<p>DS 2015 is a lop-sided kid, with ADHD - inattentive, who attends an elite private HS, with 3.22 UWGPA, 3.47 WGPA (class rank would be in the bottom 50%, but HS does not officially rank).
Has ACT 35 and SAT2 scores of Chem 760, Math2 710, Bio 690. Will be applying for animation or game design majors at 4 year unis (not art schools) with portfolio submission. (side note: AP scores: Eng Lang 5, Calc AB 5, Bio 4, Chem 4)</p>
<p>All of the colleges that he will be applying to do not require SAT2s if an ACT is submitted, except for Carnegie Mellon (huge reach), which requires Math 2 and Chem.
The Math 2 and Bio scores are pretty average. He took Bio SAT2 during Jr year before he knew that he did not need a 3rd SAT2.</p>
<p>Options:
Retake Math 2 (to try to get over 750) then submit Chem and Math 2 along with ACT to all schools to which he applies to balance out the low GPA</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Submit ACT only (except CMU where he would include the required current Chem and Math 2 as is.)</p></li>
<li><p>Submit ACT plus Chem and Math 2 to all colleges as is. Does this weaken the idea that he has high test scores to balance out low GPA?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The maximum number of reach schools (top 30 USNWR) to which he would apply would be 4. The other schools that he is interested in are more in the range of top 60-175 USNWR national, or regional colleges.</p>
<p>I think your bigger concern should be the GPA. From what I understand, a very high test score and a modest GPA suggests to a school that he is a student who doesn’t do his work. </p>
<p>Sounds like you would like him to retake a SAT II and submit that to CMU. If he retakes and gets a much better score, then send them to CMU and anywhere else that you think they might help. Schools that don’t consider SAT IIs probably won’t care about them at all. They may not even have a field in their records for those scores to record. </p>
<p>Hopefully, his ADHD Inattentive is being treated and managed. I know that you haven’t asked about this, but the concern would be how he will manage in college. Does he have Executive Function issues (which many ADHD people have)? That would be my biggest concern as a parent. If he has had school and/or parents sort of helping him manage/direct his life then how will he manage once he is away at school? I know a little about ADHD (inattentive, impulsive, both), and the seemingly “tunnel vision thoughts” can cause many things to get overlooked. </p>
<p>Having great SAT2 subject test scores may overcome part of the question raised by the low GPA. Indeed, many schools require homeschoolers to submit multiple SAT2 scores for a similar reason. His Chemistry score is great while Math2 is not that bad. Many schools that do not require SAT2 will still review the score and may give benefit to the student. UMich said that explicitly for instance.</p>
<p>You can’t change his GPA at this point. So his test scores can only help. If the GC can mention the ADHD that will help explain the grades especially if he doesn’t get accommodations. mom2collegekids makes a good point, I know several kids who have had trouble managing their time in college. I think the scores are fine for most school. CS at Carnegie Mellon (assuming that’s the school he is applying to) does consider the math score important so it might be worth retaking, but I wouldn’t freak out if it stays the same. </p>
<p>SAT IIs have nothing to do with ACT. ACT science section has absolutely nothing to do with science, And this is a fact known to everybody.
However, when D. applied to very competitive programs (mostly at state publics, but we heard that the combined bs/md programs that she applied were Ivy selectivity level), not only she would NOT be competitive without SAT II’s, she had much more than than in addition to her superior stats. She eneded up being accepted at 3 of these programs and attended one that had only 10 spots. I do not know what made her to be chosen out of very many applicants for each of these 10 spots. I am sure it is entire package, her entire application, most likely though, her graduating #1 in her HS class. We do not know, she just tried to do everything and above and beoynd, including (but not limited to), taking SAT II in her absolutely worst subject - Hostory and this one she even had completed a college class while in HS. So, SAT II may be good to have, but we do not know, D. had just pursued everything to make sure that her application is competitive.</p>
<p>Personally I don’t think he needs to retake anything and sending the SATII scores even to colleges that don’t use or require them will simply bolster his application. The 3.2 will be in context to the rest of his high school and is what it is - if he’s a B student at a rigorous place with little grade inflation that has more meaning than a 3.2 at a place where everyone in the joint has a 4.0 so hard to comment on what type of “B” that is. Plenty of good places for a smart B student.</p>