Oh, boy. How badly did I screw up?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

My dream school is UC Berkeley, BUT my test scores are abysmal. First ACT composite was a 28, second was a 29. I took it again last month, and I’m currently waiting for my latest score report. Anyway…

Current Year: 12th
Unweighted GPA: 4.0
UC GPA: 4.12
Ranking: 1 out of 76
Status: Out-of-state Student (Uh oh.)
Important to Note: School does not offer weighted GPA.

ACT Composite: 29 (English 32, Math 24, Reading 32, Science 29) Waiting on new test scores
Current Courses: Dual Enrollment/AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, Dual Enrollment World Literature/AP English Literature, AP Government, AP Microeconomics, AP Human Geography
AP Scores: World History (3), U.S. History (4), English Composition and Language (4), Physics 1 (2)

  • = Did not take AP course
    Important to Note: I’m the first person to take/plan to take 10 AP tests, since AP courses were recently added to our high school curriculum (junior year of HS, gg).

Significant Extracurricular Activities/Leadership: Student Government (President), National Honor Society (President), Key Club (Secretary), Robotics (Secretary), Environmental Science Club (Secretary), Model United Nations (Head Delegate), Art Club, Student-led Tutoring Lab
Sports: Varsity Soccer
Community Service: 100+ hours at the public library, 30+ hours collecting recyclable materials around the city, 50+ hours at the Ronald McDonald House, 20+ hours from church fundraisers, 80+ hours from peer tutoring sessions
Outside Activities: Piano lessons, Filipino-American Association member
Important to Note: Founded MUN and Key Club

Awards: Student of the Year (9th-11th), Best Speaker (MUN, 12th), District Essay of the Month (10th)
Summer Programs: Best Delegate MUN Institute at Harvard University

Additional Information: I come from a small charter school that’s located extremely close to the Texas-Mexico border. It’s literally a 10-minute drive. While I would have loved to take more rigorous courses, classes like AP Calculus BC and more are not available. As for my sucky test scores, well… that’s really just my fault. :stuck_out_tongue:

Main Question: If my incoming ACT score report does not reflect any improvement, what else should I do to polish my application? My essays are being revised by my teachers to maximize their effectiveness. Furthermore, please chance me for the following:

-NYU
-Georgetown University
-UCLA
-Columbia University

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I plan on majoring in Political Science. I abhor math and science, as shown by my test scores, haha…

2

29 isn’t a terrible act score, it is just a below an average applicant’s score for the schools you are applying. I would suggest you actually try your hardest to at least get a 32-33. Other than that, I think you are a solid applicant gpa and ec wise.

3

Perhaps the only issue that really irks me is the fact that I could have done better. 29 isn’t terrible, I agree, but its impact on my application is worrisome. Nevertheless, thank you for your advice! Let’s hope this next test reaches the 30s!

4

What is your dream career? Pick a school that will enable you to land that dream career. If it involves graduate school, you should seriously consider an instate option for undergrad, and then perhaps a school on your dream list for grad school.

5

I smell grade inflation from your AP scores.

6

@ClarinetDad16: Ideally, I eventually want to be involved in congressional affairs, but I’m aiming to become a civil rights attorney. Many have told me the same as you have, but I haven’t put much thought into it. Thank you!

@basedchem: Hmm, if I were to see a stranger with similar stats, I’d probably believe the same. However, my grades remain legitimate. I understand your scrutiny, and admittedly, AP courses at my school are not tremendously rigorous (as expected to be elsewhere). It’s your decision whether you choose to believe me or not, but rest assured, I haven’t received a single B (yet).

7

It’s fine. Come up with some safeties you would be happy attending, and hopefully you did better on this ACT.

8

My current safety school is UT Austin, since it’s automatic admission for the top 8% or so. Thank you!

9

You definitely need to improve your ACT score to above 32, otherwise, you will not make it to your dream school.

10

Ah, I see! I studied for my third attempt, so I hope that I performed a little bit better. Thank you for your input!

11

I must say I am glad I am not the only one who has taken an advanced math course and did not get a 30 on my act math section.
These articles may be a good read.
http://news.berkeley.edu/2015/07/02/berkeley-admits-more-than-13000-prospective-freshmen/
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/CC14/CC14-Directors_Combined-Freshman.pdf