<p>@wcao9311 can you explain why?</p>
<p>@WasatchWriter thanks haha it’s okay!</p>
<p>@AnnieBeats I might get a private tutor? Do you have any suggestions?</p>
<p>If you are low income, unless the tutor is really great and has proven results, it’s not worth it. Over the summer, if you sit down and do practice exams for the SAT 1 and review tips and content, I guarantee you, you will see a significant increase in all your scores. For the SAT 2, do a lot of content review.</p>
<p>tesfayeB - I think we keep coming back to the basic rule that you are unlikely to transform into another person within the next four months. You have a lot going for you, and people here (myself included) have given you lots of advice and suggestions. I am skeptical about test-prep services. I think that the money and time are rarely worth it. I recommend that you take a few sample tests. Does the College Board still offer free daily questions via e-mail? They are pretty fun and helpful for SAT prep. Take the trouble to look up words when you’re reading, but do not keep asking people to tell you something different from what they already have. Even a miraculous jump in test scores will not guarantee you admission to the most selective colleges. You need to look at schools that are matches and safes for who and what you are now. There are literally thousands of such colleges that would accept you in a heartbeat. </p>
<p>@AnnieBeats okay so basically taking practice tests would e more beneficial than paying for a tutor.</p>
<p>@woogzmama okay I see what you are saying. Thank you for helping me become more realistic. I will do the best I can on my tests, and that is all I can do! 
thanks for the encouragement I have trouble believing in myself and I’m glad that people believe in me!</p>
<p>Bump</p>
<p>The test scores will be an issue for you. That doesn’t mean you should not give those schools listed a go, but you should also be focusing on some other school that are not so test score sensitive. Wake Forest, for one, and other Fairtest schools such as Fairfield, Gettysburg, and Dickinson. Also make sure you have some sure things on your list. Talk to your GC about what local schools have been good to students like you from your school. </p>
<p>@tesfayeB the test scores are too how + gpa for ivy is not enough, i guess the only thing you can really fix is test scores. Try the ACT instead, some people are better at different tests.</p>
<p>Now, today, you are getting some solid advice.<br>
It’s wonderful to look back at hs and feel encouraged about the next step. But kids need to be analytical. The best colleges for any kid are not necessarily the big names. It can be the smaller school where YOU can truly flourish. Look for these closer to home. Look at all the colleges that are VA publics. Look into the Guaranteed Transfer (GT) program in VA (Google or ask the GC.) Then you will be better informed.</p>
<p>My kids had test prep and a tutor from a program at the local Ivy and it did not help. The best thing, what you see often on CC, is what Woog and AB wrote. Get a test prep book, find test prep through Collegeboard.com, then dig in every day. Once you get through these starters, on CC they can recommend others (just start first, don’t overload yourself.) Dedicate an hour or two every day. You will see how you do in sample tests. Did you take the PSAT?</p>
<p>If you struggle with SAT prep, try the ACT. SAT and ACT are structured a bit differently and many kids find one easier to master than the other.</p>
<p>It takes hard work - and clever steps - to make it to the most fiercely competitive schools. Many times, the real match is where YOU can thrive, not what some ranking says. You want this to be right for you. Because getting in is only step one. After, the environment, challenges, etc, need to work for YOU. Eyes wide open.</p>
<p>And one small note: would you consider not making an individual post back to each poster you want to comment to, just for the ease. If you consolidate, we will still see whom you are addressing. Best wishes.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.schev.edu/students/publiccollegelist.asp”>http://www.schev.edu/students/publiccollegelist.asp</a>
For these, check the Net Price Calculator and verify which are in the GT agreement. You can also look at a school like Sweet Briar, a women’s college that, I believe, has good financial aid. </p>
<p>Tutoring and commercial test prep is very costly, and if you are disciplined enough to do test prep from the books then that money is better spent on application fees, books, tuition. Books can be found inexpensively as people don’t use them for long and donate them to libraries, second hand bookstores, and friends. Ask around. Also, if someone you know- a friend, at church, is good at these tests, they might be willing to sit with you for a few sessions. Some students tutor as service projects/volunteer hours. Ask your school, church, friends. </p>
<p>You might also find an adult in your community who has had children apply to college who is willing to answer questions as you apply. Your parents can help of course, but if you are the oldest in your family, they are first time parents and may have questions too. </p>
<p>Bump</p>
<ol>
<li>Brown University - High Reach</li>
<li>Dartmouth College - High Reach</li>
<li>University of Pennsylvania - Reach</li>
<li>University of Chicago - Reach</li>
<li>Williams College - Match</li>
<li>University of Virginia - High Match</li>
<li>Tufts University - Match</li>
<li>Pomona College - Match</li>
</ol>
<p>Chance me back
<a href=“Cornell, UC Berk, CMU, UMich, Georgia Tech - #23 by rhandco - Chance Me / Match Me! - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/17381030</a></p>
<p>Let me be blunt.,</p>
<p>You have come to the right site and it might correct the poor and lacking advice you have received thus far. You are on the right site, but in the wrong forums. </p>
<p>Please get out of the silly WAMC where the one-eyed leads the blind and deaf. If you want to obsess with CC, stick to the SAT, Questbridge, and essay forums. And start DOING and stop TALKING. </p>
<p>To be a successful QB applicant, you will need to write powerful and meaningful essays. You will need to find the elements that make you special, and that should NOT be a sea of ECs with dubious value. You will need to identify what makes you DIFFERENT. Joining clubs serially is not the answer. And most leadership positions in HS are just fluff and time wasters. Also, OLEASE do not start that amnesty club as a senior. It will NOT help and you will lose precious time. </p>
<p>Speaking about time … this is what you do. First, immerse yourself in the SAT and QB discussions. You say you are a poor test taker but admit you did NOT practice! There are no miracles nor secrets. You need to practice in earnest. And that takes a lot of DOING! Summer is the perfect time for this. Do no waste more time on EC. You got plenty of those … Actually you have too many and that does NOT look good. </p>
<p>You cannot do much GPA wise and you are in the LOW ballpark. Your grades are what they are. No need to lose sleep over that. Your test scores are the most important element for making a difference. Do NOT lose your opportunity. And it requires NO money. NO fancy tutor. It is you and the internet, and an army of CC kids who love to help others. It is up to you. You started too late, but there is still time. </p>
<p>More doing? Yes, you need to work, work, and work more on your essays. QB offers you a remarkable chance to shine with great essays. This takes work. Nobody is a great writer, but one can come close through repeated edits. Make sure to pick great angles. And those angles have to be about YOU. Read the essay section to fully understand what I mean with this. </p>
<p>Lastly, focus on QB right now. The applications are earlier than most others. Keep working on getting positive recommendations. Make sure to HELP the recommenders and not simply hope for the best. Prepare folders and lists of activities to HELP them write about you. Only ask people who will work WITH you and be open about the work involved with QB. </p>
<p>From here, keep working on your QB schools and evaluate more schools. Consider more scholarships applications after QB is over. </p>
<p>And again, please get off the WAMC cesspool. This is a waste of time! If you need any evidence, just consider the post that decrees Pomona or Williams as matches for you. Total lunacy! </p>
<p>I second what @xiggi said.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice @xiggi </p>
<p>Xiggi is correct that past the initial feedback about how you can improve your chances, staying on the WAMC thread is not going to result in an answer that none of us can tell you. The best you can do is submit the best possible application you can, and now, you have a few months to do that. Dealing with an unknown is stressful, but stressing and obsessing won’t make any difference in acceptance possibilities. It’s OK to keep asking questions, but on topics where posters can give more effective answers than guessing. </p>
<p>All the encouragement in the world won’t replace getting down to business.<br>
I want to point out that QB won’t work magic, it’s still about what you are able to put forth. That does mean getting off CC and doing the real work. Starting yesterday. Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of kids get distracted by the conversation. It goes round and round. Time is wasted.</p>
<p>Instead, you do a good stretch of the hard work, then come back for occasional focused questions. </p>
<p>Xiggi hit the nail on the head. The one thing I want to say is please, get off CC until you study all summer and come back with SAT and/or ACT scores that reflect your abilities. I see you here on CC starting new threads or bumping and replying to existing threads, and what you need to be doing is test prep ALL. SUMMER. LONG. Stop talking and start doing. It is great that you are planning ahead and looking into QB, but without decent test scores, it all means zilch. Sorry if some of us parents (and Xiggi) are coming off harsh but when we see a kid who has good intentions just spinning their wheels, we get a bit frustrated. Off my soapbox now. When you are ready to apply to QB, feel free to ask for advice. My daughter was a QB match recipient as well as a Gates Scholar, so I know firsthand how great these programs are. Good luck.</p>