What are my chances of getting into these schools?

[meomy111]

<p>I'm going to apply to about 10 or 11 different schools some small and others large and more well known. I have a 3.6 GPA i play rugby, I was vice president of my schools speech team as a Freshmen and Sophmore and I was voted most valuable speech team member as a Sophmore. I qualified for nationals in Speech during my Sophmore year and gave a speech at a hospital during Martin Luther King Day. I have first honors (I'm a Junior) have been in numerous plays and taken several honors classes.
My SAT scores were ok but not great because I became really sick and was sick the day I took them and I had also sprained my ankle during rugby. My Scores were 610-READING, 450-MATH, 530-WRITING. I've never been a math person so i think my score will only go up a little more when I take it again but these are my scores for my first take. My Subject test scores were 590-Literature, 560-U.S. History I know i can do better in these two because I took them the week after I got out of school and didn't get much time to study b/c i was focused on studying for exams.
These are the schools I am thinking of applying to:
U.C. Berkley
U.C. San Diego
UCLA
Arcadia
U. Miami
Mount St. Mary's
Drexel
U. Michigan
Penn. State
Columbia U.
Stetson
NYU
Syracuse
Franklin College Switz.(I have lots of family there and love the location and program)</p>

<p>I am thinking of being an International Studies/ Pol. Science Major. I am really new to this process my Mom is in college but she doesn't really understand the American way of applying to different schools ( we are Nigerian). My Dad went to Princeton but he isn't very active in my life. I really need help with knowing if I have a chance to get into these schools or what schools I shouldn't bother with applying. My Dad went to Princeton and has lots of connections there he said they would take me on that but I kind of don't want to get in b/c he has "connections" I want to get in on my own standing. So if anyone can help me it will be greatly appreciated my name is Hannah by the way.</p>

[Eloves2012]

<p>school grades/rank/gpa? chance me back?</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/949262-chances-vassar-nyu-brandeis-cu-schools-tufts.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/949262-chances-vassar-nyu-brandeis-cu-schools-tufts.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

[synny201]

<p>Uhh. Are you a CA residence? </p>

<p>I don't want to be mean, but I'm going to just say this. Your SAT scores are not high enough for most of those schools. UCLA, UCB, Columbia, NYU, Michigan all require at least a 2050 (preferably 2150+) on the SAT. The rest need at least 1800. If you could get into Pton with connections...do it.</p>

[meomy111]

<p>I know my scores aren't great but this was my first time ever taking the test and i was sick and had a sprained ankle. I don't like Princeton I recently visited and thought it was the most boring place ever. I am not sure about the U.C.'s but how can you automatically assume the other places take a 1800? Is that a researched answer? I have done my own research and know that Arcadia, Mount St. Mary's, and Drexel would not be very hard at all for me to get into. What I'm not sure of is the U.C.'s I'm new to this whole application process and i am really surprised at people saying that admission is based solely on test scores. I never knew that and i thought admissions directors look at the whole background of a student as well as the essay, GPA, activities, and volunteer work. I've sent some scores to UCLA and U.C. Berkley but i'm really unsure about them. My goal is to get into U.C. San Diego but I guess I shouldn't even try huh. Also, I'm a D.C. resident.</p>

[JLee92]

<p>You definitely need to take the SAT reasoning again and score higher. Also, is the 3.6 weighted or unweighted? The reason most colleges have a minimum gpa/sat is because people look at the stats of students who were accepted and so on.</p>

<p>I'd honestly say that Berkeley and LA (and possibly SD, if you don't raise your sat I score) are reaches for you.</p>

<p>By the way, when you send those scores to colleges, you can't stick a post it note saying "I was sick and had a bad day".</p>

<p>Chance me back?
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/948195-chance-me-ill-chance-you-back.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/948195-chance-me-ill-chance-you-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

[meomy111]

<p>I definitely will take the SAT I and SATII again it was just bad circumstances i'm not looking for sympathy. I just really am upset with my scores and I'm really trying to figure out where I stand and what kind of schools i can get into with my scores. I worked really hard this year and have better grades than most of the girls in my school. It really hurts to hear people put me down because i think a 3.6 is pretty darn good if i had a 2.0 God forbid it would be a different story. I feel like people are saying I have no chance in getting in anywhere and I know that's far from true. If I have the drive then I will work my way up to where I need to be to get into a good school. I could care less about the Ivy Leagues I'm smart and I don't need some college to determine what job I get as long as I get my degree from a good school it doesn't matter whether it's a UC or not. I just would like to know what schools I should look into with my current scores and background. @JLee92 I saw your question and believe me your definitely going to get into a good school with your gpa and scores whether it's a U.C. or not. If I were you, well I'm going to do the same thing, I'd talk to my college counselor about my scores as well as a collegeboard counselor. They have an office in the D.C. area so i go to the one there but I think you should do the same to see where you should go from here.</p>

[LAXer25]

<p>
[quote]
I just really am upset with my scores and I'm really trying to figure out where I stand and what kind of schools i can get into with my scores. I worked really hard this year and have better grades than most of the girls in my school. It really hurts to hear people put me down because i think a 3.6 is pretty darn good

[/quote]
</p>

<p>no one is putting you down, and they ARE showing you where you stand. Your SAT is really low in comparison to others who are getting into these schools. With your current score, even if you were sick, isn't quite high enough. Definitely retake it and you'll do much better. Is your gpa weighted or unweighted.?</p>

[JLee92]

<p>Meomy111,</p>

<p>I did not mean to offend you in any way through my question about whether or not the 3.6 is weighted or unweighted. From what you're saying, I'm assuming it's unweighted.</p>

<p>The reason why I asked is because I heard from a college admissions officer that a low gpa does not necessarily mean automatic rejection since they still consider people with low gpa's, but they do not admit as many people with low gpa's as they do for those with high gpa's. Since that's the case, you would have to make up in other areas such as the sat, ap tests, etc.</p>

<p>Also, since you're a Nigerian, your ethnicity is an advantage since I'm aware that a decent portion of colleges like diversity.</p>

[nysmile]

<p>Freshman</a> Class Profile | Undergraduate Admissions | Drexel University
^Drexel:</p>

<p>Average GPA (unweighted, on a 4.0 scale) 3.5
Average combined SAT Critical Reading and Math score 1210</p>

<p>Prep for the SAT. Consider attempting the ACT.</p>

<p>IMO--The only school on your list that is a match is Arcadia.</p>

[Loncria]

<p>Sorry, CC standards are different than what normal people like you and I would consider good/great. Your scores are not that bad, and considering your circumstances were not favorable, should not hurt you at all( you'll prob also get a lot higher second time around). Assuming you improved quite a bit:
U.C. Berkley: Reach -->VERY competitive for oos
U.C. San Diego--> Match
UCLA---> High match
Arcadia---> Match
U. Miami----> Match
Mount St. Mary's---> safe?
Drexel----->match
U. Michigan------>match/high match
Penn. State-----> low match
Columbia U.-----> Reach
Stetson------> match
NYU----> slight reach
Syracuse----> high match
Franklin College Switz.------>safe</p>

[nysmile]

<p>I don't agree with that breakdown of reach, match, safety.</p>

<p>Arcadia--Match---"We do not have a minimum SAT/ACT score required for admission. We accept students with a range of scores and evaluate standardized test scores in balance with other parts of the application. We look at your highest verbal score and highest math score. We do not require the SAT II."</p>

<p>Mt. St. Mary--match <a href="http://www.msmary.edu/pdfs/inside/administration/CDS2009_2010-edit3.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.msmary.edu/pdfs/inside/administration/CDS2009_2010-edit3.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Drexel: Low Reach (because of the OP's SAT score) See the Drexel info in the link provided in post#9</p>

<p>All of the rest---reaches</p>

<p>Fast</a> Facts | University of Miami</p>

<p>Typical freshman class profile:
• Number of incoming freshmen: 2,000
• Approximately 83% live on campus
• Approximately 2/3 are in the top 10% of their class
• Approximately half of the new freshmen graduated in the top 5% of their class
• Average weighted GPA: 4.2</p>

<p>Admitted student mid-range SAT scores:
• 25th percentile: 1240
• 75th percentile: 1380</p>

[nysmile]

<p><a href="http://www.stetson.edu/other/about/quickfacts.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.stetson.edu/other/about/quickfacts.php&lt;/a>
^You can add Stetson to your Match list.</p>

<p>Admission
Stetson seeks students with a challenging high school curriculum. The incoming freshmen class had an average 3.70 GPA, was in the middle 50 percent SAT range of 1030-1240 and the middle 50 percent ACT range of 21-26. </p>

<p>Because the OP's CR/M combo is 1060 and on the lower end on Stetson's 50% scale, it should be considered a "Match" and not a "Safety".</p>

<p>Arcadia---Match
Mt. St. Mary--Match
Stetson---Match</p>

<p>Drexel--Low Reach</p>

<p>Reaches:
U.C. Berkley--too much of a reach
Columbia U.--too much of a reach
NYU--too much of a reach
UCLA--too much of a reach
U. Michigan--too much of a reach
U.C. San Diego
U. Miami
Penn. State
Syracuse</p>

<p>Definitely try the ACT.</p>

<p>On a side note: Here's the link for the common data set to UC San Diego:<a href="http://studentresearch.ucsd.edu/sriweb/cds/c.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://studentresearch.ucsd.edu/sriweb/cds/c.pdf&lt;/a>
----------------------------25th Percentile--------75th Percentile
SAT Critical Reading--------540------------------- 660
SAT Math------------------- 600--------------------710
80% had a gpa of 3.75 or greater
Only 3% had a Math SAT score 400-499
In summary: UC San Diego is a reach and not a match</p>

[Loncria]

<p>I went with the assumption that he/she will definitely improve around 200 or more points in the Composite score for SAT 1. Looking at the EC's the OP has a great chance at UCSD. I'm sorry about the other schools, I live in Cali. and can't really generate much insight into those particular schools in the Midwest and less well known east coast schools.</p>

[nysmile]

<p>It's very important to give info on current stats.<br>
Assuming an increase in SAT/ACT scores isn't wise. </p>

<p>When giving info on "What are my chances", one should only give info based on current stats. There are no guarantees to an increase in SAT/ACT scores nor can anyone predict future scores.</p>

[Loncria]

<p>I see your point, but the OP did say that the circumstances were not pleasant when she took the SATs. This is probably due to the stress of taking it for the first time, she would almost be sure to improve, and improve by a lot the second time around.</p>

[meomy111]

<p>@Nysmile Would I be able to take the ACT at this point if I'm going to take the SAT I and SAT II again? the months for the the ACT are Sept., October, Dec., Feb... Most of my applications if not all must be in by November. Would I have time to do that? I had no idea a 3.6 was considered low by any means i mean if i went to public school it would probably be wayy above that but my school is extremely difficult it's a catholic, private all girls school. I don't understand what a low reach is. Where do I register for the ACT? I'm really nervous b/c the testing times are so close and would it be smart to send both the SAT and ACT? I'm definitely looking at other schools at this point. I really wasn't that pressed on attending U.C. Berk., and UCLA only San Diego but whatever I can always transfer. @Loncria thank you for the encouragement I really needed that people don't even understand how hard I worked this year and a 3.6 is amazing for me I also received first honors and I am really proud of myself despite my SAT scores. I'm a smart girl I know this but I'll be honest all these 4.6's and higher that's just insane and that's pushing it for me because I take a lot of honors classes that give more of a workload and most girls in my school are on a 3.4, 3.5 level there are only a handful with 4.0's or above and there are 600 girls in my school.</p>

[nysmile]

<p>Yes, you do have time to take the ACT and another chance for the SAT.</p>

<p>To register for the ACT, go to: ACT</a>, Inc. : A Student Site for ACT Test Takers
They offer a test take of Sept. 11th and that leaves you with plenty of time to get your test results. </p>

<p>Next ACT Test Date: September 11, 2010
Registration Deadline: August 6, 2010</p>

<p>I consider a low reach to be a school where some of your academic stats fit for admission but one big part is at their low end of the 50% range (for instance, SAT score).</p>

<p>Don't worry--you'll do fine in the college application process. You just have to be realistic.
Remember: at reaches, there is little chance of getting any merit aid. Don't forget to take finances into consideration when preparing your college list. </p>

<p>There are plenty of colleges for you based on your current stats. Bring up your SAT/ACT score (specifically, the Math) and you can add more choices into the mix. </p>

<p>Don't worry---You will go to college :)</p>

<p>Where does a 3.6 at your school place you in your class rank? Are you in the top 10%?</p>

<p>PS--I included all of the links in my previous posts so you could get a clearer picture of what the colleges on your list are looking for in their applicants. The links weren't meant to discourage you. They were meant to give you accurate info directly from the source (the specific college websites).</p>

[meomy111]

<p>My school doesn't rank but i have 1st honors so i'd say my gpa is pretty good. Financing college isn't a big problem for me i have enough resources to handle that I just really want to get into a good school not one in the middle of nowhere where there is farm land and animals and no malls or stores for a 300 mile radius i would absolutely die. I did the college matchmaker on collegeboard and it came up with some other schools so i'll look into those as well. I just bought an ACT book so i'm going to study for it. I would also be taking my subject tests so it's going to be really tight for me.</p>

[nysmile]

<p>Marist</a> College, Poughkeepsie New York</p>

<p>Freshman</a> Students - Accepted Student Profile: Marist College</p>

<p>Take a look at Marist. They're going test optional.</p>