<p>tux0892- What would your score have been withoutthe bubble issue? Can you show the bubble issue to your high school counselor and have them send a note on your transcript explaining they looked at your SAT (because you can get a copy of your test and the right answers) and say from question 123 for example thru question 158 or whatever it was - your answers were correct - just filled in the wrong line?
Also - if you were national merit - that should also bolster your case.
But this is what I learned from the college app process: I only took the SAT’s once because it didn’t seem worthwhile to retake them - but if you look at scores - with so many kids getting 800’s - a lot of kids obviously retake them multiple times - and apparently schools are behind this kind of repeat test taking - truly only counting your highest score from each section when they consider your application. Personally - I think it is wrong to foster this obsession - (Alot of people can’t afford to take them more than once) but there is no reason you can’t retake the test - and it won’t hurt you - a fact that suprised me. Things are so crazy competitive - its probably something for you to consider. As soon as you report your SAT II’s, your SAT I’s are automatically sent to the schools you chose. You can’t cherry pick SAT II’s only. The most honest advice I can give you- for the type of hyper competitive schools you are interested in applying to - just retake the SAT I - and focus on the section that gave you thelow score. Asdmins take the highest scores and submit those to the admissions commitee and at many schools, the admissions committee won’t see the lower scores…But of course - they could change their policy next year.</p>
<p>See, I would take the SAT again, but with that kind of an ACT score, would there really be any point in doing so? I did e-mail Dartmouth, and they said that they look at your highest test scores from your test record. They will take your highest SAT IIs into account and your highest SAT/ACT score. I don’t know, but if I get that ACT score, then I don’t know if I’d really bother with the SAT again. By the way, I got around 12 questions in a row wrong on the Q&A sheet and missed one in one of the CR sections. It could have been a very high score, well into the 700s.</p>
<p>If you get a 34 on the act - you will be more than fine and teh SAT I will be a complete non-issue. Focus on that and the SATII"s now - worry about SAT only if you have to - or just retake the ACT if you on’t like your score - Do they only report your highest one? </p>
<p>The SAT has become ridiculously long - and the fact so many kids retake them to get scores up to an 800 in a section just proves they’ve mastered taking a test. </p>
<p>Other advice - keep taking all the hardest classes you can senior year - and a full schedule. Be passionate about an extracurricular. Get amazing recommendations. Write essays w/ your own original voice. Don’t over edit.</p>
<p>I’ll stick with the ACT and work on my SAT IIs, and I feel the same way about the SAT as you do. </p>
<p>I’m taking a full schedule next year with four APs, 1 honors, and two regular courses, which are extensions of my extracurriculars. </p>
<p>I can get amazing recommendations from my history and chemistry teachers and my yearbook adviser. I’m going to make editor next year of the yearbook adviser. I enjoy doing yearbook, and it’s something I’m passionate about. Also, I’m taking Senior Leadership next year, and it’s basically about helping people, which I like to do as well. So, that is something else I can talk about.</p>
<p>Also, I have a childhood experience that is so bizarre that I can relate to any possible type of learning, so I think I’m good for the essay.</p>
<p>Thanks for the confidence boost everyone.</p>
<p>Does anybody know how Dartmouth recalculate their applicants’ GPAs? What classes they count? Do they use weights for APs and such?</p>
<p>THis is where your school profile will really come in to play because it explains what is given at your school and the opportunities that you have. GPAs are not weighted because there is already an expectation that you are taking the most rigerous classes that your school offers and you are doing well in those classes.</p>
<p>Don’t worry, a student who has a 4.0 and their school offers AP/honors courses but they have never taken them will not have the advantage over someone who has a 3.85 at the same school but has taken AP & honors classes.</p>
<p>Thanks. I think I’m just being paranoid.</p>
<p>It is safe to say, yes you are. </p>
<p>RELAX!!! at this rate you will be a wreck come december if you apply ED.</p>
<p>Thanks folks…off to study for AP Psych.</p>
<p>Nevermind.</p>
<p>Guys, do you think it would be beneficial for me to take SAT II US History in addition to Bio E/M, Chem (already taken, waiting for scores), and Math 2/C? Will it really have that much of an impact on adcoms’ opinions of me, that I have a broad scope of interests?</p>
<p>If you know you will get over a 700 - why not - but 3 SAT II’s are plenty. Now that you have testing lined up, greats recs coming - focus on standing out in an extracurriclar and working on your essays late this summer.</p>
<p>I just re-read your “resume” - if you can - get all-state for something , win some sort of competition, get publsihed, or do something unusual. Yearbook editor is great - any other leadership positions? I’m only saying this because the whole application process is insane - EC’s are at a whole new level that borders on extreme. Look thru College Confidential and you’ll see what I’m talking about. However - if you are really, sincerely passionate about something - and you are able to communicate it - you’ll be in good shape. Your stats are solid. But luck also comes into who is finally accepted. Just give it your best shot.</p>
<p>Well, I don’t know about winning all-state or anything like that, but I have a Chemistry Olympics competition this Wednesday. I’m participating in two lab contests with my two lab partners (friends). We’ve worked really hard, and we think we can win again. We did it last year, which was our first time participating. Do you think that’ll cut it? I do Chemistry Olympics because I really enjoy chemistry. It makes sense, and I can visualize everything. I guess I’m passionate about that.</p>
<p>Concerning yearbook, I’m academics section head this year. I designed all the academics section layouts, proofread all the pages, and wrote the divider copy. That’s one leadership position, and next year I will be editor. I applied for editor for my school newspaper this year, but then withdrew my application because with everything going on in junior year, there was no way I could have handled that commitment. However, I’ve been a staff writer for two years. Publications are my main thing. I enjoy writing and doing little creative things that most people would find very annoying. </p>
<p>I think I have something for the longer Common Application essay. I have this one really bizarre experience that I can relate to almost any type of learning, which I think will make a strong essay. It happened I believe in December 1995. My dad was living in Saudi Arabia at the time due to a job offer, and he wanted us to come and join him. Due to financial difficulties, my parents had decided to move to Saudi Arabia and stay there for the maximum allowable time for visitors, which is four years. Then, we would return to the United States. In December, my mom and I were boarding a plane (I was only 5). I was sitting in my seat, and she was going to put our hand carry in overhead compartment. It was a strap-on-cart setup-piece. She took off the rubber chord, which had a hook at the end. Somehow it slipped from her hand, and the hook hit her in her right eye. The whole eye was purple, blue, and red. She couldn’t speak. The pain was unbearable. She had to have four surgeries; the retina had to be removed to stabilize the eye, and now she has double-vision with the left eye working fine. Even with this less dramatic anecdote, you see how can I relate this to an interest in psychology, chemistry, medicine, among other things, which it did help to foster.</p>
<p>I also do a lot of community service work. I volunteer at a hospital, and I have many hours there. I like to help people, even just by talking to them. I have 240 hours for volunteering at my local mosque.</p>
<p>The awards I have include honor roll, high honor roll, and I might win some other achievement awards.</p>
<p>I think my recommendations will be very strong. I plan on getting one from my AP US History teacher. He writes great recommendations; the student who got accepted to Dartmouth from my school (only one applied there) got one of his recommendations from him. I plan on getting my second one from my AP Chemistry teacher. Finally, I plan on getting a third one from my yearbook adviser; she knows me really well, so she can pinpoint some of my character strengths. I don’t know about my counselor recommendation. I’m not really that close with my counselor, but none of the students at my school are close with their counselors because the counselors literally push Rutgers on you and shoot you down even if you have a chance at some of the top schools or other schools. </p>
<p>Paired with standardized testing and my unweighted GPA, is all this really not enough?</p>
<p>Well giving more than 3 SAT IIs is just for padding your application. Today many students are cracking SATs so I would suggest that you work on the other parts of your app! like the essays and try to get some more ECs on in there :)</p>
<p>And man you are being paranoid! You are a great applicant! JUST CHILL man! 
You will seriously be fine!</p>
<p>My two cents.</p>
<p>You’re solid.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>