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Hi, I really love business, and economics. I want to go to Wharton or another top business/econ school in a city... I realize my SATs are low.

I am in the top 4% of my class and my GPA is 4.167 weighted 3.65 unweighted
I have taken 6 AP classes, and 10 other honors classes.

My SATs are 1280 (680 M, 600 V),
28 ACT (32 M, 30 sci, 21 reading, 27 wri)
SATs IIs (790 US his, 620 MathIC (retaking Nov. 1), 560 Writing(retaking Nov. 1),
and AP tests are (4 US history, 5 Human Geo, 5 Micro, 4 Macro).

My ECs are very strong:
I own my own website which makes $20k/yr.
I manage a stock portfolio.
I am a restaurant advisor.
I went to Harvard summer school and got two B+'s in Capital Markets and Investments; and Web Development
Also I have 4 years student/class council (VP and pres 2 years)
8 hours a month community service, officer for two years at Interact Leaders Club
Big Brother mentor
Yearbook
NHS
Amensty Int.
Talent show
Math Team
Winter Track
Founded our school wiffleball league (Yay!)
Helped restart a high school frat

I have a feeling my recs are good:
My economics teacher put, "top in his career for academics on my harvard summer app"
My harvard econ professor is writing me a rec.
Also, I am friends with the alumni interviewer for Wharton.
I am also an Asian from Maine.

I know my choices are ambitious, but
Please rate my chances:
Reaches:
Wharton (Early Decision)
Harvard
Stanford
UC-Berkeley,
NYU

Match (well kinda):
University of Texas at Austin (Red McCoombs Business School)
McGill
Michigan
Emory
Madison
Tufts

Safety:
BU
Penn State - Smeal

Still not sure about:
Columbia, UVA, Brown, Princeton , Northwestern,


I am thinking I could postpone my early decision date and try to bring up my SATs. However, I have read that apply early is equilavent to a boost of 100 SAT I points. What do you think I should do? I am considering many other schools, though Wharton is my first choice. I also want to go to top schools, but I don’t mind going to a good econ school then going to a good grad b. school.

By Xiaoxiannv (Xiaoxiannv) on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 03:17 am: Edit

I definitely do not think you are retarded. While your SATs might be a little low (just retake them), you have great ECs and since you even have a letter of recommendation (is it good?) from a HARVARD professor. Now that's impressive. Just make sure it's really good. By the way, I have never heard of Wharton before... so I really don't know.

If you make sure you have an amazing college app essay, and a great rec from a teacher in another subject (such as math--econ and math go together, you know ), your chances of getting in are much higher.

By the way, your GPA is a little low also, but I wouldn't worry about it too much--you can't change it; just make sure you keep your grades up and try to get straight A's this year.

By Cmaher (Cmaher) on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 03:34 am: Edit

UChicago is a good economics school, look into it

By Jkurz2004 (Jkurz2004) on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 09:05 am: Edit

yeah you have a shot, your ECs rule. I'd say that it doesn't hurt and if you get into Wharton then you will become a god, and you'll be glad you tried.

By Roxysurfet (Roxysurfet) on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 10:33 am: Edit

I am also applying ED to Wharton. I don't have spectacular standardized test scores (1370), but I am having an alumnus write me a letter of recommendation.