I was born in the United States (therefore I am an American Citizen), but I grew up in Cape Verde (Africa).
I came back to the United States when I was 14 and going into my sophomore year… I didn’t know how to speak English, so I had to take ELL classes, but after only a month they moved me to regular English classes where I got an A+ (as well as any other class in my sophomore year). I decided to take AP Lang & Comp for my junior year because my English was improving and I actually scored a 4 on the exam.
I only have A’s and B’s on my report card and a GPA of 3.725. Sadly, I got a 1 on my AP Physics and European History exams as well as a 2 on my AP US History exam.
I scored 1460 on the PSAT and 1630 on the SAT (my first and only SAT so far).
I want to go to a good college and major in Computer Engineering.
How does my background affect my college admission chances?
I have a friend who came to the US from Korea in 8th grade, and by high school was in regular classes, with no English language instruction previously. It certainly can be done, though it is really amazing!
There are also a lot of state tech schools that take lower stats. Look into your state’s flagship university and if they also have a state engineering college, that would be great.
If you are entering senior year, take an early SAT and get your scores back so you can see where to apply.
Is financial aid an issue? That can significantly affect which schools you target.
You do have a compelling story, so hopefully you won’t have an issue being admitted to a college where you are 50th percentile, and you might have a decent chance at getting into a college where you are nearer 25th percentile. But, that 1 on AP Physics will make engineering of any sort difficult - any chance at doing computer science instead? Or retaking AP Physics?
Thanks for reading and showing interest in my situation. I am planning on taking the SAT again. I live in Massachusetts and I would like to get as many scholarships as I could possibly get, because my family can’t afford to pay college. I am trying to do dual enrollment at UMass Dartmouth so I can take computer engineering during my senior year.
I would have to pay to take AP Physics again… Does it help if I take it again since it is my senior year?
I am so mad I didn’t pass the exam but I knew I didn’t have a chance. My school is a level 4 school and our Physics teacher (same for regular and AP Physics) wasn’t good and it was his first year teaching AP. Everyone that I’ve talked to in that class had a 1 on the exam, except one student who got a 2 ( she was accepted to Harvard and had 5’s on all her other five AP Classes). I know it is bad comparing yourself to others but what were my chances of actually passing the exam?
If you want good college and major in Computer Engineering, you should apply for it in India. Colleges like BMIT college for engineering in Jaipur, Rajasthan will be a great choice. http://www.bmitjaipur.org/