As for the scores, I’m not going to send them. I’ve read about how they don’t really affect the application process by a huge margin – I did not score all 5’s and 4’s.
Great. You have the grades and the rank, and you’ve taken some of the tougher APs: US, Lang, AB, and CS. Does your school offer BC or any of the AP sciences? What science are you taking this year?
Nobody knows for sure how schools will be evaluating candidates without tests. I think that those with sterling applications but who are weak on tests are going to have a better chance of getting into the top schools. However, folks have been telling me that those kids with the top test scores tend to have the best applications even minus the test scores. I know what they mean because I’ve kind of seeing the same. The kids that got into the very top schools that I knew had attributes that made them top contenders for that outcome even without knowing their test scores.
Something that is very important in the application is where you stand in your school. What kind of school is this and how do you stand in terms of being one of the very top students? Are you taking the most difficult classes and going beyond them? Would your counselor present you as one of the most amazing students ever, that you are head and shoulders above the other students? Are you truly one of the very best? It’s not a matter of whether these students have a shot of getting into these schools , but surprising if they do not. Frankly, I don’t see that with you from what you have presented. How is your GC reacting to your college list? Is s/he saying , “Abso-frigging-lutely, you should. You belong at MIT”, or is it a better of , “Well, without the test scores and with these unusual circumstances , you might have a shot”.
I’m sure there is a lot more to your application and you certainly should apply to all of these schools. Give it a try. Buy those lottery tickets. Just make sure you have some realistic choices on your list and that you render some enthusiasm, give them some time and research, so that you have the demonstrated interest there. Also make sure you have some good safety schools that are affordable. That is the crux of college search. Finding schools without the awesome names that you can find interesting and where you would like to go. Anyone can get excited about the schools you have listed. Not so easy with some unknown names. That’s the hard part of finding a balanced list.
Not submitting an SAT score won’t be a disadvantage. Your record will be read in the context of your high school, so not having AP science shouldn’t count against you either.
You’re overestimating your chances, though. In not submitting an SAT score, the other pieces of the pie each become more important. By not submitting AP scores either, the criteria narrows even further. Suddenly the decision to take AB vs. BC could get more scrutiny than it otherwise would have, because that’s what they have to go by. Of course you have a lot of positive data points in your favor, but they’re expecting that from most of their applicants.
Admissions officers can “read between the lines”… They don’t know whether or not you had a chance to sit for the ACT/SAT, but they DO know you at least had a chance to sit for all seven AP exams. So they wonder: why didn’t you include scores? Were they bad? Or did you not take advantage of at least some of the opportunities that were presented to you? AP scores in themselves are not the biggest share of the decision pie, but when you are stacked up against tens of thousands of applicants who did submit, the decision not to submit AP scores makes its own statement.
Unfortunately my previous college counselor retired this year, mid-virus, leading to a new counselor to take the position. This change would ultimately mean that the new counselor is not at all familiar with me.
With that said, thank you for your encouragement in the last paragraph.
To clarify, I’ve only take 4 AP Exams–the other 3 exams are scheduled for May of 2021. I understand that colleges will suddenly have to narrow down and nitpick. So, because I already said that I would like to pursue a CS major, I did score a 5 on the CSA exam. It’s not that I want to be secretive, it’s more like having a fear over a 3.
Thank you for your advice.
I’ve chosen two teachers for recommendations–A & B.
Teacher A: 4 Years
Robotics 1 & Coding 1
Robotics 2 & Coding 2 (Python)
AP CSA
AP Calc AB (You could say it’s the teacher that I chose, I can’t see how I would explain that in the application process).
Teacher B: 3 Years
AP Stats
Algebra 2 Honors
AP CSP
Based on my experience, both teachers have seen work diligently–Coming to and leaving school 1h+ daily, looking for opportunities, and enjoying their classes. Of course, this is my perspective.
As for the question about match schools, its difficult to answer. Because none of my schools will have the SAT, I’m uncertain what I can be matched with. All I have is my attempt/best essays, and extracurriculars. I understand that I’m not like the olympiad kids and what nots, but I’ve done the best to my ability for what my school provides.
I’ve also seeked opportunities outside of school and because I live in NYC, it’s even more challenging to find opportunities that will act as glitter to my application.
@cptofthehouse , unfortunately my GC for this year is new–previous GC retired mid pandemic. But, thank you for the advice.
I’m not trying to overestimate here. I’m trying to grasp the spectrum which I fit in, if that makes any sense.
As for AP Exams, I have only taken 4–the other 3 are scheduled in May 2021. Regardless, I understand that admission officers will question the idea of not sending in scores. Considering that I’ve already said I plan on majoring in CS, I did get a 5 on the exam. However, not all my scores are 5’s. I feel as though there will be a disadvantage if I were to submit a 3. Any advice on this?
I have two teachers for recommendations: Teacher A & B
Teacher A: 4 Years
Robotics 1 & Coding 1
Robotics 2 & Python
AP CSA
AP Calc AB (You could say that I chose the course for the teacher)
Teacher B: 3 Years
Algebra II Honors
AP Stats
AP CSP
From my perspective, both teachers view me as a diligent, motivated, and passionate student in the fields of mathematics and CS.
I attend a public school with around 3000 students, ~700 in the graduating class. I’m currently #14 (top 2%).
As for course rigor, I’ve taken majority of all the AP Maths offered in my school, with the exception of BC. I’ve also taken every single honors classes available, except English.
My feeling is you would be disadvantaged by sending in a 3, but that’s going to be the assumption anyway for any APs you don’t send in a score for. Other applicants will be sending in lots of 5s, that’s natural for applications to a top college. There’s not really a way around this…
I would not send in AP test scores. Yes, you’d be behind those who got the straight 5s, maybe even the 4s and 5s mixed who are the prize catches, particularly for the toughest AP courses. But you wouldn’t get that lift in the difficulty of courses category for your test scores anyways , that high scores would give.
Usually, these very selective colleges tend to go for the top 2 or 3, maybe 5 top students who are taking the most difficult courses the the high school is taking. When you are talking single digit accept rates, with as many applicants, it is very competitive.
I’m just trying to let you know that it is a very tough go to get accepted. However, your mindset is the most important in this process, so if you want to give it a go, apply to those schools that you want. Just make sure you spend a lot of time finding schools that do not have such odds because that’s where most applicants end up. It makes me shake my head that the schools with the most likelihood in where the kids will be spending the next 4 years, their parents paying for it, and being where these kids get their college education and degree get a fraction of the attention and time of the lottery ticket schools. HPYSMC et al are not going care much about how much you love them and want to go there. And there isn’t much you can do for them. But the realistic choices that may also be selective will care, and they often do not get that demonstrated interest needed. Nor are they even picked with much care.
Really need more information to offer advice. In particular what geographic area are you applying from? Is your high school from a high socioeconomic area? And your race/parental influences.
If you are from an overrepresented area, and are of an overrepresented race, then I think the profile you present above would be difficult for Stanford, especially CS. You might have a chance at schools in the bottom half of the T20 if applying binding ED.
But if you were an URM from a state where they haven’t had an applicant in a long while, then your chances are much better.
So its difficult to say with the information that you presented.