A bit confused with the process and for other schools too.

Parents Forum
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<p>I had posted this earlier in the PSU section of this site and I was suggested to post this here also:
Alright. So i want to start my app now. I am making my psu account atm and will hopefully have everything ready within the week (by friday hopefully) and for all my other schools. The only problem is, is that I plan on taking the ACT and SAT on oct. 22 and nov 5. Those scores will be out towards late november. Although i will still have my app in by nov 30th, is there a way i can send in my app on friday and tell them that I am still retaking my ACT/ SAT?</p>

<p>My stats are a 3.2 w gpa. hnrs workload (9 hnrs; 4 ap's from fresh-junior year) this year am only taking 3 ap's and standard classes (but self-studying 4 other ap's which really won't do much besides give me college credit [bio/physics c e/m, calc bc, chem]; dropped 3 from my school schedule [humangeo/stat/comp sci]). 1860 on my SAT and a 27 on my ACT. Took both on the fly and am well prepared now after studying throughout the summer (i have been getting consistent 2.3ks on my SAT for the past 3 tests). 4 years of FBLA/2 years of another/ 3 years of another (no positions in any clubs)/50 hrs of volunteer at a hospital.</p>

<p>My scores are downhill. Mainly cause I went to a rough time after being forced to go into a high school I didn't want to go to. After realizing I had no hope of going back to my old school, I sorta gave up on school which really killed me. I am back in the game now but it's too late for anything.</p>

<p>I would like to increase my chances as much as possible so I am considering Summer- UP. I would like to get into UP and major in bio med eng. with a minor in middle eastern studies ( i would do japanese also but I don't think I will be able to handle a huge workload) and overall premed.</p>

<p>Also considering applying to Umiami/tufts and state schools here in NY. Rec me some other schools i should apply to?</p>

<p>I want to hand in my ED/EA stuff asap but I still need my sat/act stuff done.... (ea to miami and ed to to tufts).</p>

<p>This is going to be a really rough experience for me since I will be the first in all of my family to go to college in the US since my cousin ended up going to Pakistan for med school and none of my family and extended family have been raised in the US. My parents were educated in Pakistan and ended up getting their residencies here.</p>

<p>I don't know much about the college process and I don't like my guidance counselor at all so I avoid her a lot. I feel like she looks down on me. I am learning slowly about everything.</p>

<p>original link: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/penn-state-university-park/1219880-bit-confused-process-other-schools-too.html#post13279324%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/penn-state-university-park/1219880-bit-confused-process-other-schools-too.html#post13279324&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I reside in NY, and my parents are doctors so i think financial aid won't be a big issue. My last resort, if i do get rejected from the schools I wish to attend is go to the carribean or pakistan for med school cause I would rather not attend CC and then transfer out, cause a lot of my family/friends will look down at me and I am going to hate it then.</p>

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<p>Hmmm…wouldn’t you need to have a degree before med school?! I don’t understand why you feel that your only choices are schools that are a reach or CC. There are a number of good matches out there for you, I’m very sure and you will have opportunities to transfer later on - many/most schools will not care about your HS gpa or scores once you have 30 college credits. </p>

<p>I thing you should also look at the SUNY and CUNY schools as they may be a bit more forgiving of your gpa wobble than other schools on your list. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing them just because they’re your instate publics as there are some gems in there. Do a program search at suny.edu and find the ones that offer programs you’re interested in (I’m thinking UB and Stony Brook would be good bets).</p>

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<p>med schools in pakistan don’t require a degree and there is one school in the carribean which doesn’t require a degree either. I am already considering UB but not SBU for other reasons but I would rather attend PSU more than anything else cause I have friends attending the school and I really like the main campus.</p>

<p>also i really would like my first question answered before I do anything:</p>

<p>Although i will still have my app in by nov 30th, is there a way i can send in my app on friday and tell them that I am still retaking my ACT/ SAT? and have a decent shot at attending psu.</p>

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<p>Penn State admissions formula weights gpa 2/3 and SAT 1/3. Obviously if you can bring your test scores up that would be a plus; note that if you don’t get accepted to main campus of Penn State you can spend the first 2 years at a branch campus and transfer to main campus as a junior. </p>

<p>When I run your current stats through college confidential’s seach program, I got a 100% match on SUNY Buffalo. Another school that comes up is University of Alabama. Since you like that big school feeling of Penn State, maybe you would like Alabama.</p>

<p>I think you have plenty of options, I’d recommend that you avoid getting too fixated on any one school.</p>

<p>I’d also suggest that you look into Drexel in Philadelphia, although I’m not sure they offer the minor you are looking for. It may actually be difficult to minor in middle eastern studies at the same time as getting an engineering degree.</p>

<p>Right now I’d say Tulane and Miami look like a reach with 3.2 W GPA and 1860 SAT.</p>

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<p>Taking the SAT’s after your application is in, should be no problem, and is common. I know my daughter took SAT II’s in late January and they were still included in her application at the end.</p>

<p>If you are nervous about it, call the admissions people at your schools and tell them, and they will reassure you and tell you whether or not you should notify them of the dates, and how. I think the common app may even have a place to write future testing, but I can’t remember exactly.</p>

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<p>thank you pamom59 for posting in my earlier thread and this one. I plan on having my app out by sunday the latest for schools that don’t need LoRs. Plan on getting my LoRs done within the next 2-3 weeks (i need to show my new teachers that i can perform well before I even ask them to write me a LoR).
@compmom: alright thanks. I will do that once i settle down a bit with college essays and plan out which common app schools and other schools to apply to.</p>