<p>Well I think the only thing that’s going to mess me up is the testing. I do horribly because I don’t work well under pressure and that’s exactly how the SAT feels like. Should I take the ACT just to be secure? Maybe the ACT doesn’t require the immense stamina that the SAT does and perhaps that could save me somehow? </p>
<p>If I score lower than the high 600s in critical reading Penn asks for (want to murder critical reading with my bare hands!!!) don’t you think the adcom will find it fishy that I get good grades in class and write this killer essay accompanied by great recs? I’m wondering how much the SAT and other tests will count compared to the other factors such as gpa, essay, and recs.</p>
<p>I suck at critical reading…I can do grammar quite well. Writing essays is my strong point and math follows closely behind. Then there’s that thingy everyone calls critical reading, which is my lowest on the PSAT. Since I want to major in science, do you think that critical reading from the SAT will be detrimental to my application?</p>
<p>The CR certainly won’t help your app if it is in the low six hundreds, but I doubt it would be the reason for any decision. If you really do write some great essays and have a very good school report, then I definitely think there is hope!!! I think that a lot of people assume that testing is more important than it ends up being, especially at places with more holistic admissions processes. So I would say don’t worry about it and begin to focus on the rest of the application. If you can’t follow my advice about not worrying (I would understand, I know how stressful it is to apply to college…), then take the ACT if nothing more than for peace of mind. Good luck.</p>
<p>You see, I transfered from my really low zoned school to an elite school as an incoming sophomore, which is harder to get in so that’s…something. In my high school, I focus on one thing (besides academics): music. I will have taken three semesters of music theory by the end of junior year, I took sight-singing/ear training, music history in 9th and will retake in 12th (requirements say so), I took strings class for three semesters so far and will continue, I’m in the orchestra and various school performances, advanced piano class, chamber music, took NYSSMA (this music test in NY) and on top of that, I go to weekly piano and violin classes taught by Juilliard graduates (phew!).</p>
<p>So you see how much music is a part of my high school life. The colleges want to see me involved with one thing, and be good at it. My diploma will say I was a music major in HS. </p>
<p>For a school like penn (or any ivy for that matter…), music is a very common EC. Unless you play some obscure instrument (bassoon, etc), or you have won some natiuonal/international recognition, “music” won’t give you an edge. </p>
<p>Especially with instruments like piano and violin…merely playing (for however long) is not enough. Attending classes taught by Juilliard grads is not enough…Attending classes at Juilliard, maybe…</p>
<p>Similarly, just attending a prestigious high school does not give you an edge, many times you’ll find that you’re at a disadvantage because there are many more qualified applicants from your school.</p>
<p>gah! But no one applied to Penn from my school. I’m not saying that music will give me an edge, but at least the Ivy will see that I focused on one thing rather than rush to get into all the damn clubs and hog all the community service, you know what I’m saying?</p>
<p>Curse the stereotype of pianists and violinists!! Curses!! </p>
<p>I have great experience in a laboratory/hospital volunteering/college med course (complete with shiny college credit) and I want to major in med when I go to college, so music is not my only thing. What more can I do to show my affection for Penn?!?</p>
<p>haha tuba is like…giant and loud. I guess if you make it sound beautiful you get points for that. Meh…there are rarely any oboists…oboe would be good.</p>
<p>that’s great halopeno. Haha oboe, eh? How entertaining. But uh oboe and tuba…harmony…that’s uh …quite unique. heh</p>
<p>Oh and another question. When filling out the application, you have to write your name, address, etc. in the boxes. Do you skip a box to count for a space? (“NewYork,NY” or “New<em>York,</em>NY”?) It’s confusing.</p>
<p>If you know you want to go to Med School, you can pretty much major in anything from Biology to Art History. As long as you have to prerequisites like bio, chem, org. chem, physics, calc, etc. you can get in to an accredited Med School. Just make sure you can fit everything in, it is a lot easier to be premed with a science major because there is more overlap of required courses than that of an art history major.</p>
<p>Vagelos Molecular Life Sciences is a biochemistry/chemistry degree with submatriculation or another science degree. This program is in the College.</p>
<p>Vagelos Life Sciences Management (which I think you are referring to) is College+Wharton where you choose the management or life sciences track.</p>