http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/ncm-who-should-apply
Definitely consider Questbridge!
@rhandco Questbridge is a phenomenal program but unfortunately I do not qualify as I do not attend a high school in the US. I understand that top of the line Ivy leagues are colleges that provide the best aid but my concern is the fifth attempt looking bad on a college application. The four attempts have a story behind them, to tell the truth. I took a June attempt during my sophomore year pressured by teachers to ‘test my luck’ and because at the time I didn’t think I would be attending school in the US. Anyway, in October I got a 1610, then in December I improved 390 points and got a 2000 and my May trial gave me a superscore of 2040. If I enter again next December, I think I may be able to raise my math and reading scores to 700 each (630 and 670 currently) but I’m apprehensive because of the way a fifth trial looks on an application.
Are you 100% certain you can’t apply for Questbridge National College Match? Where does it state that US Citizens must attend a US high school to be eligible?
What do you intend on studying? A 630 in math is more worrisome than a 2040 - did you take any subject tests?
I would not recommend anyone in your stated financial situation to apply to Ivy League schools based on your SAT scores.
I would also consider taking an earlier SAT - the December SAT means that you will not get your scores until January, after when many college applications are due. In either direction, it would be wise to have your SAT result before you finalize the list of colleges you will apply to.
@rhandco 670 in math, 630 in reading. Im waiting on subject test scores for biology E and Math level 1. The only available test date for me in my country is October, do you recommend that I register even if it means adding a fifth try to my application?
@Madison85 actually, I spoke based on what I’ve heard but after researching the website I’ve realized that I am actually eligible! I intend to spend the rest of the day learning more about how I can apply and what it can do for me and will definitely be applying in March! Thanks for bringing my attention to Questbridge!
670 is better. Math level 1 tends to be a warning sign - Math level 2 addresses material normally taught in 9th grade in the US.
If only October is available, I would suggest trying. Not all schools want to see all sittings, but many top ones do. But if you are looking for a lot of aid, you might luck out with some schools that will let you send from one sitting only.
If you are going “pre-med” you still need to pick a major. Many pick biology or biochemistry.
How about course rigor - are you taking the equivalent of IB or AP courses? Are you in calculus or will be taking it your last year?
@rhandco my school only provides 2 AP classes per year and last year the opportunity was unavailable. I intend to take AP Calculus and AP Biology during my senior year. I’m hoping for a school that will allow me to superscore, actually, as the 2040 is via superscoring, my highest sitting is 2000. To me Math 1 was the easier choice to take as it’s similar to SAT 1 math but I realize that ‘easier’ wasn’t the best way to go. I’ve decided on biology as my major.
Make sure your guidance counselor (principal or headmaster at a small school) notes how few APs are available.
Math 1 is looked at as an option for students who are not taking honors and/or AP and/or IB classes and want to have some sort of guideline to get into college. Math 2 is for students looking to attend elite schools. If you think Math 1 is easier, you can bet colleges would think so.
The problem with Math 1 and Math 2 is that often students take them after they’ve finished the material for several years. It is good to use review books and even the College Board online material.
@rhandco I have a question - AP scores come out in May, correct? The Questbridge application, if I am to apply, is to be submitted late March. That means that my AP scores wouldn’t be included in my application.
LOL - no, AP tests are taken in mid-May, and the scores come out first or second week of July. Grading was around two weeks ago - one of my son’s teachers participated.
It’s a relief in a way that my son doesn’t care too much about his AP scores because he is already accepted to a college.
Grades in AP classes will matter; colleges will get your first quarter grades (assuming you start in September and first quarter ends in December).
Have you considered moving to the US and taking a year off after your senior year, to establish residency in a state with an excellent public university system? In-state tuition rates are often a lot cheaper, and there is usually a lot more aid available to students who study in their own state, especially at state schools.
There are threads about “gap years” - you might want to search CC about them. It might be a way to reduce your college costs, but you need to check residency requirements carefully for each state college.
You have a 1400 CR/math composite and a 3.8 gpa. See what you would get guaranteed from University of Alabama, both flagship in Tuscaloosa and Huntsville.
Regarding Questbridge College Match - please read the information carefully. Where are you getting the idea that you wait until March to apply!! The application is due September 28, 2015
http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/ncm-important-dates-a-deadlines
IMPORTANT DATES & DEADLINES
Summer 2015
2015 National College Match application becomes available online.
September 28, 2015
National College Match application is due at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
October 13, 2015
College rankings and Match Agreement Form are due at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
Application for Quest for Excellence Awards, an optional supplemental section to the National College Match application, is due at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
October 21, 2015
Applicants are notified of Finalist decisions via their Manage Page.
Finalists are given instructions about how to proceed. Applicants not chosen as Finalists (Non-Finalists) should proceed on their own with college applications.
November 1, 2015
Finalists must submit required documents to the colleges that they have ranked.
See College Match Requirements for Finalists for deadlines and details.
November 5, 2015
Finalists can begin adding colleges to their QuestBridge Regular Decision Form.
See QuestBridge Regular Decision Process for deadlines and details.
November 3, 2015
Final college rankings and Match Agreement Form are due at
11:59 p.m. Pacific Time (if adjustments are necessary).
December 1, 2015
Finalists are notified of College Match results.
Finalists who do not match continue with QuestBridge Regular Decision.
December 9, 2015
The QuestBridge Regular Decision Form is due at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
Spring 2016
Admissions decisions are sent out by college for Regular Decision applicants.
An option for you would be to move to a state, such as NC, VA, or CA, and work there. Not sure whether it’s really feasible if you’ve only lived in Egypt, since you’d have a lot to learn very quickly. If you have relatives that could take you in, you’d have one support network at least.
Check whether you’d get residency if you live there, working, and not taking any college class. Some states base their decision solely on whether your parents live there.
Yes, retake the SAT. At this point, getting 700+700 CR+M will unlock a lot of scholarships.
Oops my arithmetic error… Your CR/ math is 1300.
University of Alabama Huntsville… Check their scholarships.
To the poster who suggested moving here by yourself and working… That won’t work for four year colleges in NY, CA or VA. Some of the community colleges are more lenient with instate rates.
For public universities, this student is OOS for all with costs in excess of $25,000 a year… Some lots more than that! Closer to $50,000 a year.
What does the person in charge of college placement at your school suggest? It a lot of students apply to colleges and universities in the US, that person should have a good idea of where your grades and SAT scores will get you admitted.
Have you tried the ACT? Some students do much better on that than on the SAT, so it might be worth it to you to give it a shot.
Have you spoken with the advisors at AMIDEAST? http://www.amideast.org/egypt They are likely to have useful ideas about where you can get admitted, and they might have some ideas about aid as well.
As others have written above, in some states you would be able to establish residency on your own if you can demonstrate that you are providing more than half of your own support. Usually you would need to be doing that for a year before studying at a 4-year public college or university, but in some cases you would be able to qualify in less time at a community college. Check into that as well.
It’s odd, here people make you feel like a 2000 on the SAT is gold (the average score here is 1400) and when you look at it in terms of US admissions, it’s nothing.
I’ve discussed it with my mother and we do have room to pay at most 10k and that’s all she can offer. I’ll give Questbridge a shot but looking at the stats worries me (But then again, Yale admitted 80 questbridge applicants last year.)
@MYOS1634 I live in Virginia for a few years when I was younger and my father is buried there - I’m pretty sure it’s a stupid question to ask if Im still considered a resident?
No, not a resident of Virginia.
Was your dad also Egyptian or was he non-caucasian? (I am wondering about eligibility for Gates Millenium).