<p>I didn’t do too hot in high school (2.8 GPA). I screwed up badly during my senior year because of some family problems and my GPA went crashing down. I took the SAT cold June 1st and scored 800 CR, 390 math (left most of the questions blank), and 570 in writing (9 essay). I took a gap year after high school as an Americrops member and I have solid extracurricular experiences during high school.</p>
<p>My plan was to start at a two year school, but I am now reconsidering that because I want to have a more traditional college experience. I want advice on a decent school with a strong liberal arts focus that would be interested in a candidate like me. Please let me know.</p>
<p>I know you don’t want to hear this, but you should really retake the SAT… </p>
<p>My application was somewhat like yours – a splitter in two ways. I too had a crummy GPA (I had a 3.3 or 3.4), but a decent SAT score… But then a much higher CR score (760) than math score (580). I didn’t fare too well… While I got honors college and a big merit scholarship at a state school, I got rejected/waitlisted everywhere else. No bitterness here, just giving you some perspective.</p>
<p>If you could get it to 600, you’d be in a much better place than you are. Even if you could get your math to 500, that would still help you a lot, as a 390 really doesn’t show you could survive in college – it’s below the minimum cutoff (450) of the worst university in my state.</p>
<p>It’s difficult to give you suggestions because of your unique application, but first thing’s first – how much can you afford tp spend per year, and how much do your parents make?</p>
<p>Definitely retake the SAT. Only study for the math portion. Apply to an HBCU. You may even get money if you pull your math up 150+ points.</p>
<p>Selection of schools may depend on your state of residency and what you can afford (check the net price calculators of the various schools you are interested in).</p>
<p>Have you try to prepare yourself with some online resources? Try Kahn Academy. It is free and gives you video tutorials in all areas of Math and it also I
prepares you for the SAT. Just google it.</p>
<p>Every section should be at least 550+ to have a decent chance with that GPA. Take it again or try the ACT.</p>
<p>I think the situation isn’t nearly as bleak as the above posters suggest. I think the 800 CR is going to stand way out to the right college. Write a great essay–really shiny, with your personal voice coming through, not boring–about overcoming problems that lead to the drop in the GPA. I am sure a college will be interested in you. You don’t write about where you want to go to school, what you can afford, so we can’t help you there. Private schools may be easier than large state schools. A school with fairly low SAT averages will love your 800.</p>
<p>Definitely retake the SAT, though. Study for it! How far did you get in math at school. I’m sure you can do better. Also, study for the writing section. This section just takes memorization of tricky grammar. There is a great book on this, just the writing section, it’s yellow, the name of which eludes me. Just look it up on Amazon. If you got an 800 on CR I have no doubt you can get the writing up quite a bit. With a little effort your SATs will go way up, and then all you will have to do is explain away the drop in GPA. Your URM status and life experience will boost your application. I think you will be golden if you target the right types of colleges.</p>
<p>Get some one on one math tutoring before you retake tha SAT. Hit up friends who are good at math for cheaper tutoring. Don’t be shy about getting help because just a few concepts can change your score dramatically.</p>
<p>That’s an amazing CR, I’d really retake the SAT.
Look at some HBCU’s also.</p>
<p>In your case, I would recommend taking the ACT. I feel the math section of the ACT is more straightforward. Second, I feel with ACT they pay more attention to just the overall score and I think a score of 27 or so would hide your low math score better.</p>
<p>On top of this I would take the SAT-2 subject test for writing since this area is a real strength.</p>
<p>27+ ACT, 800 SAT II writing, etc would put you in good shape.</p>
<p>I did not study for the math section, or any section for that matter. Historically I have always been a poor math studen, so even with studying I probably will not rise very much. I am looking for schools that will allow me to graduate with minimal debt.</p>
<p>Not possible if you don’t want to retake. Go to CC for 2 years and then good colleges won’t even ask for your test scores</p>
<p>By CC standards, you have a low GPA, but it’s not as dire as many people make it seem. The SAT score, on the other hand, is going to raise eyebrows. I understand you were never good at math, but you need to have some minimal skill. The 800 CR is nothing to laugh at, very few people get such a score, but most also have a higher math score to go along with it. Since you’re looking for financial aid, you must also understand that the SAT score is likely impact how aid is distributed. At a school where full need is met, you would be fine, but at a school that only meets need for some, and gives grants to some and loans to others, your score isn’t going to help.</p>
<p>If you are looking to start in the fall of 2014, or even spring of 2014, you have some time to set things straight. You need to first identify where you want to go, and find out how they treat college classes taken after HS graduation. In some cases, they will mean you are treated as a transfer student, which eliminates some of the best scholarships. But at others you can still take some classes - particularly if you don’t enroll as a degree seeking student. If you find a good solid choice that will allow you to take community college classes as a non-degree student, without losing status as an incoming freshman, you can take remedial math classes at a local community college to prepare for the SAT or ACT.</p>
<p>Why do you need to do this? Because the majority of colleges are going to require you to take 1 or 2 math classes, no matter what major you choose. And the remedial classes don’t count for credit toward your degree. If you can’t pass those classes, you won’t get your degree.</p>
<p>In the end, starting at a 2-year college is not the end of the world. The 4-year experience is only tradition in the movies, not for most students, so don’t worry about missing out on something. If the 2-year college is what works best for you, go for it.</p>