<p>I attend high school in a rural southern town. It is a tier two school, and is accredited.
Will going to a sub-par high school affect my chances of admissions to certain colleges?
My top choices as of now are Georgetown, U of Chicago, Northwestern, Duke, Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr.
I have tried to compensate for my high school by attending an online high school at North Carolina School of Science and Math, and by participating in summer programs for gifted youth.
If I get my SAT scores up (currently 1860, but I’m just a rising junior) and have stellar extra-curriculars and of course maintain good grades, will colleges look past my school?</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter where you go to high school. A valedictorian at my h.s. went to Harvard, and our school’s average ACT score is only a 21. However, that girl’s SAT score was about 250 points higher than yours, so your low test score is likely an issue getting into the schools you list.</p>
<p>Yeah, my ACT (28) and SAT scores are my main issue now, but I think those will greatly improve in the three semesters I have before college. Especially as I take junior-level math. My score breakdown was CR:760 W:600 and then math is my issue at 500.</p>
<p>Try and get your ACT to a 30 (personally I feel that the math is easier on the ACT then the SAT and it has less value in your total score). Yay for Swarthmore (my first choice)! Know that all the liberal art schools are very holistic in admissions and view both the essay and supplement as very important. Have you looked at Haverford?</p>
<p>Not in-depth, but it is on my Cappex list. I might try to look into that school now, thank you.</p>
<p>Could a weak high school even be a hook? I know no one from my area has applied to an ivie or top school in several years.</p>
<p>No, a hook is a legacy, URM, first generation, or in some cases, coming from a specific region.</p>