<p>I have sent applications to three public schools in Florida – USF-Saint Petersburg, Florida Atlantic University, and FSU. I’m now about to send the Common Application to the University of Miami. I have one teacher and one counselor who know me well. In addition to these, I also have volunteered with a Science and Operations Officer (SOO) who is well connected to UM and is known internationally. I’ve done research for the SOO, who plays a substantive role in a scientific project. I’ve often heard on CC is that to provide disclosure on academic matters, most importantly recent grades, is more honest on the whole, and so I did in an email to my first recommender. But will doing so be more harmful if the recommender is a third party outside of school?</p>
<p>Here’s the situation. I want each of my recommendations to show a different aspect of myself: the math teacher, my resilience despite academic difficulty; the SOO, my intellectual passion and whole-hearted dedication to an interest; and the counselor, a balanced medium of each side. The SOO has known me for three years and he did not ask for grades in his response to my request for a recommendation. I have family members who are urging me not to provide academic information because it would be for valuable for a school official, not a third party. They’re saying that, since my SAT M/CR and ACT composite are below the mean at UM, I should not detract from my potential at a research-oriented school.</p>
<p>For disclosure, here is what I was planning to write:</p>
<p>I retook the SAT in June 2011, earned a 1140 combined Critical Reading/Math score, and improved from 340 to 460 in the Math section. I also took the ACT and scored 22 on the Math portion (19 overall composite). I am not planning to take any further exams, and I realize that, although I am a strong student (3.78 cumulative GPA with six As and one B during last year’s marking period), I am below the mean 1390 SAT at the University of Miami. Still, so far, I’ve improved in Math this year and have earned straight As in five courses, including one college-level preparatory math course, one Advanced Placement course, and three Honors courses, by the end of the first quarter. What you may bring is perspective on the level of emotional and intellectual dedication I gave passionately to the … [project here].</p>
<p>Since I’m using the Common Application and am applying to a selective place, would the grade matter more? I have promised to send the Common Application over this weekend, so what should I do?</p>
<p>Colleges consider grades and scores together to get a full picture. Some schools give away grades very easily. If say grades and AP or Sat 2 scores say one thing and the SAT says another, it might give a school pause. If the ACT is much higher than the SAT that can also provide good information on your aptitude.</p>
<p>What is the college math class you got an A in?</p>
<p>It’s important for both you and your parents to understand that if your scores are significantly below a school’s mean, and yours are very significantly below here, unless you’re an athlete or URM, admissions chances are very low. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t sweat it. It could be an advantage if your reference addresses your qualities as defying your scores.</p>
<p>The math course was Advanced Topics in Math, which I entered because I passed Algebra II. I’ve taken Geometry in tenth grade and Algebra II in eleventh, and I’ve earned B-type averages in each. I’m also currently finishing Algebra I online at Florida Virtual School, which I took in freshman year but didn’t complete due to extenuating circumstances.</p>
<p>I think you misread my thread. I was not asking about my chances per se, but rather about whether I should mention my grades to the non-academic recommender. As I’ve said, he’s already offered to write an extra letter of recommendation – in addition to the Teacher Evaluation and counselor evaluation on the Common Application – but he knows very little about my grades, aside from the fact that math is not my best subject. His judgment is entirely related to the volunteer work, and he hasn’t requested a r</p>
<p>By the way, there’s one thing that’s puzzled me. My school’s College and Career Counselor, who’s very familiar with my grades, has said repeatedly that she doesn’t believe the University of Miami is an upper-level “reach of reaches.” She almost suggested that I have at least a moderate shot at admission, but again, I’ve been skeptical since she said so. She definitely thought that the school was worth a Common Application. But again, my school’s counselor has a tendency to put on a front of optimism during stressful times, especially when confronting students who did not follow through in all areas on a timely basis.</p>
<p>What should I make of her view? I believe she’s spoken to many schools in South Florida, so is there any slight credibility behind what she’s said? (Perhaps she’s also somewhat biased toward optimism because my SAT CR/W were 680 and 760, or within the top 94% and 99%, respectively.)</p>
<p>I do understand your issue. There’s no getting away from your stats. Whether a LOR mentions your grades or not, the committee is well aware of them.</p>
<p>I think more into rather than less usually helps the candidate. In your case the letter could say something like: in spite of his low math score, this is a student I think will do well. Hen presents very maturely and I know him to dig in and address weaknesses.</p>
<p>As for your counselor, typically they know what it takes to get into local schools. A high CR score is much harder to get than a high math score and much more important at most colleges. Does your school use Naviance? If so, you can see what it typically takes to get in from your school.</p>