Why Study Abroad and Why UPenn Specifically

I started thinking about studying abroad years ago, when I was participating in a Learning Lab at TUMO, which was led by an Armenian student from UC Berkeley, who also told us about the admission process. At that time, I was in 8th grade and didn't understand much. I didn't know what the SAT was, and in general, the application process was incomprehensible to me.

In 11th grade, I finally decided that I wanted to apply to universities abroad. During this time, I was also interested in startups, doing an internship, and participating in various programs. I knew for sure that if I got into a university, I would need to continue moving forward at the same pace. That's why UPenn has always been one of my top choices, as it's one of the best places for entrepreneurial students.

With this in mind, I applied to CCC, which made the admission process much easier. But even if I hadn't been accepted to CCC, I would have continued with the same determination. In the end, I applied to only 10 universities in the US.

Among all these universities, I was convinced that UPenn was the best option for me, as it fully met my expectations and goals.

Personal Statement

It was clear that the essay had to be about me, but it was important for me to showcase the values I hold. I think this is one of the best pieces of advice for applicants, as many are afraid to talk about their country. However, the university is more interested in what kind of important person you can become in your country, which is expressed through your values.

Armenia holds great significance for me, so a large part of my essay focused on Armenia. Despite having opportunities abroad, I've always tried to bring that experience back to my country. I also wrote about the international programs I've implemented in Armenia. At the time, I had founded an NGO and presented how much impact I could have.

Stats

I applied during the Covid period, so I didn't take the SAT/ACT. I had a perfect GPA of 9/10 (our school didn't give 10 as a grade), but it's important to note that I studied in a regular public school. Nevertheless, GPA plays a crucial role. As for the TOEFL, I scored 110+.

Extracurricular Activities

1. I completed a 6-month internship as a Back End Engineer.

2. I volunteered at "Gituzh" (Science Power).

3. I'm the founder of an NGO where we organized Hackathons for girls in Armenia.

4. I was a member of CCC and represented Armenia at the CCC Regional Congress.

5. I conducted programming classes.

6. I was a TUMO student, which is one of the most important experiences for me.

Awards

1. I received an award from the Barcelona International Youth Science Challenge program

2. I received an award from one of the New York Academy of Science programs

3. I received an award in a national-level Olympiad

4. I received an award from the Kangaroo Mathematics Competition.

Application Process

I applied to MIT through Early Action, from which I was rejected. I applied to the rest of the universities through Regular Decision. As a result, I was accepted to Stanford, Yale, Duke, and UPenn. I was waitlisted at Columbia and rejected from Harvard.

"Why UPenn?" Essay

In my "Why UPenn?" essay, I wrote about one of UPenn's programs called Global Seminar: You can take it during the year, and at the end of the year, after finals, you can travel to that country.

Tips

UPenn has many interesting programs that other universities don't offer. For example, it's very easy to start internships in various countries, such as Thailand, Hong Kong, or others. The university also has numerous partnerships. The people here are really nice and interesting. The same goes for the classes, some of which include trips.

Talking about and presenting everything that interests you in your essays will show that you're genuinely interested in the university. It's very important to talk about the values that are important to you. In general, when they say "Be yourself," it means showcasing your interests, being honest about what values you prioritize. It's also important to have interesting extracurricular activities and generally be interesting outside of classes.

Also, I think many people overlook GPA and awards, which are very important.

About the University of Pennsylvania

I'm currently a third-year student at UPenn's Engineering School, majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Data Science. Our university is also home to the Wharton School, and many organizations come to us under that name. Additionally, we often participate in various career tracks, which frequently involve trips to New York.

Future Plans

I'm not entirely sure what I want to do after graduation yet, but I see myself more likely to start working in the field right away.