As my fellow seniors are pretty much done with their Ed applications and are playing the waiting game for their acceptances, I am growing more and more scared about applying next year. I am worried because of my latest sat scores and a score I got on my practice ACT. Even though it is still almost early that I shouldn’t be extra anxious about my test scores which are critically low(when I say low I mean low).I still feel that the schools I would like to apply to wouldn’t even look past my scores. The schools I have in mind are Georgia tech,Johns Hopkins,Syracuse,Oklahoma ,George mason and Loyola (md). I am a black female and my W GPA is a 3.49 ( I guess without my junior year grades) and unW gpa is a 3.1. I have taken mostly honors in 9th and 10th grade(one Ap class in 10th which was bio.) and in 11th my courses are all honors execept for 2 which are Ap physics 1 and Ap Lang.I am also taking courses that are aligned with the pltw engineering curriculum all 4 years.My ECs are I guess pretty unique for someone in my school which is that I’m interning at Johns Hopkins BME lab with grad students,I’ve participated in the girls who code summer immersion program , and im a regional coordinator for a non profit program that encourages teens to teach younger kids computer science,I’m also a programmer/secretary of my school’s robotics team, A goalie for my field hockey team and will be working in a group for a MESA competition.what are some studying tips for scoring high on the ACT math and English mostly in general with act/sat or should i really not even worry about my scores? (regardless I will study).any other tips I should follow for applying next year or rather words of encouragement
Thanks!
I don’t feel qualified to speak for your strategy and qualifications for your reach schools. But I can tell you how my student cranked her ACT scores.
Instead of just worrying about your scores, set up a practice schedule for the ACT or SAT and put the worry to work! It sounds like you have a very busy schedule of activities–I would suggest thinning something down a bit so you can use this very crucial junior year for test prep.
Create a schedule that allows you to take a practice section at least 2-3 times per week and a full length practice test maybe once a month. After the section test, take note of what you missed and study those items. Reach out for help via tutor, friend or whatever on concepts you just have no clue about. Practice, practice, practice.
You need some more safeties on your list other than Oklahoma. There are many schools that offer your major that may be more of a match for you.
Also, make sure you are considering affordability when creating a list. Do you and your family have an idea of your EFC and have set a yearly budget of what they can pay?
Hope567 - IMHO - relax. You will get into a good school, your grades are ok and your ECs are great… now you just need to invest in the “How To Paragraph” program. Seriously. It was hard to read your “Wall Of Words” above.
- If you did not test well on the ACT, take the SAT. My D did and scored the equivalent of 3+ points better on the SAT than the ACT.
- You could consider self-study or tutoring for either the ACT or SAT - that should kick up your scores.
- You don't need to "get scared" - make a plan now to "get better, NOT scared".
- Beware of Acronyms - you used "pltw" in your WOW, and not everyone is gonna know that means Project Lead The Way. So when in doubt, spell it out - at least the 1st time.
- RELAX and enjoy your senior year - you will be fine.
- Good Luck!
@carachel2 ok thanks doing the practice section 2-3 times per week for the act actually seems doable.In one of my ECs which is the Johns Hopkins intern thing It’s required for school and I have to do that for about 137 hours from the summer of next year toward the fall of senior year.would northeastern state Oklahoma, george mason and Georgia state be considered a safety? For affordability I would like to get into a school that would cover for at least half or a quarter of my tuition
Thanks for your advice btw!
@nugraddad
I’m so sorry for my Long WOW this is my first question I’ve posted.I took the PSAT three times and the sat once and I’ve scored very badly but improved by 10 points each time. I may end up deciding the act because the math is actually really easy for me though I need to brush up on the concepts.
Thanks for your advice though!
“For affordability I would like to get into a school that would cover for at least half or a quarter of my tuition”
What is your plan for getting the school to cover at least half of your tuition?
Will your family qualify for NEED based aid? Are these schools that offer institutional aid? You and your parents need to sit down and find out.
Will you qualify for MERIT aid at your schools? Do the schools offer merit aid? If so, what are the common test scores and GPAs of the people who were offered merit aid in the last year or so? The websites may offer some of this information and you can also look at the forums here.
Schools that give good MERIT aid tend to offer it the most to students with both high GPA and high test scores. This thread is a very very good thread to read. http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1858628-getting-accepted-does-not-mean-that-a-merit-scholarship-will-be-forthcoming-p1.html
Your parents REALLY need to find out their EFC. And then they need to tell you if they can afford to pay that amount every year. Your search needs to keep those facts in mind.
Being “worried” to me, is a teenagers code word for “magical thinking.” Being just worried about things allows you in your head to also imagine possibilities where you get large amounts of $$. But that is magical thinking and that leads to a lot of disappointment come spring of your senior year.
Instead of being “worried” take ACTION. Plan and prepare daily for your tests. Sit down with your parents to learn about EFC and need based aid. Taking action helps you cover a lot of bases so you don’t need to worry–you will have actual choices when the time comes.
@carachel2 I’ve looked up the EFC that is based on my family’s income from fasfa which is around $19-20k and I’m proably going to research and pursue grants given by the state for female and or minorities majoring in stem,on top of that next year Im going to get an scholarship from my church and also I’m in the process of applying to outside scholarships.Yes it may seem that I am not taking into account of the tution of the schools I’m applying to but at this moment I’m mostly worried about finding the right list of schools and for jhu(the most expensive school on my list as of right now )I will try to a to ask a lot questions about their finacial aid in a college visit.