Did atrocious on the SAT; SAT Optional Suggestions?

Parents Forum
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<p>Hey everyone! I AM FINALLY A SENIOR! </p>

<p>Anyways, I just took the SAT again yesterday. I am hoping I did better. I did study for it, but not as much as I should have. I bought my old test from January and I mainly used that to prepare. I think I did much better on the math, but I thought the reading was harder. I tended to take even more time on it and didn’t have time to read the whole passage. On one section, I didn’t answer 5 reading questions because of time. I didn’t really have this problem last time, but I think I spent my time well. I had more of a time problem during the ACT though. The essay was harder and the writing questions were about the same. I did realize when I was answering the same questions from my Jan test at home that I got a lot more right. It is probably because I am in a relaxed setting and I can focus better. Overall, I am hoping I get at least a 1500. </p>

<p>I did take the US History Subject Test in May and scored a 560. I took APUSH and I think I probably got around a 3 on the test. I studied for the AP Exam, but never got a prep book for the subject test. I thought it was easier and I thought I would have done better; however, I am actually very proud of myself because it is 100 points better than my real SAT scores. I took it the day after the AP Exam. </p>

<p>Grades wise: I didn’t do as well this semester. I got 2 A’s and all B’s and even a high C in Honors Physics. I had a B the whole semester and failed the final, so that was pretty disappointing. It’s not the end of the world though. My cumulative GPA went from a 3.431 to a 3.389. I had a huge upward trend from freshman to sophomore year and this year I did better then freshman year, but worse then sophomore year. I had an A average sophomore year. I had an 88/89% average this year. </p>

<p>I honestly don’t plan on retaking the SAT again because most of the schools I’m applying to are SAT Optional. Here is my new and current list: </p>

<p>Sarah Lawrence College
Hobart and William Smith College
Knox College
Lawrence U
Wheaton College (MA)
Conn College
Pitzer College
Valdosta State (instate safety)
GCSU (instate)
U of Minnesota-Morris ($$$ safety)</p>

<p>I may still add College of Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan, or Clark U depending on my SAT scores. American, Drew, and Marist are other SAT Optional schools which I may add in the long run as well. My list is more reach heavy, but I feel like I have a good safety (which I am guaranteed to get in with my grades/SAT scores) and whatever happens will be meant to be. I am going into this process with an open mind. I have really gotten to love Knox and Hobart for some reason. I talked to a nice young lady from Knox and it sounds like a great fit honestly. It will come down to money and how much financial aid my family gets. My mother may/probably will be going back to work part time this fall. </p>

<p>I am also going to France for 3 weeks in July. I will be staying with a host family. I was going to Toulouse, but my family had to move and canceled. They have to find me a new family now.</p>

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<p>Dickinson College in Carlisle PA is a great liberal arts college where many applicants do not submit SATs.</p>

<p>American U. in DC started a SAT optional program this last year. However, there is an early application deadline for it. </p>

<p>Some colleges require an extra application item for SAT optional, sucvh as a graded research paper.</p>

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<p>Be sure to focus on your financial safeties. Connecticut College and American are very expensive.</p>

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<p>I have heard of Dickinson, but I don’t know much about it. I am going to submit a research paper on Ernest Hemingway from my English class. I received a 97% on the paper which is one of the highest in the class.</p>

<p>And nysmile- I am aware they are very expensive that is why I’m going in with such an open mind. I don’t want to set my mind on a school like Conn when it’s so much money. </p>

<p>I also liked Muhlenberg and Goucher, but if you do not submit your SAT scores you cannot get any scholarships at all. I also know Gettysberg and Franklin and Marshall are SAT Optional, but they seem to be focused too much on greek life.</p>

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<p>I’m glad to see a much more mature outlook by you. Continue to keep an open mind about the college process. In the months to come, narrow the list down to more matches and less reaches (both academically and financially). Also consider the additional costs and feasibility of traveling to and from the school during the academic breaks.</p>

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<p>I’m also happy to see how much you have matured. I have lurked on your threads, but can’t remember if Eckerd has ever come up for you…another CTCL school.</p>

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<p>THanks for the advice. I have looked at Eckerd, but I’m from Florida and I want a different change of scenery. I really love the CLCL schools though.</p>

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<p>Have you considered Hartwick or Wells in NY, or Bennington in VT? I know that these are more rural that you had hoped for but this process is all about what you’re willing to compromise on.</p>

<p>Something else you may want to consider cost-wise, are the educational exchanges that many states participate in.
Participating state schools will reduce their out of state fees for students in contiguous states, such as the Western Educational Exchange (WUE), or in your area the Southern Regional Education Board whose 16-state members have something called the ‘Academic Common Market’ which increases the amount of lower-cost, out of state schools for you to explore.</p>

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<p>I have heard of Hartwick and Bennington, but not Wells. They seem even too small for my taste. If it’s under 1,000 students it probably wouldn’t be a great fit. I also looked up Wells on CC and a user stated the nearest McDonalds is 45 minutes away. I am very open with my search; however, it may be too rural for me! </p>

<p>I have looked at the Academic Common Market before, but decided to look again. I emailed the lady about the American Studies program at the U of Maryland CP. All of the other schools seemed too conservative and didn’t have any programs I was interested in. Does anyone know the process to apply to the school with this program? I know the school is huge, but it at least it is more liberal then the other schools.</p>

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<p>Knox is in a very rural area. If you liked Knox, you might like Beloit in Wisconsin but near the Illinois border. It is slightly less rural and is known for great aid. I know you are familiar with CTCL schools, so maybe you have checked it out already.</p>

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<p>Early_College - Perhaps this has been mentioned in the previous 13 pages, but SAT-optional schools don’t necessarily mean that the school pretends there’s no such thing as the SAT. Many or most applicants will submit their SAT scores - if you don’t, then there should be something equally compelling about your accomplishments to merit giving your application strong consideration in the absence of a good SAT score.</p>

<p>BTW, you’d qualify right now acceptance at for Ole Miss.</p>

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<p>Bennington is very rural too, but there is a McDonalds about 2.5 miles away and Dominoes delivers there. :)</p>

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<p>I love Beloit too, but it isn’t SAT Optional and it seems much harder to get into then Knox. I have never been to any of these places, so it is hard to know what I really like. I won’t be able to visit until I get accepted. I have been to New York and the northeast, but I haven’t been there since I was five or six. My parents are from New York though. I have grown up in the suburbs of South Florida/Atlanta, so all these schools are so different! I’ve been to the rock mountain region and hated it! I liked Ohio when I visited a few years ago. I don’t know how much different Illinois and Wisconsin is. Also, when they say a college is rural it really depends. North Georgia Rural VS Wyoming Rural is totally different. I want at least a Walmart/McDonalds 10 minutes away and a mall half an hour away. I’m very open with the whole process. It’s just hard for me to picture how rural some of these places are when I’ve never been there. We go hiking in the mountains once or twice a year and I would NEVER want to live there, but it is much better then living in Wyoming.</p>

<p>In a lot of these SAT Optional schools, I will be submitting my research paper instead of the SAT Scores. It seems like your essay takes the place of the SAT scores. Sarah Lawrence doesn’t even look at anyone’s SATs. I really like Sarah Lawrence, but I fear it may be too “out there”. </p>

<p>Oh BTW, the paper that I’m going to submit has very few errors. However, I spelled Hemingway wrong in the paper. Not just one time, but every time I used the authors name. My teacher did not mark off for this, but should this be a big deal? I still got a 97% on it and that was because I forgot one comma. I wish she could have put more comments on it, but she had to grade 100 of them.</p>

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<p>Muhlenberg is literally the most Jewish Lutheran College. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.</p>

<p>Gettysburg College has a reputation of being the most southern of the northern colleges.</p>

<p>Dickinson College specializes in languages, international issues and sustainability.</p>

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<p>Do you guys think it is work it to apply to schools like Beloit, Ohio Wesleyan, Clark, and College of Wooster given my SAT scores? I really like all these schools.</p>

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<p>Wait til you get your scores. Then identify an approriate list of academic and financial safeties. You mentioned one academic safety, but you should give yourself a few, and should be ones you can afford. You need an reasonable list with a balance of reaches, matches and a few safeties. Your list seems still top heavy,with too many reaches, unless your new SATs are solidly in the middle 50th percentile of admitted freshmen.</p>

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<p>I really don’t see how my new SAT scores will have much impact on my current list. 7 out of the 10 schools are SAT Optional and even if I do improve I will probably not be submitting my test scores. If I get around a 1500 it will be wise to submit my essay instead. UM-Morris, GCSU, and Valdosta are my financial safeties right now. I know for a fact I can get also get into U of West Georgia and Armstrong Atlantic because I meet the minimum requirements. The schools are like Valdosta in which they admit you once you meet the requirements, GCSU has a holistic approach. </p>

<p>How would you rate Valdosta, UWG, and Armstrong Atlantic? Which schools are the better schools? I know GCSU is better, but these three would all be academic safeties. However, there is no point in applying to all of them because they all have very late admission deadlines (around June). I am thinking I will just apply to to Valdosta in September and in April I will apply to UWG and Armstrong if my other schools do not work out.</p>

<p>I really don’t have any other academic safeties besides instate schools which would be worth attending. Flagler would also be a good school $$$ wise; however, I only want to apply to 12 schools at most and I already have 10 definite ones.</p>

<p>Oh and if I do end up at any of my instate safeties, I will probably just transfer to UGA after 2 years.</p>

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<p>Take off Sarah Lawrence and Connecticut College. They cost a fortune.</p>

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<p>Thanks for your feedback nysmile. I will def consider it.</p>

<p>OH and BTW guys, I just found out they found a new family. I will be spending a week in Britanny on the coast and then I will be going back to their home in Northern Normandy. I’m very excited! :)</p>

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<p>Pitzer is very expensive too, and costs a lot to get there from the SE. Please consider schools that are not too academically challenging for you. This thread might behelpful, if not important to read <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1149773-went-reach-school-struggling-classes.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1149773-went-reach-school-struggling-classes.html&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<p>** And if you think Sarah Lawrence is to “out there” the same could be said for Pitzer. Its also very small (around 1080 students) which you said you didnt want. Granted its part of the Claremont consortium so you would have more students around, but each of the 5 schools is small. And academically quite challenging.</p>