Am i on the right track? I need some answers. My chances...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Florida State University
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<p>I recently posted this in the "my chances" section but thought to put it here also since only one person helped me out and i figured many more could help me here. If this is some sort of violation then I apologize and will close this discussion at notification.</p>

<p>Universities MAINLY care about 5 things. GPA, test scores, transcript(rigor), application(community service, awards, sports, clubs, etc.) and the essay. </p>

<p>I had an "OK" Freshman year because i settled for B's. 2.8
I had a horrible Sophomore year because I was lazy. 2.1 (Read the bottom for explanation)
I'm having a good Junior year. My counselor and I did the calculations based on how i was doing and what i expected to acquire it will be between a 3.2 and a 3.3. I got this by making up the classes and getting an A in all of them as well as getting good grades regularly. I'm also taking extra classes. I'm going to apply during December of next year so my GPA may raise by that time to around a 3.4 or 3.5. I'm also taking all honors next year so my weighted will be around 3.6 or 3.7? In this however i'm taking a guess. </p>

<p>Based on 4 practice test i expect a score close to 800 on Math, around 700 on reading, and less then 600 on the writing. I'm having trouble in finding the problem in the sentences. This is basically what is stopping me from taking it sooner then later.</p>

<p>My transcript will show two D's and an F. It will also show that i redid them and got A's on all three. It will show 6 honors but no AP. It will show my downward to upward trend in grades.</p>

<p>I am planning on acquiring 300+ of community service. Mainly at a hospital, an elementary school, church, and if i find something i am passionate about then i'll do that also. I don't have many awards or sports since i never really thought they were important for university. Two Honor societies. Mu Alpha Theta, which i just recently joined, and i'm going to join the Science National Honor Society if i can. I'm going to find a job this summer and carry it into senior year. I'm Hispanic.</p>

<p>I'm really good with Essays. What else can i say about this?</p>

<p>If you wish for me to explain myself then OK. In my entire lifetime all anybody has told me is "get good grades so that you can get into a good college and you wont have to work so much." My school, my parents, my friends. Unfortunately... to my friends, anything that wasn't an F was a good grade and as such. I fell into their way of thinking. It wasn't until the end of tenth grade that i realized i was screwing up. I'm trying my best to fix it and deal with my past educational mistakes.</p>

<p>My goal is to get to either FSU or UCF. Please chance me for FSU however since this is the FSU thread. If you can please chance me, give me some advice, and tell me how my horrible grades will affect my chances then i shall be very thankful.</p>

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<p>If you are able to pull a 1500/1600 on your ACT and apply by the early deadline–which is very early–, then your chances are very good at any Florida school. Since you repeated your D’s and F’s, they should not figure into your overall GPA if you are from a Florida high school. </p>

<p>My son had similar stats as yours (worse community service hours and a 31 on the ACT, three Ds and all repeated with Bs or better, not URM), but applied too late for early decision. At the March decision time, he was waitlisted for the fall and accepted into the spring. He is at FSU now and is pretty sure (comparing himself with others) that he would have been accepted for fall if he had applied earlier. Being Hispanic will help you a bit as well – it appeared to be a huge help for the UF cycle this year (ny daughter applied there).</p>

<p>OFf topic advice: If you are doing that well on the SAT, consider applying at other schools as well – many schools put a lot more emphasis on test scores than FSU does and you could be considered for some serious scholarships. (Take the ACT too because some students do better on that). Consider applying to Auburn, LSU, Louisiana Tech, Alabama, etc. Although out of state, high test scores, the upward trend in grades and the URM status could equal very nice scholarships.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>one key for you will be to apply early, not in december. At UCF, they have rolling admission, so the earlier you apply, the better your chances. At FSU, the first application deadline will certainly be before December. I believe it is crucial to apply before the first deadline (Usually in October). This will increase your chances of gaining admission.</p>

<p>Our older s attends fsu, our younger s is a high school senior and had a 1980 SAT score and 3.5 gpa and got offered summer admission for this summer, even though he had applied for Fall admission. </p>

<p>This was a bit suprising to us, however it showed us how competitive the applicant pool must have been this year. While he hasn’t decided yet where he wants to go to school, we are happy because our older son started during the summer session and it was an awesome experience and a great way tostart school.</p>

<p>So in the case of your FSU application, get everything lined up this spring (i.e. recommendation letters, your resume, essay etc) and apply in the summer when the application goes live. I believe to give you the best chance at admission, you should apply as early as you can and for summer C session.</p>

<p>Good luck. Both FSU and UCF are terrific schools and you can;t go wrong with either one.</p>

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<p>Did you take the PSAT and get anything near those scores? If you did then you might get a $24k scholarship from FSU if you become a National Hispanic Scholar. It’s a little different from National Merit/Achievement the only requirement is a high PSAT score (no essays and such).</p>

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<p>Here is the problem. FSU has historically looked upon high SAT scores and low GPA as a sign that a student is lazy. And one at risk of maybe partying freshman year and not getting off to a good start.</p>

<p>Search the FSU board here and find the link to how to figure out your FSU GPA. This is very important. They ONLY look at the grades from your basic 4 english, math, history/social studies, language and science grades. In repeating classes you have to use BOTH the first set of grades and the second set. They do not use any PE or band or newspaper or leadership class grades, or other electives. Their GPA is a barebones GPA with some weighting for honors and AP. </p>

<p>An upward trend is good. Apply early. Take more than 4 math and science classes for a better shot. Take 4 years of a language that is not native (ie if you are hispanic take 4 years of french or german or chinese)if that is an option. Have a hard senior schedule and show them you can do the work. Have only A’s and B’s from now on. Apply early, but know that you might be deferred until they see first semester senior year grades. And no D’s or F’s or senioritis, as you will get rescinded. </p>

<p>Finally, don’t count your chickens before they are hatched. Practice scores can be deceiving. Get a real test under your belt ASAP. It is spring of Junior year and you can no longer tell us what you expect to score. Time to get a test taken.
GOOD LUCK.</p>

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<p>Guy,</p>

<p>Sunny is correct – go ahead and take a test. FSU superscores, so you have more than one shot at this. I know you indicate that you don’t feel ready, but the best way to determine which portions need the most work is by actually doing the exam.</p>

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<p>Apply to FSU EARLY, like August.</p>

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<p>Your most important grades are from your junior year. You also have a strong rising trend. Just address your freshman & sophomore issues in your essays.
If you indeed pull off those SAT scores you will get into any Florida school you apply to (except for maybe UF if you are not top 10%)</p>