ACT scores in-now where should I be looking?

Parents Forum
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<p>Hi,
First of all, let me preface this by saying I feel sort of shallow posting this in light of what happened to SoozieVT's daughter. Kind of puts college admissions mania in prespective, doesn't it? I'd just like to say my thoughts and prayes are with her and fsmily.</p>

<p>But that being said, I'm under pressure to draw up a tenetitive college visit list for this summer, and I could really use some expertise. I know I've posted topics like this before, but now that I have actual test scores in, I figured that would help.</p>

<p>I looked at Rice today and will be looking it UT-Austin Wednesday, so I'm hoping to get more of an exact feel regarding what I want specifically in a college. Right now, I know I want to get out of the South (TX resident), preferably to the west/northwest, though I'll look at the midwest/northeast. I don't think I want a gigantic school, and I would love individual attention from professors, but I don't want to small college with limited options, either. I'm not a drinker/partier, so I don't want a notoriously drunking yheavy school.</p>

<p>My stats:
GPA: 4.0 UW as of now, but I'm really freaked about my AP Art History grade, so it may drop. 4.5 W as of sophmore year, should go up.
Rank: 64/1225, hoping to get in the top 5% but who knows?
Courses:
9th
Algebra I A/A
Honors ICP: A/A
Japanese I: A/A
PE/Ag: A/A
Honors World Geography: A/A
PreAP English I: A/A
Theatre (fine arts requirement): A/A
Health/Speech: A/A</p>

<p>10th
Geometry: A/A
PreAp Biology: A/A
Japanese II: A/A
AP World History: A/A
Technology (tech requirement): A/A
Ag: A/A
PreAP English: A/A (tough class-few A's)
Japanese III H: A/A</p>

<p>11th
AP English: A/A (very, very few A's)
Japanese IV H: A/A
PreAP Chemistry: A/A
AP Psychology: A
Algebra II: A/?
APUSH: A/?
Japanese V H: A/?
AP Art History: A/?</p>

<p>12th
AP Biology
AP Statistics
AP English
AP Economics
AP Government
AP European History
Japanese VI (not usually offered at my school-taken through special arrangement)</p>

<p>Scores:
PSAT: 205 :(
ACT: 33 (36 reading. 25 math, 35 science, 34 English [34 +12/12 on essay=35]</p>

<p>EC's given upon request</p>

<p>I really want to go into a health care science (probably pharmacy), but I also I'm a fanatic for foreign languages (took a college Italian course last summer and got an A), and I wanto to continue my Japanese studies. So far on my list are:
UMich
University of Utah
University of Washington
Univesity of the Pacific
UC-B (doubt I'll get in, though)
Cornell/Dart (only visitng and applying to one as a long shot, but I haven't decided which)
Rice (loved the campus but hate! the city, another long shot)
IU-Bloomington (any school willing to offer Mongolian is a plus in my book!~)
Northwestern</p>

<p>I need help grouping them into match/reach/safety as well as compiling further suggestions.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

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<p>Sorry, i'm not going to be too helpful here. Did you eat lunch at lovett college today by chance? If so, I probably saw/met you.</p>

<p>I think Rice is a pretty awesome place to be a pre-health student, for what that's worth. Texas medical center? Research opps? Small classes and good student/faculty interaction? Yeah, it doesn't get better than that.</p>

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<p>You have great grades and a very nice ACT score (the math score could be higher). Rice is a great school, but I can understand your wanting to leave your home state for a while. I like UMich and UWashington a lot. I know UMich has rolling admissions, so it would be important for you to apply early. I visited Bloomington once and rather liked the city. UI is also a very good school to which you are very likely to get admitted. My hunch is that
Utah and Indiana might be safeties, UWashington would be a match/safety, UMich would be a match, UCB, Dartmouth and Northwestern would be reaches, Cornell would be a reach/match. I don't know about U of the Pacific. Is that how you see things?</p>

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<p>Great score.</p>

<p>Pacific is definitely a safety for you. Apply early, and you can probably earn some merit aid. Practice the math, and retest, and who knows...</p>

<p>the UC's are extremely difficult for any OOS student. I concur with marite on U-Dub.</p>

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<p>Even though it's a small school, I'd recommend Scripps. With the five-college consortium you get the individualized attention of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a mid-sized university (approx. 5,000 undergrads at four liberal arts colleges as well as graduate students from the Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University.) The Joint Science program between Scripps, Claremont McKenna, and Pitzer is top-notch and prepares you for the health sciences well (I should know, I'm pre-med!). To put the icing on the cake, Scripps is known for it's Italian language and studies programs and Japanese is easily accessible through Pomona. Though I realize it's different than many of the schools on your list, I think you should give it a look. Also, there are approximetely 40 merit-based scholarships given each year. If you apply and are selected as a finalist Scripps will fly you out for a weekend trip. More incentive to apply!</p>

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<p>wolfpiper - </p>

<p>With a 4.0 and a 33 ACT you set up well for most any school, leaving the most selective of course as a lottery for anyone. BTW - I believe it is better to have a lopsided 33, as you do. . .very high in three areas gives you a distinct profile, though I really don't know that much about pharmacy. . .it may be that a better math score would be needed in that area of study.</p>

<p>You have some pretty large universities on your list. Gettting a lot of personal attention from professors at that size school may be pretty competitive, though if you study Japanese and take a less-common major that attention may be more likely to be available. Again, pharmacy interest is a key factor, as that major is not available at many small schools. The only one I am personally aware of is Drake University, which might be a better bet than Pacific.</p>

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<p>wolfpiper - I sent you a PM with a suggestion for you.</p>

<p>Bob (digmedia)</p>

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<p>Wolfpiper, congratulations on your ACT score. It is pretty good.</p>

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<p>Indiana looks like a great idea for you. It has the resources of a vast university, but the honors college (which you would automatically qualify for) is small and personable. You could qualify for lots of scholarship money there. It's an excellent school and a wonderful city.</p>