<p>Some quick facts about me: rising senior, asian(indian), live in MD, want to be a computer/software engineer</p>
<p>GPA unweighted: 3.167 (took all honors courses starting from 10th grade, i also took one AP so far)
SAT scores: 550(math), 420(critical reading), 400(writing)
Extracurricular Activities: cross country, indoor track, outdoor track, spanish club
Volunteer Work: 105 hours</p>
<p>Colleges that I’m looking at: Drexel University, Penn State Erie, Penn State University Park, University of Maryland: Baltimore County, West Virginia University, Virginia Tech</p>
<p>I know I need to retake the SATs and raise my total score by at least 200. So what are my chances at any of the schools listed above? Do I need to aim lower? Please suggest other colleges in the mid-atlantic area that I have a realistic shot at. Thank you.</p>
<p>i don’t know about the other schools, but you can definitely get into Penn State. Drexel is a reach…but if you raised your SAT scores and Gpa, you could get in.</p>
<p>NY Mom here- Westminster my d too had low SAT scores. She and the SAT’s had a very rocky relationship. I am going to suggest you try the ACT test. For some kids, there is a remarkable difference in results. My d scored an equivalent of 130 points higher on the ACT than the SAT. She didn’t study that much for the ACT either. Just a few practice tests to familiarize herself with the format. She just found it alot less stressful and frustrating than the SAT format. </p>
<p>I also noticed that there seemed to be more sports kids who had this real difference in scores. It could be total coincidence or maybe because of LEARNING styles. (There is alot of factual info on differences in learning styles ) .
I am not real familiar with Md./Pa State schools. though my d did get accepted to Temple, George Mason , & Towson with a 23 ACT which is equivalent to 1060 ACT- but her GPA was around 3.3. We looked at VCU and Old Dominion in Va, but d decided she wanted to stay closer to NY so did not apply to those schools.
I am going to suggest you apply to 1 real safety- be it a Maryland community college or something similar. Having one true safety will make the application process much more tolerable. Speak to your guidance counselor. They really should have info on kids with your stats and what schools they have been successful in gaining admission. And again- I suggest you give the ACT a try. If you do not put your HS or any college code on the registration forms, no one has to see the score except you. If you are happy with the score, then you can send it out to the colleges. Good luck!!</p>
<p>Wow, it’s great to hear from a regular student!! Really, it seems like most of the students on CC are agonizing over HYP and perfect scores.</p>
<p>My 2nd s has similar scores to yours, and we are looking at SUNY, Syracuse, UMass Dartmouth, Wset Virginia, as well as others. He won’t look at VT since older brother is going there and he wants a separation of sorts.</p>
<p>I think VT will be a reach for engineering. Their accepted scores for OOS are much higher than yours. Don’t let it stop you from applying though, b/c as you may already have heard, college admissions are a crap shoot. Good luck!!</p>
<p>Great advice from Marny1 - the ACT is a different way to go and just as acceptable. I think I’ll check that out for my s as well. Thanks Marny1.</p>
<p>west, you are exactly like me an indian with a low sat score! My GPA, however is a 3.99 with 3 AP’s next year. Hopefully it will raise my GPA. But my SAT - 420 - CR, 560 - Math, 500 - Writing, essay 8/12. but my act is different. ACT i have a :
21- ENG
20- REA
28- MAT
22- SCI</p>
<p>COM: 23 </p>
<p>WRITING: 9/12</p>
<p>CLUBS/ORG. : Beta Club, NHS, Spanish HS, Spanish Club, Key Club, FBLA, Amigos Program, etc…a lot of community service, volunteer in summer, hospital ? etc. etc. etc.</p>
<p>If i applied to UGA, GA Tech, GA State + Uni, Mercer? which one would i get into???</p>
<p>Thanks Zimmer- That is one of the reasons I still hang around abit. D # 2 really could be categorized as the “average student” – B + average (OK A tad higher than average) but SAT’s under 1000/1500. She really did find the ACT format better for her.
There really is very little info on these boards for the REAL average kid- so if I can use my experience to help you guys out, I try. I’m also familiar with the SUNY system (also not a big “seller” on these boards) so if I can pass info along, I’ve done my service. d # 2 is currently a Sport Management Major at SUNY Cortland.
Westminster- please listen to Zim’s advice- don’t be relunctant to apply to schools that you’d like to attend. Just try to have a safety or two on your list–</p>
<p>Thanks marny1 and Zimmer07. I am thinking more now about the ACT and I will probably take it but I do have one question about; do colleges prefer the SAT over the ACT or do they look at it as the same?</p>
<p>I think the ACT is becoming a lot more “acceptable” to all. I am out on Long Island- alot more kids are taking the ACT. Trust me my kid did not get her acceptances based on her SAT score. They definitely took her ACT score into account. and she applied to schools in NY and the east coast-
Pa, Va, Md. and Florida too</p>
<p>Marny, what’s the scoop on SUNY Buffalo? I’m looking at it as a possibility for s2 - the second of 2 kids who are totally unmotivated to do their own college searches. I get a set of basic requests, plug in their “numbers”, make a list of possibles and have them help narrow it down from there. In Nov after apps were in, s1 suddenly realized that there were no California schools on his list (duh, son, you said no more than 8 hours from home…). Ah well, we do what we must, right?!</p>
<p>ACT is excellent alternative, finding a place to take it may be a little tricky. Ask your guidance counselor. </p>
<p>nbgdog - if you are planning to apply for engineering at any of those schools, you are in trouble. Math scores for eng programs usually need to be at least 650 or so. The “undecided majors” or regular liberal arts are somewhat more relaxed with their “numbers” and tend to look at you more holistically, although GPA and test scores are still major factors. But if you have ecs that reflect an interest, that really helps.</p>
<p>Zimmer- Suny Buffalo has got a good reputation. It’s probably the closest thing SUNY has to a Big U feel. Am I correct that you are not from NYS??
The biggest negative I hear about Buff is that it is real cold, and far from NYC (probably 7 hour drive). But Jet Blue has direct daily flights from NYC to Buffalo.
Though SUNY Binghamton has a “better reputation” , I know alot of kids from our school district like Buffalo better, as at least it is in an urban area, and Bing. can have a very small town feel to it.
Both my kids have friends at Buffalo. They seem to like it alot. It’s a solid state school- OOS tuition is extremely reasonable- I think it is under $11,000. My guess is that SUNY schools get around 5 % OOS. Even NY kids prefer many OOS schools including U of Maryland and Delaware. I really do not think it is because of the academics- But because SUNY’s really do lack the big time sports rah-rah atmosphere that many other State U’s have.
But it is an incredible bargain- and you can definitely get a fine education. Stony Brook is also a SUNY with lots of potential. They are just starting a graduate school of journalism and has a strong science program</p>
<p>Marny - great to hear that about SUNY Buffalo - we’re NJ, and I mapped it to 6 hours. That’s not bad at all (my personal limit was 10 hours). S is a cold weather guy and loves skiing. We will look at the engineering program there - and he’s not a sports fan so the lack of that is a non-factor. Thanks for your input.</p>
<p>nbgdog, I meant ecs that reflect a passion for one thing. For instance if math is your strong suit, then show participation in school math team, Olympiad team, college math team, math competitions, math awards, and so on. If languages are your thing, then your activities should reflect that passion with multiple languages, college classes/seminars, language clubs, travel, and so on. Don’t get me wrong, the ecs you listed are great. I’m just saying that they don’t demonstrate a passion in any one area. You seem to be well-rounded, not focussed in one area. Different schools look for different things.</p>
<p>haha I love the guy at the beginning of this thread that said Penn State-University Park a definite and Drexel a reach. What a joke. Don’t get me wrong, Drexel isn’t a terrible school, but it is nowhere near as difficult to get into as Penn State-UP. The average gpa for PSU-UP is a 3.6. Just wanted to clear that up before you had more Drexel grads polluting your mind.</p>