<p>Oh, and to sonofgod908, Pomona and Williams are NOT a match for ANYBODY!</p>
<p>OP needs to watch out for advice from hs kids who’ve never even submitted their own apps. And UVa as a High Match? Nope. Not even with super stats. </p>
<p>If OP had come on to CC beginning of junior year, I would have said to quit most of those clubs and focus on test preps and GPA. A lot of ECs are not going to make up for poor test scores or subpar GPA. My younger kid was not a good math/science “test taker,” especially when her IB curriculum didn’t cover most of Math II material. She spent over 10+ hours a week on studying for SATs over few months period because she knew she had to get over 700 to be a credible applicant.</p>
<p>As far as getting a tutor to help out with subject test, I would ask your teacher. My kid asked her chemistry teacher to tutor her. We offered to pay, but he wouldn’t take the cash, so I traded in my airline mileage for his time. OP can offer babysitting, house cleaning or yard work in exchange for tutoring if finance is tight. </p>
<p>However OP wants to do it, may it be self study or private tutoring, she needs a very good game plan. She almost needs to work backward on when she needs to get all of her apps done, then figure out when all tests need to be taken, finalize her college list, essays written…She really doesn’t have that much time. Most competitive applicants have their tests done by end of junior year and are working on their essays over the summer.</p>
<p>OP’s subject test scores are in the 400s, this is beyond being a poor tester. OP should consider if she is magically able to be admitted to those high selective schools, would she be able to succeed at those schools, would those schools be good fit for her. I would rather see OP matriculate at a school that’s more of an academic fit for her. </p>
<p>Oldfort, great idea to exchange services for tutoring for kids that don’t have the financial means to pay.</p>
<p>I’ll finally give my two cents. I find a few problem areas in your stats. First, your UW GPA is a little low for many of the schools in order to be really competitive and get good scholarships. Also, your SAT IIs need to be improved greatly. I received a 2100+ on my first try for the SAT and I only used the bluebook, so I would say that all you really need are practice tests and the massive amounts of online resources available for review materials. </p>
<p>Also, what do you plan on majoring in because only taking up to precalculus could be problematic?</p>
<p>I don’t know much about those individual colleges because I am an incoming freshman at Cornell, but I suggest you assess what your problem is with test taking because in college you can’t claim being a bad test taker if you do bad on tests. Many aspire to go to these rigorous schools but realize that they have hard times adjusting to the rigor. The last anyone would want is for you to mess up and ruin your gpa, so just think about how you can improve your test taking skills and study skills in generalto be successful in college.</p>
<p>Lastly, the advice I can give you for USH SAT II is that you need to know US history inside and out because some of those questions are wildcards and it helps to have taken APUSH or know a great deal about USH in general (I received a 780 on it).</p>
<p>I completely agree with xiggi. </p>
<p>OP, in addition to focusing on testing this summer, if you are inclined to spend time researching college stuff, focus on learning about schools that you have a realistic chance of getting in with the credentials/stats you have now–in other words, matches and safeties. Remember that it’s not just getting IN to the colleges, it’s being able to do the work. Your academic peers might well be found at places you are not now considering.</p>
<p>Good point about the precalculus, janAnna. Most selective schools either require or recommend 4 years of math. OP, what math sequence have you taken?</p>
<p>Ahh well I feel like I have no chance of getting into any college now. So I guess I will get off and study. I have taken Alg 1, Geometry, Alg 2, and I will be taking Pre-Calc next year.</p>
<p>@GA2012MOM</p>
<p>OP, please read the comments again…they have nothing to do with not getting into any college, rather revise your list and study for your tests!</p>
<p>You have got advice from more parents than most “chances” threads ever do. That is IMO due to the fact that you seem like a motivated, well intentioned kid. Be flattered that we all care to tell you honestly what we think.</p>
<p>I am grateful for the advice… but I’m honestly trying and I like being involved in a good amount of clubs. I feel a little upset about my gpa and test scores already and now I just feel bad overall. All I can really do is just study and minimize my EC’s instead of obsessing on this website.</p>
<p>@GA2012MOM</p>
<p>Clubs won’t get you into “elite” schools…good test scores and a great GPA are a good start. A piece of advice I told my daughter was to always prioritize. </p>
<p>Hey @tesfayeB, I think the others on here have said pretty much everything. Do not stress yourself out; you can always pursue your Masters or J.D. at one of these prestigious school; undergrad is not the end of the world.</p>
<p>Also, if you are not planning to apply ED/EA, you’ll have time (take it in Oct or Nov). But granted, you’ll have to be realistic about your scores. Personally, it took seven months for me to get my score above a 2000, and another two for above 2300. I think you are a very intelligent and dedicated student, so hopefully you won’t need as much time as I did. But just so you know, getting a good score isn’t the easiest thing, especially in the midst of college apps, AP classes, and managing all of those clubs. Time is important.</p>
<p>Another thing to keep in mind (I’m sure others mentioned this already, but this is VERY important): you also have to prepare for SAT IIs. So not only do you have to study for SAT, but also SAT II during the summer. That’s a lot. You’ll really have to budget your time over the next two or three months.</p>
<p>With that said, it’s definitely not impossible to get an excellent score on your SAT and your SAT IIs. However, just to be safe, please take a look at the test-optional schools (and some are very, very good) such as Brandeis, and Subject Test optional schools, such as University of Michigan. They are very prestigious schools that will require less stress and work, and as a girl who just finished an exhausting junior year, I think nobody wants to work that hard during the summer.</p>
<p>I’m still a high school student, so I could be wrong about a lot of things. But these are just my thoughts as I could relate a lot to the OP. Please correct me on anything that’s not correct. And good luck @tesfayeB!</p>
<p>I think I speak for many people on CC. PLEASE stop commenting because it bumps up the thread and it is extremely annoying. OP knows what she needs to do so just stop. This literally has 90 comments all saying the same thing. </p>
<p>Where did I explicitly say that she could not express her own opinion?</p>
<p>Not her…you. You said you were stating your opinion.</p>
<p>@tesfayeB
I have read several of your posts. You seem like a very motivated young lady. But honestly, to claim that
b/c people are commenting about your options after you have blasted the boards with posts of your stats and wanting to attend an IVY, makes me wonder how realistic you are about your abilities and your likely success in being admitted into the schools you listed.</p>
<p>Matching your abilities/strengths/weaknesses to appropriate schools should be a serious goal. Your SAT subject test scores are around the 5th percentile level. That means that approx 95% of all students taking those tests scored higher than you. Studying might help you raise your scores some, but it is unrealistic that you will raise your scores enough. The schools you are looking at want subject test scores starting with a 7. That is significant.</p>
<p>But the claim that you won’t be able to get into any college is going to serve you absolutely no purpose. There are far better schools that will fit your needs and where you would probably thrive far better.</p>
<p>I have some very gifted children that meet all the stats for top schools but can’t attend b/c we cant afford for them to. So I’m going to tell you what I would tell my own kids if they responded that they couldn’t attend any college now…get over yourself. It’s the real world. There are thousands of universities in this country, not just 20.</p>
<p>I also have a very avg dd whose high school grades and course work were on par with yours. We found some really great matches for her that would have met her needs academically and would have lead her to college success vs. being constantly overwhelmed by being near the bottom of the admission class. She opted to go for occupational therapy assistant instead, so she didn’t end up at a 4 yr university. </p>
<p>Sorry if that is too blunt. But the woe is me rubbed me the wrong way today. </p>
<p>Oberyn, stop. You are doing what you say you don’t want others to do–upping the post count on this thread–but without offering anything of substance. A lot of us here have significant experience with college admissions and related subjects. You don’t.</p>