Advice/Strategy For SAT And ECs: Hispanic Student

Applying to College
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My daughter is a junior at a competitive magnet school and just received her SATs back. She had also taken the SAT prior to the beginning of her junior year. Her superscore = 1500 (760 math/740 reading). Her PSAT came back with 220 pts for national merit. It looks like she has a good chance to make national merit as well for our state as it is a couple of points above the cut off for the current year. She has also received notice and sent in the application for the CBNRP, as her Mom and that side of her family are all from Mexico originally. She has received all As so far, but may pull a B or two this year in AP Calc BC/AP Bio (on the bubble). Lots of APs with good scores.

Her extracurriculars are just OK. She worked at a law firm last summer and maintains a job at Starbucks throughout the year. Cheerleading, band, student paper, small amount of volunteer work.

My question is given her SAT scores, potential national merit and ECs, what would be the best investment of time for her this summer? She is still fluid about a career path, but is considering law, medicine and business. It is leaning now more toward econ/business undergrad and perhaps law, but she is still talking about medicine as well.

Would it be better to fill up her summer with ECs to “spike” one area, or to have her really put a solid effort again into the SAT and raise the score? Has she “hit the number” with a 1500 as a hispanic student for competitive colleges where they will be looking more to ECs, or would boosting her score to 1530-1550 make a material difference in her application? She prepped, but was not grinding for both SAT exams, so I think she could probably get up to 1530-1550 with a real effort and perhaps tutoring over the summer.

I’d like to get her into a top 15 school if possible, and the cost would not be an issue. However, if that doesn’t work out, I would probably look to put her in a school with significant merit aid. I know this is a long shot for anyone and a small probability, but I am looking more at what would be the best use of her summer to maximize her odds? I don’t want to make her prep for the SAT all summer if it will only make a nominal difference and she could then devote more time to building up her ECs. However, if bumping up the SAT 30-50 pts. would make a material difference for the top schools, then I might curb some of the ECs and have her focus on the SAT again.

If anyone has had a student in a similar situation, I’d really appreciate hearing how it worked out.

Any input would be appreciated.

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A fairly large number of colleges attach large scholarships to NMF status; a smaller number attach scholarships to CBNRP status. You may want to start looking for colleges in these categories if you want her to find lower net price colleges if she cannot get into those with the prestige you are willing to pay for.

Realistically, chances at top 15 most selective colleges are very low for almost all students, so the application list must include other colleges that are more realistic for admission, she is happy to attend, and you are willing to pay for. Regarding ECs, the applicant pool at top 15 most selective colleges will include many who have state or national level awards, recognition, or achievements in ECs. Athletic ECs may also be privileged over other ECs (e.g. at Harvard, admissions does an athletic rating in addition to an extracurricular rating).

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Congrats to your daughter. I’m not hispanic - but i don’t think it matters.

The NMF stuff is awesome - some schools cut great deals.

Specifically to your daughter, for the summer, i would say she should continue to work - whether at starbucks or the law firm again. If it’s not full time, pick up an activity - for example, if she loves dogs, walk them at the local shelter, etc.

her ECs are great - she works…shes in band…cheerleading…with ECs, tenure matters…so you don’t start and quit - but her ECs sound great.

The difference between a top 15 and a school with a lot of merit aid - not that much. So money isn’t an issue - but would you rather her in UVA or Michigan at over $60K - or Alabama at $18K…not specific to those schools - but just giving you a high and low.

Or a WUSTL at $80K+ or a Macalester with merit at $50K or Denver at $45K, etc.

Your student is fine as is. Sure she can take the test again and you can just study 30 mins a day 3 or 4 x a week - maybe it will help…maybe it won’t.

But her ECs are great - a school like Alabama, will give you four years tuition and room - for being NMF. Other schools a small amount or no amount.

So the question isn’t what you can afford - but what do you want to afford?

As for your daughter, her ECs sound great to me.

Good luck.

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I think her ECs are terrific. If she wants to take the SAT again, I don’t see any reason why she can’t work and also do some SAT prep at the same time. She doesn’t need to dedicate 24/7 of her summer time to SAT prep.

I understand you would like her at the best school possible…but why T 15? Are there special characteristics to those schools that are attractive to her…or is this just because of rankings?

There are so many wonderful colleges where so many very top kids do very well that are outside of the top 15 schools.

I would urge your daughter to make a list of the criteria SHE would like for her college years. These can include academic offerings, geographic location, rural/suburban/urban, weather, activities she wants to continue to pursue or start, just about anything that will make her a happy college student for four years.

Once you have those characteristics…then look for colleges that can fulfill at least the most important ones to her.

She sounds like a terrific student, and many colleges will likely be so happy to have her join their students.

Try and be open minded. There are some really great schools out there.

And adding…even with perfect SAT scores and GPA, admission to those tippy top schools is not guaranteed. So make sure you have some colleges that she likes where admissions are more likely.

My question is given her SAT scores, potential national merit and ECs, what would be the best investment of time for her this summer?>>

The best investment in time…my opinion…start writing her essays…and hone that list of criteria for colleges and look for schools that will match.

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Your daughter sounds a lot like my junior daughter in every major category lol. My kids are Hispanic on their mother’s side as well. And I have a similar mindset to you regarding a willingness to pay for a T20 as plan A or look for merit aid as plan B.

My senior son had a successful college application process this year with similar standardized scores, grades, resume etc. (although he did not take the PSAT due to Covid and therefore national merit wasn’t a part of his application) and he was accepted to his first choice Ivy League school. I say that to give you hope that your daughter (and hopefully mine) are set up nicely to do the same this upcoming year. I would have your daughter focus on ECs, college list fine-tuning and the beginnings of the application essays if I were you.

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Thanks for the input. That’s my thinking. That it is worth it to pay the full bill if it is a top ranked school that will open doors for her, but if it is not that I would have her attend Alabama or Fordham, etc. on a full ride if she makes National Merit, which I think she will. I actually like both of those schools as well.

If she decides on premed, I might recommend a scholarship school anyway so the competition would not be as intense for the sciences, but it is looking like it will be more economics/business.

If you don’t mind me asking, did your son do EA or ED for his 1st choice school where he secured admission, or was it during regular admission?

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The Fordham scholarship is tuition only. It leaves about 20k/year. Also, it isn’t automatic.

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Is it worth paying $340K for a top school vs. Alabama at free tuition and room? Personal choice .

Even at a large school, you have Honors Colleges and then at a school like Bama the Randall Research Scholars or the McCullough Medical Scholars for someone going pre-med. So many colleges have Honors Colleges.

But of course there is the option of a full pay public or private that’s more elite, a top school such as Vandy, WUSTL or Washington & Lee (Johnson Scholar) that have merit but it’s not easy, or a 2nd level private like a Macalester or similar that has regular merit.

You asked @ChancellorGH but for my kids both chose the right schools for them.

My son is in engineering at Bama. He got into Purdue with $10K merit which is unusual for their engineering program. He had a 34 ACT and 3.97/4.6 or so. He’s got great merit at Bama - but he chose the school. In addition to Purdue, he turned down UF, Maryland and other solid programs.

My daughter is at College of Charleston - 16th ranked of 17th acceptances. When we first visited the school, I knew it was where she’d end up. It was just right for her. She turned down W&L, UF, and others…she got great aid too through some endowed scholarships but most of it came after she accepted.

I did not allow ED because we are full pay and I didn’t want my kids to be bound. We did EA where it was available. ED was not for us - although there’s a handful of schools (I think NYU for one) that will allow you to opt out without penalty.

Good luck.

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Yes, without getting too specific, my son applied REA/ED and was accepted in the early round.