1570 on my SAT..can i go to college?

mewiow · 10-30-2009, 06:12 AM

im an international
i actually cried ALOT when i got these scores!
my first attempt at SAT and im a senior..
dont be mean please,, im already depressed enough
i got CR: 570
MM: 510
WR:490
GPA: 3.9
120 hrs of volunteer at a local vet
president of the volunteer club
and... that's about all
and i want to major in Biology, or Marine biology, or Zoology
do i have a chance at these schools at ALL??
* Albany SU
* Boston U
* Emory U
* Florida SU
* Georgia SU
* Miami U Oxford
* New York U
* SUNY Stony Brook
* U Hawaii Manoa
* Wake Forest U
and if non of these schools seem applicable for me, than what schools are??

please help me! thank you

AlmaIlaria · 10-30-2009, 07:59 AM

where are you from?

ncmentor · 10-30-2009, 08:12 AM

If your GPA is UW than you can consider Wake or any of the SAT/ACT optional schools, but one of the big issues that you may run into is $$$. Even at test optional schools scholarships often consider SAT/ACT as part of the award selection criteria, so unless your a full pay student be sure you understand the $ part of school selection.

SDonCC · 10-30-2009, 11:13 AM

of course you can go to college ! your scores are the same as perhaps the vast majority of applicants in this country. Scores in the 600s and above are above average!!

You just need to research each school to see where your scores fit in the admitted student profile. The easiest way to do this is to go to collegeboard.com, put in the name of each college, and go to the "how do I stack up" to see the stats.

EricLG · 10-30-2009, 12:13 PM

SDonCC,
Her scores are average for HS test takers, but since not all testees go to university, your statement is misleading. Certainly she can go to a community college, and transfer to a Uni if she does well. Direct admission to the schools she listed is less obvious to me. E.g., 75% of BU's latest freshmen class scored greater than 580, 600, and 590 in reading, math, and writing respectively in the SAT. I think it fair to guess that most of the applicant pool that scored on the low side in one sub-score, scored considerably higher in another sub-score.

What to do: as posted earlier, sign up for at collegeboard.com, and enter your profile. The website makes it pretty easy to compare your profile to the middle 50% of the profile of the latest freshmen class for each school. Choose three groups of schools: those you are pretty confident you can get into because your profile is in the top 25% rankings; 'maybes' where your profile puts you smack dab in the middle; and 'reaches' where your profile puts you about the 25th percentile ranking.

Apply to a lot of schools, and expect to pay full fare.

OP, you didn't ask, but may I suggest you consider a reality of University: depending on school, anywhere from 10 - 70% of entering freshmen drop out. For most families money is a limited resource. Spending $50,000 to $100,000 to drop out after a year or two is pretty harsh. If you were my spawn I would encourage you to go to an inexpensive school locally where you can prove yourself able to handle University.

mewiow · 10-30-2009, 02:17 PM

im from korea ive been going to international school since sophmore here.. :|\'

mewiow · 10-30-2009, 02:21 PM

thank you all for your answers and concerns..

i will take them in to heart when im applying and such,but would you recommend i retake the test?
Also money is a factor, but my family is willing to pay for them... but im never going to dropout of college if i get accepted.. lol ill try my hardest to stay there haha and also i dont know of any local colleges in korea,, and maybe the "inexpensive school" could also apply to state schools?

mewiow · 10-30-2009, 02:25 PM

thank you SdonCC.. you made me feel better about my situation.. it's very hopeful and a relief to know that im an average and there are people like me who go to colleges..

thank you EricLG for your very informative plans on what to do next
i really hope i get to leave to the states in august... !

hudsonvalley51 · 10-30-2009, 02:33 PM

I do think you want to bring your test scores up, particularly in math, if you want to be competitive at many of the schools you listed. Although a 570 in CR is not bad at all for an international whose first language is not English.

You might want to consider taking the ACT instead of, or in addition to, the SAT. Is there a Daekyo Test Center near your home in Korea?

EricLG · 10-30-2009, 02:41 PM

Really, no local colleges in Korea ? I'm curious to hear about post HS education in Korea if you wouldn't mind.

'State' Universities are expensive for foreigners. One option you can consider though is community college. They are relatively inexpensive even for foreigners, and typically treat you as a resident after one year in the state. You would have to check for each state and each school though -- each one can be different.

EricLG · 10-30-2009, 03:01 PM

mewiow, I just had an idea I think you should check out:
Mark Montgomery is a private college counselor. You can get a feeling for who he is by checking out his website at greatcollegeadvice.com. I read it often, because I am interested in education in the US in general, and nosy since my kids will go to college next year.
I know he has counseled kids outside of where he lives; I imagine by using the internet for videoconferencing. *In general* I consider these counselors to be a bit of a scam since so much of what they say can simply be read on the internet. I don't have any personal experience with Mark, but he strikes me as different and probably worth his fees, particularly for someone like you who needs a lot of help in matching college to student.

At a minimum, write him an email and introduce yourself with a brief summary of your education and college desires. Even if he declines a consultancy I bet he will have some good advice for you. My only connection to him are my occasional comments on his blog.

Cheers, and Good luck! -- Eric

elizadoo47 · 10-30-2009, 09:46 PM

Florida SU might take you, depends..they are always trying to recruit international minorities.

Also, my sister went to Emory and her SAT scores were in the 500+/- range (total 1560). Here is the secret: for the first two years you go to a small college called Oxford, it is a "feeder" school for Emory and not too far away from Atlanta. At Oxford they prepare you for Emory work (they can help you with your language skills). If you have a 2.75 GPA or higher at Oxford you have automatic transfer into Emory in your junior year.

Good luck!

mewiow · 10-31-2009, 01:16 PM

wow i am overwhelmed by all of your information and advices for me! thank you so much for your interest in helping me through these college steps...

and about the ACT, it is a great idea! but the one problem im having is that im already a senior right now, and i dont believe that i have the time to "prep" for the ACT.. :[ i guess i kind of didnt think about other choices rather than the SAT.. but i will retake my test on 12/5 prepare for (35days) till the SAT, and try to raise my scores in to maybe about in to 600s, hopefully..! xD
And also about the local colleges and high schools in korea, im not very familiar with the Korean education, partly because i have never attended a normal korean HS, since i attend an international school, and also i have never considered colleges in korea till now. But i do believe that we do not have a community college in my providence in Ilsan. But if i happen to find out more, i might post a few more comments on that subject later on

i have heard of the Daekyo Test Center, but i believe that it is about an 40 min away from my providence in Goyangsi Ilsan. but i cannot be sure because i am terrible at locations and directions xD but i have a feeling that i might be right lol

oh EricLG thank you for your advice! i will check out the site and also try to contact the private college counselor,, i have heard that many foreign students have a college counselor in the states, who recommends students on colleges and activities and what grade, and scores that they should have to get in to a certain school. All this for 20,000 dollar per year. very expensive in my opinion, but im just talking about the very few freinds of mine who are well-off..anyways, i will take your advice and thank you for helping me out!

Eliza doo47! my sister told me about that system at Emory too! at first when i heard about this program, i thought "that's wasting 2 years!" BUT now i think that it is a great place to give people opportunity to go to such a prestigious school! wow im thankful now that this program exists! i think i should also consider this a great option for me, and thank you for sharing the "secret" with me! :^)

EricLG · 10-31-2009, 06:55 PM

US $20,000 ?? Sheesh
I doubt Mark Montgomery is anywhere close to that amount, but I don't know for sure. Perhaps you will let us know ?

I also think plans like Emory might be a good alternative for you. My suggestions to start at a community college are along the same idea, but don't have the "Emory" name the first two years. Of course, they do not carry the Oxford-Emory price tag, either.

monstor344 · 10-31-2009, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Her scores are average for HS test takers, but since not all testees go to university, your statement is misleading. Certainly she can go to a community college, and transfer to a Uni if she does well. Direct admission to the schools she listed is less obvious to me. E.g., 75% of BU's latest freshmen class scored greater than 580, 600, and 590 in reading, math, and writing respectively in the SAT. I think it fair to guess that most of the applicant pool that scored on the low side in one sub-score, scored considerably higher in another sub-score.

BU is a top 60 school. There are hundreds, if not thousands of schools in the US that would accept OP. I have to ask the OP though, why did you only take the SAT once, and during your senior year no less?