Worth taking the UPenn shot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid went to Princeton, and I advise sixth graders about devising paths to have a shot at Ivies. With the stats you mentioned OP, your child is unlikely to be admitted to an Ivies.

I would argue that state schools are often better for engineering majors, so I would not stress if I were you. Have her go to a state school wherever you live. Once there, have her focus on getting the best internships and Co-Ops possible. Good luck!

+1000

[Anonymous]

Upenn is test required so pre covid sat score range should be good reference. And what does “pointy” kid mean?

[Anonymous]

Maybe look at Cornell too, especially if she can get the SAT score higher. Our school had a student admitted ED1 with similar ECs and NMSF.

I think it is important to stress to DD that all these schools are universally unlikely for everyone. My DH is an alumni interviewer and every year it is carnage. If she does decide to apply make sure she has a strong option lined up for ED2 and also some safeties that she loves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My spouse and I both graduated from Penn, our older kid (hs class 2023) had a 4.75 gpa in mcps, 1590 SAT, 15 APs of all 5s with a few 4s, top rigor incl APs in all 5 core subjects and math thru MV calc, was captain of varsity sports team along with other ECs, strong writer, I believe strong recs, and was not accepted (applied ED). Other equally qualified kids his year had same results, only kid accepted was an ED app and had a hook. We won’t even have younger sib apply.

Strong:
Number of APs and mostly 5s
SAT
Legacy

Neutral (assume most have this)
Good writer
Letters of rec

Not:
-MV math is good but not what I wld think is ivy great (lots of kids have a year beyond that)
- captain of a varsity sports is meaningless (over saturated)
- legacy - counterintuitive but: http://www.thedp.com/article/2023/03/penn-legacy-admissions-policy-changes-university

[Anonymous]

My DC is at ivy engineering. 5 on calc bc and 5 on the ab sub is what is needed. And only 5 counts. MV is good but not necessary.

[Anonymous]

Look at Cornell engineering. I know of kids that got in with similar stats but applying ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at Cornell engineering. I know of kids that got in with similar stats but applying ED.

Cornell will be test required in the next cycle. That score is unlikely.

[Anonymous]

Have a kid at Penn Engineering now. Did MV Calc in HS. It is not accurate that many are a year beyond that in HS.

My kid loves it and the programs are very supportive of women.

Best of luck, whatever she decides to do!!

[Anonymous]

Is your DD planning to go to grad school? If not, I'd skip the LAC engineering programs and go for a big engineering school. I'm an engineering professor, and unless you're wanting to do general engineering with an eye for graduate school, the smaller programs really do not provide enough depth into each engineering discipline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have a kid at Penn Engineering now. Did MV Calc in HS. It is not accurate that many are a year beyond that in HS.

My kid loves it and the programs are very supportive of women.

Best of luck, whatever she decides to do!!

Depends on the school district. FCPS has many who do it…22 schools teach a version of it (AV or DE), 22 teach linear algebra, and 4 schools teach Differential Equations. Advanced? Yes. Uncommon? No. Otherwise it would just be offered directly through a local college, which is an option at all FCPS high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid went to Princeton, and I advise sixth graders about devising paths to have a shot at Ivies. With the stats you mentioned OP, your child is unlikely to be admitted to an Ivies.

I would argue that state schools are often better for engineering majors, so I would not stress if I were you. Have her go to a state school wherever you live. Once there, have her focus on getting the best internships and Co-Ops possible. Good luck!

You know how unhealthy that is, right? To have pre-teens structure their lives around getting into particular colleges, before they have any inkling of their own priorities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have a kid at Penn Engineering now. Did MV Calc in HS. It is not accurate that many are a year beyond that in HS.

My kid loves it and the programs are very supportive of women.

Best of luck, whatever she decides to do!!

Depends on the school district. FCPS has many who do it…22 schools teach a version of it (AV or DE), 22 teach linear algebra, and 4 schools teach Differential Equations. Advanced? Yes. Uncommon? No. Otherwise it would just be offered directly through a local college, which is an option at all FCPS high schools.

I am saying that it is not common at Penn, at least among my kid’s friends. I’m not sure anyone in her HS class went past MV- but can’t be sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My spouse and I both graduated from Penn, our older kid (hs class 2023) had a 4.75 gpa in mcps, 1590 SAT, 15 APs of all 5s with a few 4s, top rigor incl APs in all 5 core subjects and math thru MV calc, was captain of varsity sports team along with other ECs, strong writer, I believe strong recs, and was not accepted (applied ED). Other equally qualified kids his year had same results, only kid accepted was an ED app and had a hook. We won’t even have younger sib apply.

Strong:
Number of APs and mostly 5s
SAT
Legacy

Neutral (assume most have this)
Good writer
Letters of rec

Not:
-MV math is good but not what I wld think is ivy great (lots of kids have a year beyond that)
- captain of a varsity sports is meaningless (over saturated)
- legacy - counterintuitive but: http://www.thedp.com/article/2023/03/penn-legacy-admissions-policy-changes-university

Agree with your gist but you are wrong on the math. I have a kid at an ivy and one at a “little ivy,” and both have reported that many of their classmates “only” took calc as a senior (in many excellent school systems in the northeast (not magnets), that is the most rigorous path), and many of them “only” took calc ab. My kids both took thru calc bc, so not even MV like pp’s kid. At Whitman, where my kids went, I don’t think they even offer beyond MV.

To get back to op’s question, if Penn is your kid’s dream school, then sure apply, but even if she gets her SAT to above 1500 she will be in a pool with literally tens of thousands of equally qualified kids. I’d suggest you try to find a college (Emory?) that has many of the aspects she likes about Penn, but where her stats give her a better shot and where early decision is an advantage.

[Anonymous]

Penn alum here with dc there now but no engineering. That said, if SAT can increase to 1500 you should choose a reach school and go for it. Girls applying to Engineering do get a tiny break by their ED choice, but you have to choose strategically. What colleges in particular like your school? Apply there. That said, we know ED engineering girls ultimately accepted to Penn and Cornell with 1510, 1530 and 1450 (TO). Everyone hates Columbia right now so you could catch a break there. For RD, you need minimum 1550 at any of these engineering programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid went to Princeton, and I advise sixth graders about devising paths to have a shot at Ivies. With the stats you mentioned OP, your child is unlikely to be admitted to an Ivies.

I would argue that state schools are often better for engineering majors, so I would not stress if I were you. Have her go to a state school wherever you live. Once there, have her focus on getting the best internships and Co-Ops possible. Good luck!

You know how unhealthy that is, right? To have pre-teens structure their lives around getting into particular colleges, before they have any inkling of their own priorities?

These aren't " normal kids". They are " cream of the crop". Similar to many elite athletes charting their course at a young age, so do elite students.