I do feel like the advice of posters is falling on deaf ears, but another reason to not take the Feb ACT is that OP will likely have to send scores directly to the colleges that will accept the Feb test using the free score send…another thing OP has to check with the set of schools that will even accept the Feb ACT. That means OP won’t be able to see the score first and then decide if they want to send.
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This is very good point.
Interesting. Why wouldn’t OP be able to self report the new score? Truly curious.
It’s because of the late date of the test (that’s why many schools don’t even accept the Feb test for regular decision applicants.) Even though ACT international results typically come out more quickly than those in the US, time is of the essence. OP should follow the directions for each school that will accept the Feb test. If their website or portal doesn’t directly say, he should ask if they want the score automatically sent or if OP can wait until he gets the score.
At many schools, OP’s app will have already been read by mid Feb. Reporting a new score is unlikely to impact the decision at that point, even if it’s a 36. ETA: I am talking about relatively selective schools here.
We have agricultural lands, that we could mortgage.
That is what I am confused about too..
Universally the advice is for parents to not take out loans to pay for their kids’ college costs. Mortgaging agricultural lands is taking out loans. How will he pay off the mortgage and get his land back?
Given this, if you are okay with the risk of having to send your act scores without knowing them (per the post above) it seems like you may not be able to truly afford ole miss or minot so maybe the act is a risk worth taking.
One more thing to help decide. Can you list the schools that you have already heard back from via early action and whether they were acceptance, rejection or waitlist/deferral? That may give a sense of where your academic profile stacks up. If you received rejections from a lot of colleges that don’t meet need, and for which your sat score is very high, that would give a peek into the strength of your application and might be helpful in determining if the act is worth the financial burden.
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We all agree, but the OP doesn’t. My point is, he/she is likely going to continue to justify their plan until someone agrees…
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A bit off topic but it sounds like a terrible idea to have your father mortgage his agricultural lands to help you pay for college. He would be putting his and your familiy future at risk. Therefore, your realistic budget is close to $0. Keep in mind that even with a full ride scholarship there are often costs such as transportation, health insurance, books, etc. that may not be covered and which can run into thousands of US dollars. As an international student, your work options will be very limited.
Please stop angsting about your submitted applications and move forward.
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Just thinking out loud, “agricultural lands” aka owning farmland can sometimes be an issue for need-based financial aid, as the asset would be considered in the need calculation, though I suppose everything would depend on the specifics.
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I think with such a low income, many (most?) colleges will ignore assets.
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But we are talking about something like 4 or 5 universities. Also, even with a perfect SAT score, those 4 or 5 universities are very high reaches and very, very unlikely for any international student.
It is not worth retaking the SAT for the very slim chance that you might get into Harvard. It is just too much of a reach, and even for Harvard 1470 is really very good. Your SAT score is not going to keep you from attending even the most selective university in the world. The simple fact that the 4 or 5 most selective universities in the world get so many applications and accept so few students is what is likely to keep you from being accepted to the top 4 or 5 universities in the world. That leaves a few thousand other very good universities that you can attend instead.
You have applied to a large number of universities. For the vast majority of these schools, that you have already applied to, your SAT score is already superb, or perhaps SUPERB! Also, any of these schools can provide you with a very, very good education.
Another issue is that 1470 is so very, very good, that doing better is very, very difficult and very, very unlikely. I did not do that well. Someone I know has so far only had one single B in their entire life (and they are currently a PhD student at a very good university) and they did not do that well.
It is not worth the money. It is not worth the effort. Doing better than 1470 is unnecessary and is also unlikely.
There are four things that you should do right now:
Get some sleep.
Keep up in your course work in the courses that you are currently taking as a high school student.
Be proud of how well you have done. A 1470 SAT score is excellent. I am guessing that your accomplishments in high school are similarly excellent.
Be patient. Have faith that this will work out with your current scores.
aaaaaaaaaah! No, NO. NO. NNNNOOOO. DO NOT take on any debt at all to retake the SAT.
Let me be blunt again. There are a lot of people participating on this web site who have a lot of experience in life. There are alumni from Harvard, Stanford, MIT, UC Berkeley, and pretty much any other highly ranked university that you could name. There are parents whose children have attended similarly highly ranked universities. There are people who are MDs, and PhD’s, and others with graduate degrees from highly ranked universities. We have gotten accepted to and have attended and have graduated from the very same top schools that you are hoping to attend. We are all telling you the same thing. You already have an excellent SAT score. Do not retake.
Just be proud of what you have already accomplished, be patient, and have faith that this will work out.
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Name the “majority” of schools. I don’t believe that you are correct.
The only schools that will - won’t matter - because the 1470 will be far higher than any of them get from regular students.
Also, you didn’t want to pay to have your transcript interpreted, which would have been a far better usage of your funds. Taking the ACT - not a good use of funds at all. Your bang for the buck would have been the low cost schools that needed professional interpretation. Taking the ACT is money wasted.
This is always the risk - kids think they have need and then schools disagree.
But this is why OP needs the low cost schools if they’re that set on coming to America.
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But those low cost schools are going to require his parents to mortgage their agricultural lands which is a terrible idea. So as I understand it, OP really can’t afford Minot or Ole Miss or any college where he doesn’t get a full ride, unless those lands are mortgaged.
OP gave a budget initially - so we all worked to the budget. The OP didn’t say how they would fund.
I think we all agree this isn’t a good situation. But OP is desperate. For many, the US is the dream. They don’t see all the day to day problems we see - and perhaps that’s because our problems are minor compared to other parts of the world.
Some students see a guarantee of success in the US even though there isn’t one.
In the end, I hope they find a college that can work - and I hope their family doesn’t suffer the consequences of that decision.
I sent you a DM
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