership positions (don’t seem too legit though):
Organizer of the Benefit Concerts and Hospital Visits
Concertmaster and Section Leader positions in various orchestras
Officer (but not founder…) in two clubs at school

Hooks:
URM or Legacy: Nope.
School: Yes. Independent school in PA with very good connection to UPenn. We feed lots of kids there. However, only one kid has applied to or/gotten into UPenn Vagelos.

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Other notes: Additional Supplements - I’m sending a music + an art supplement. They both are good.
My recs are not bad but i don’t think they are amazing. I do have the rec from the UPenn Lab though.
My common app essay is about music. Not about business or science.

Why Penn essay is ok, Vagelos Supplement is decent.