<p>I don’t feel like making numerous posts so please bear with me guys!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If I have a decent SAT score (between 2000-2100), will writing a good college essay boost my chances?
Similarly, if I write a mediocre college essay, will it decrease my chances?
I’m asking this question because I want to know if I should focus on SAT prep for October SAT (3rd try) or more on college essays.</p></li>
<li><p>Should I get college recommendations from a humanities teacher and a math/science teacher? I asked my AP US History and AP English teachers from Junior year (Did very well in both of the classes) but are the two subjects too similar? My physics teacher sucked and my math teacher didn’t know me very well. Should I ask my Sophomore year math teacher (I was pretty close with him) or my current AP Calc teacher? (Not close with her because the year just started) or should I just leave the recommendations as is? If it helps, I am applying to schools like Cornell and NYU.
Oh, and if I want to major in Economics, should I also try landing a recommendation from my AP Economics teacher? </p></li>
<li><p>Can someone explain Questbridge to me? Because I’m a little confused about how it works.</p></li>
<li><p>Should I schedule college interviews? I’m not an extremely eloquent person but if college interviews will boost my chances; I’m willing to give it my best shot.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Sorry for the long and tedious post, but I really hope you guys can help me. Thanks!</p>
<p>1) most colleges require zero essays. For those that do, it can be a significant portion of how you are evaluated – one of the few areas where you can showcase yourself. Great essay = good. Bad or mediocre essay = bad. Why wouldn’t it be?</p>
<p>3) QB is great but deadlines are fast approaching. Get on it fast.</p>
<p>4) at this point, you may get called for alumni interviews. Maybe not. Not required. You don’t schedule them. They schedule you. Take them unless you’re terrible in person.</p>
<p>This is true where you and I interview, T26, but it’s not universally true. At GW, for example, you schedule an interview. At Brandeis, you notify them that you’d like to be interviewed.</p>
<p>The answers to your questions lie mainly with the type of schools to which you will apply. Most schools look at raw numbers (GPA and class rank; standardized test scores) for admissions decisions. I assume your questions refer to the most competitive schools:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Your SAT scores are far more important than your essays. I would say that raising your score to 2200 will offset a mediocre essay. With a score under 2100, you will not even make the first cut at highly competitive schools. A higher score will also serve you well with less competitive schools that won’t read your essays.</p></li>
<li><p>IMO, ask for LOR from teachers who will be able to describe your intellectual curiosity and the impact that you have had in the classroom regardless of subject matter (as long as they are the five core subjects).</p></li>
</ol>