Is a 28 good enough?

fireandrain
Sat, 21 Dec 2013 06:48:06 +0000

dukebabe, you need to do two things.

First, you need to make sure you are applying to at least one, preferably two, safeties that you would LOVE to go to. And a bunch of sold match schools. I know it’s hard to set your sights lower. But you need to do that. So far you’ve had negative news from reach schools, so while it’s OK to apply to more reach schools RD, and you should do that, you need to readjust your efforts a bit. And show those safety and match schools a lot of love.

Second, you need to rethink your application. Have someone who is critical and objective look at it. Make sure you tell a compelling story. I looked at your old posts – you started a business, you’re interested in business – you need to sell yourself. Market yourself so that you become a candidate that the school wants, needs, to have on campus.

I think it’s really sad that a great applicant gets hurt by a relatively low standardized test score. Back when selective colleges had acceptance rates in the 25-35% zone, these schools took candidates with “lower” scores. But as their applicant numbers grew, they became much more test sensitive because they could. That’s the reality of the situation, and you need to face that.