<p>I live in Texas and have already opened up an apply Texas and am looking at both the University of Texas and Texas A&M (im automatically accepted to either) and would definitely not mind going to either school... BUT, my dream has always been to go out of state. </p>
<p>Things that call my attention:
Rural Areas
Small
Premed
School Spirit</p>
<p>A little about me:
white hispanic
Rank 7 of 639
weighted: 4.2916
Senior
SAT of an 1800 (weak but im working hard for an upcoming sat)
Co-Founder/ secretary of Chess Club
President of C.A.R.E. Club
NHS
SNHS
Beta Club
Forensics Club
bilingual
fluent spanish
plenty of volunteer hours</p>
<p>Travel:
Independent volunteer trip to Nakuru, Kenya in Africa on the summer of 2014. 3 weeks volunteering abroad living with a host mother and working at an orphanage called Amazing Grace for 2 weeks and 1 week at an animal conservation called Kigio Wildlife Conservation. It was an amazing experience and i made a video.. check it out! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDXrgGyjfwg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDXrgGyjfwg</a></p>
<p>Interested:</p>
<p>GREATLY interested in Duke (going to visit on October 18) (thinking of applying ED)
Also interested in University of Pennsylvania and Harvard</p>
<p>HELP:
I need some suggestions and opinions</p>
<p>WHAT ARE MY CHANCES OF GETTING INTO THE ONES IM INTERESTED IN?</p>
<p>DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OF UNIVERSITIES?</p>
<p>WHAT SHOULD I IMPROVE?</p>
<p>SHOULD I DO ED?</p>
<p>Thank You,
Mau</p>
<p>IM THE WHITE GUY WITH THE SPURS SHIRT ON IN THE VIDEO! :)</p>
<p>I’m afraid that your scores are not competitive for the three colleges you mentioned unless English is not your native language. You implied that you wanted a small, rural school, furthermore. Harvard is urban; Penn even more so. What about Wesleyan or Bowdoin, which are test-optional? Maybe Kenyon . . . Davidson (more suburban than rural, but with a picture-book campus) . . . Bucknell . . . Cornell, as a long shot . . . </p>
<p>Yes, work hard for the next SAT test. Also sign up for the ACT. Lots of people are better on it than the SAT.</p>
<p>Yes, that SAT can single handedly sink any chances at Duke, Penn, or Harvard. Fewer than 25% of students at those schools have SAT scores below 2050. Huge gap between 1800 and 2050. </p>
<p>I would estimate chances as well under 5%. :-? </p>
<p>Why you only thinking of those lottery schools? Why can’t you be more realistic? You need some match schools, not all super reaches. You should ed to a school that you have visited with match stats. Everyone says will retake SAT or ACT, not everyone can raise their score, so you can only count on the scores you have, not dreaming the higher ones.
The other suggestion of Whitman is a good one, work with some thing like that!</p>
<p>Your numbers have to get you close to being admitted before your ECs and Latin heritage can push you over the top. </p>
<p>What is your unwtd GPA? Are you URM? Did either of your parents graduate from a 4yr college? Do you have any SATIIs? how many APs will you have? Your rank is great, the SATI sinks you for those schools.</p>
<p>What have your parents said they can provide you each year? have you run the net price calculators?</p>
<p>You can apply to those schools. No one can count on getting into them. But you also have to have 3 or 4 matches and 2 safeties. These are much more important than the reaches cause you’ll be going to one of them.</p>
<p>^^good, then don’t go out of state! you cannot have it both ways. sorry. </p>
<p>We spend a lot of time on this forum trying to disavow juniors and seniors of their proclivities for elite colleges that they cannot attend. It is, as @artloversplus said, a matter of being realistic. Magical thinking can only take you so far in life–that is, up until about the time you start driving. After that, it harms you.</p>
<p>Have you considered any test-optional schools? There are many out there. Unless you get that SAT up, the chances of you getting into Duke, Harvard or Penn is roughly the same chance I’m zapped by lightning tomorrow.</p>
<p>Are you committed to full scale universities? Or are you willing to look at small – somewhat elite – liberal arts collges? Some LACs (as Ctesiphon suggests) are “test optional.”</p>
<p>For example Bates College in Maine is test optional, and is ranked #19 in the country – which makes it fairly elite. I bet that you could get accepted.</p>
<p>You seem like the kind of student who is smart and hard working, but perhaps not especially good at taking standardized tests. This is why many liberal arts colleges do not require test scores. They want students like you.</p>
<p>I agree with the above. Cast a wide net and have enough options for yourself. Why don’t you limit your reach schools to just 2 or 3? And put in more match options. I saw one kid last year, get only into his safety as an automatic admit. We are in Texas too. Good luck.</p>
<p>I believe this site needs a little more people like both of you (nrotgrad & goingnutsmom) being realistic but not harsh to the point where its a bit rude… I will surely look into bates and im alsp lookkng at TCU here in texas im excited! I think i moght be doing only one reach school (duke) thank you guys</p>
<p>How about Wake Forest? Its probably larger than you wanted, but it is best test optional University, its bio department is excellent. Of course, there is Bowdoin, which is a reach for everyone.</p>
<p>might look at Holy Cross test optional school that also meets 100% demonstrated financial need. HC has great pre-med program and good school spirit.</p>
<p>Wake Forest is an outstanding suggestion! You could even visit it and Duke on the same trip (perhaps the same day). They are only about 80 miles apart. WF is an excellent, near elite, university. Probably more fun than Duke, but just as rigorous, yet more focused on undergraduate teaching.</p>
<p>Do remember that some “test optional” colleges will require test results if you want to be considered for merit scholarships. Almost all will ask for test results, after you are admitted, so that they can track the make up of their student body.</p>