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Hey guys! Here are my stats, if you could let me know what you think my chances ED are that'd be awesome thanks!

SATI: 700 verbal, 680 math
SATII: 800 writing, 650 bio, 630 iic (retake oct)

Courses Jr. Year:
AP Bio, AP art history, French, English, Digital Photography independent, Stat/Pre-Calc
Sr. Year:
AB (an AP) Calc, French, Two English electives, AP Photo, (accelerated) Physics, and Journalism (a requirement if you're on the newspaper)
My GPA approx. a 3.6, our school doesn't rank but I got "High Distinction"

ECs:
Founder and ed in chief of an online photo gallery (the first successful publication, I'm told, in over 25 years, I also got an "faculty commendation," like an award, for it)
Editor on the literary/arts magazine
Photo editor of the award-winning school paper
Varsity Crew (captain) First boat for two years, coxing for four years
80 hrs of community service
School intensive photography trip to Tuscany
Documentary Photography team for the school
Give tours for the school
I also worked as a studio assistant this summer with a professional photographer
BU Racing Camp (crew)
Summer educational travel with a major in Art History Minor in Architecture
Art intensive camp: Major in Photography Minor in Metalworks

I go to a highly competitive HS in New England. My strengths are in my art, but I am applying to Penn because it has a strong arts program but is well rounded. I've taken just about every photography course my school offers...and continued to work outside of school. I should have really good recs and a great essay. I'm a double legacy (both my parents) at upenn, which I'm hoping will cancel out the low-ish standardized tests. I've met with the head of the art dept, and the head of photography, both of whom seemed to really like my portfolio, but I don't know if that will really help me come decision time. Any insight would be great, thanks!!

By Bartoastt (Bartoastt) on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 03:48 pm: Edit

youre a coxswain? are you gonna keep doing crew at penn? do you cox boys or girls?

By Bexter54 (Bexter54) on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 03:55 pm: Edit

I cox girls, but have coxed boys, usually fours, but did eights (at the summer camp) I don't know if I'll keep coxing at penn, I would love to, but not going for recruitment (i know that's really hard esp for coxswains) do you cox too?

By Bartoastt (Bartoastt) on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 05:04 pm: Edit

yeahh i do, im glad youre not going for recruitment. cuz then we'd be competing. why is it supposedly so hard for coxes? whered you hear that?

as for your chances...you're defiently in. any legacy with good grades is in, and a double legacy is twice the fun.

so now that you're into penn, what school do you cox for? maybe i know someone from your team. i met tons of people from New England crew teams at Northeast Rowing camp.

By Bexter54 (Bexter54) on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 06:18 pm: Edit

i've just heard that only one coxswain gets recruited per year, but I dont know if that's the case for penn or not. I bet you met a bunch of kids from CRI (community rowing) at the northeast camp...that's where most of the kids from my team practice outside of school.

By Bartoastt (Bartoastt) on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 07:33 pm: Edit

yeah only one coxswain does get recruited. i dont know how many experienced coxswains who want to get recruited could possibly be applying to UPenn early though. hopefully there arent a lot. i'm doing an overnight visit with the crew team pretty soon and mike lane said he'd talk "strategy" with me then. he also told me that they make the decision on who to support right at the ED deadline...so its all pretty stressful.

i did meet a few CRI girls, but acutally mostly boarding school kids. TONS of boarding school kids. i felt like i freak cuz i went to public school and didnt wear la coste polos all the time. haha. oh i love how preppy crew is

By Bexter54 (Bexter54) on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 08:00 pm: Edit

Oh i hear that! but you cant help but loving the sport. well, it totally sounds like you're ont he right track for recruitment. that sucks that they wont let you commit before ed deadline (do you mean nov 1st or dec 15?) that always seemed like a nice thing about being recruited. and don't worry, i doubt there are many coxswains who are really going for recruiting, far more rowers at least! I know a coxswain who was being recruited then decided to apply rd, and they revoked the recruit! (she was also a legacy, so this mightve had an effect too, I hear penn is pretty touchy about that)

By Bartoastt (Bartoastt) on Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 08:52 pm: Edit

by ED deadline i mean nov 1st. thats when they decide who they recruit. it seems like a really subjective process with coxswains. they basically have you for an overnight and then decide if they like youre personality and if you'd seem like a fun person to have on the team. so its a bit of pressure. they also base who they recruit on whether or not they think that you'll get in on your own. like last year they ended up with two coxswains, one that was recruited and one that got in on her own. its all just a crazy process.

By Bexter54 (Bexter54) on Thursday, September 30, 2004 - 04:44 pm: Edit

wow, but so exciting! I just found out today one of my best friends (and my three seat) just committed to Columbia, I can't believe people are already comitting. Youre so lucky you find out early! I go for my interview this weekend, and visit art heads again. a little scary. the team is starting to talk about crew season already! (we're part of the mass ISL schools, so we can only race in the spring) and HOCR soon enough!

By Bartoastt (Bartoastt) on Thursday, September 30, 2004 - 05:08 pm: Edit

ohh so you guys get to go to charles? thats so cool! last year our girls 8 went and did like 19/55 but didnt get invited back. our stupid, really bad boys team gets to send an 8 this year cuz we switch back and for from year to year which team gets to go. roar. oh well. at least we still get to go to head of the schuylkill. that'll be a fun time.

a couple of us girls are actually gonna drive out of charles anyways, just to go to the regatta. it'll be mad fun. i hear the charles parties are insane.

it sucks that you only have crew in the spring. we have like 1 month off from crew between fall season and winter training. its really funny cuz all the crew girls complain that we dont know what to do with ourselves. hahah. we all miss crew when we have time off. thats how we can tell that its a cult.

By Bexter54 (Bexter54) on Thursday, September 30, 2004 - 05:16 pm: Edit

19/55 for eights isnt bad at all! im surprised you didnt get invited back..I heard this year that they had so many boats want to come taht they're only taking one per institution, our boys and girls are duking it out, but a teacher is on the board and hoping to let us both in. charles is always a good time! so many people.

yeah, crew is the only organzied sport I do (otherwise I'm always doing photo) so it is an obsession. we, too, always get the cult name, I'm def one of those kids(and you seem like it too!) who's not ashamed by it! we've all got the oar ring from new englands...never take it off.

By Bartoastt (Bartoastt) on Friday, October 01, 2004 - 04:32 pm: Edit

oh man oar rings, thats awesome. i love crew jewelery. im like amassing a collection. so far i've got the ring, a necklace, and a bracelet. hahah. wow we're way too obsessed with crew. my team doesnt go to new englands though. but i got the necklace at canadian henley, the ring at head of the fish, and the bracelet at NYS championships. i dont suppose your team goes to canadian henley or head of hte fish at all, do you?

By Bexter54 (Bexter54) on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 06:01 pm: Edit

no we don't go to any! where's the head of the fish? charles is the only head we do (b/c we're not allowed to practice not on spring season...stupid isl) i have the ring, necklace, and keychain. haha talk about paraphernalia.

So, I just got back from my interview/visit. i hate that I'm so in love with this place!!