Welp, SAT scores came out today and I did really really bad.
Reading:690
Math:690
Total:1380
Essay:6/6/7
How screwed am I? I thought I would do great (scoring high on the practice tests, getting a 1460/1520 on the PSAT, etc. etc.)
With a 3.89 GPA and a 20.08% class ranking and below average EC’s, I feel my chances have basically plummeted to the pits of the earth.
You qualify for academic admit, so I don’t any issues for you…you’re guaranteed into A&M (academic admit= top 25%, 1360 SAT). Just don’t let your class rank drop!
You qualify for automatic academic admission. Your rank and test score will matter for competitive majors. You can try the ACT to see if you score better on it. TAMU website:
I understand that I qualify for auto-admit but I want to go into engineering (and I understand that it is one of the harder majors to get into, if not the hardest).
A 1380 probably doesn’t cut it.
You are not totally screwed. Being an auto admit, you will apply to COE. Admissions is going to be looking at your readiness for the major, not your admissionsinto the university. Your physics and calculus readiness is a strong component to getting full admit (which includes Galveston) and engineering academy.
What Thelma2 said is good advice. They will be looking at what courses you have taken that would prepare you for the rigors of freshman engineering. What is your highest math and physics? Have you taken any engineering specific courses? Counselors at my sons HS recommend any student interested in engineering in college to take both AP PhysicsC and AP CalculusBC if you can your Sr. year. Regardless of your grade or whether you even take the AP test or not it shows colleges that you are familiar with and will be prepared for the materials you will cover in College.
@RMNiMiTz, Besides the good advice others have provided, do something that shows a demonstrated interest in your field. Join the robotics club at your school, or apply for one of A&M’s summer engineering camps (1 week long during the summer).
If you are not happy with your score, you still have plenty of opportunity to take the test again and improve your score. As others have mentioned, you can also try the ACT. If your 1460 on the PSAT gets you close to NMSF status, you’ll likely want to re-take the SAT anyway as you’ll need a qualifying score to get to NMSF status. If you achieve NMF status, that will really help you with Engineering admissions as well.
In reading @RMNiMiTz other posts, he has taken the Project Lead The Way engineering classes each year, so that’s a plus. The only thing I see that could be a potential ding is that he’s in pre cal as a Jr. with plans to take AB as a Sr.
in a perfect world, it would be great if he could do AB over summer and BC as a Sr.
I wrote him in another thread where, because of IB as a Jr then going AP as a Sr, my son didn’t have AB as a Jr and had to learn it on his own as a Sr, while taking BC.
My DD went straight from taking “advanced pre-calculus” her junior year straight into AP Calc BC as a senior. She is the top student in that class and is killing it. If you are good at math, it shouldn’t be a problem to go straight into BC without even taking AB first. If you are worried, taking AB over the summer would certainly prepare you, but if you are not worried, it is possible to go straight to BC.
Where was our high school counselor when we needed this kind of advice? Y’all are so knowledgeable, and I’m sending so many friends with kids in 8th grade to watch these forums and learn before they make out their soon to be high school freshmen’s schedules.
My son went straight from Pre-Calculus to AP CalculusBC and it was a challenge for him but he is really glad he did it. He will be taking MATH 151 and 152 at A&M so he may not even take the AP test.
It’s probably too late to join any sort of robotics club (Junior 2nd Semester). By the time I joined one, I would have pretty much already submitted my college apps (making it pretty useless).
Hey!! I got a 1380 SAT, and I not only got admitted to engineering but honors engineering as well. I don’t consider a 1380/1600 to be “really low”- however, I am top 5.8 percent of a 1600 person senior class, and have taken 12 or 13 AP classes total including two years of AB and BC calc and AP physics 1 as well as C. So. I think if you have other stats that hold you up a 1380 will not break you for engineering. Good luck!!
Oh, by the way I missed the part about your ranking. But I don’t think that makes you a definite no, nor does the SAT. It’s so hard to say with admissions so I don’t know I hope my comment helped but perhaps not! I wish you the best.
You actually have surprisingly similar stats to me (other than GPA). I will have 14 AP classes by the time I graduate (although I will prob only have Calc AB, though I will have Physics C).
How were your EC’s?
Actually, my EC’s were pretty nonexistent. Well, compared to what I have seen a lot of people list off. I am in NHS as well as Mu alpha theta ( math honor society) I was in Spanish honor society, and physics club. But that’s it, I’m not an athlete or musical or anything special like that. So with stats similar to mine, I think you have a good shot. I hope you get in:)
@RMNiMiTz Well if you got a 1460 on the PSAT and were doing better on the practice tests, I recommend that you try again. Probably you will do better the second time around. Or take a practice ACT test under timed conditions and see how it compares. My daughter did better on the ACT than SAT.
BTW, a 1380 is probably around 95th percentile, I would guess. Not so terrible.
If your target schools consider the SAT II subject tests, you might try the Math II and a science subject like Physics or Chemistry as another indicator of what you can do.
As for the above poster that suggest you consider community college, I hope you realize that was a silly remark.
Your score is not “extremely low.” You should be very proud of that score! I think you scored above 90% of ALL test takers. If you are not happy with your score by all means take the SAT again.
I got a 1360 on my SAT (only took it once and never practiced, oh well) and was admitted to the Engineering college
However I’m top 3ish % at my school and have taken several AP and DC classes and gotten As in all of them, and have tons of extracurriculars. So your SAT isn’t too important as long as you don’t slack in other aspects of school