I’m struggling with selecting certain colleges to apply to for fear that they might not accept me due to my low SAT score. I’m not sure if I should apply to Cornell and USC since my SAT is a 1290 and my weighted GPA is a 4.125 on a 4.0 scale, but they’re my dream schools. I do have strong extracurriculars as I’ve volunteered in many clubs, in my community, in local charities, and joined our school’s first varsity lacrosse team. My personal essay is pretty decent if not strong, but I’m worried obvious reach schools like USC and Cornell will overlook these because of such a low SAT. I don’t want to waste my money applying to a school that’s highly unlikely for an applicant like me to get into, so I would really appreciate any advice! This is my final score, and I am unable to retake it. Are there any ideas for other prestigious architecture colleges more up my alley? Thanks in advance!
P.S. I understand my high GPA along with a low SAT could imply grade inflation, but my transcript shows that I took mostly AP and Honors classes and still did well. I’m open to any feedback!
A lot of colleges say that although they do take standardized tests into consideration, they do understand that some students may not test well. They also understand that GPA is taken over a longer time period and may be better reflection of the students overall ability/work ethic. I personally feel my test scores are holding me back from my dream colleges, but hope my high GPA will give me a little more of an edge. If you are able to take the SAT again, I would aim for a 1350 as that is a little more towards the average range and not too difficult to achieve with some prep! Good luck!!
Yeah, Cornell and USC are going to be tough with your stats.
It looks from your other thread like you’re in-state in NC, and looking for affordable programs.
Are you eligible for enough need-based aid to make full-need-met programs like Cornell and USC affordable? I saw that you said Syracuse was too expensive; have you checked the NPC for Tulane? Tulane’s aid is a little better than SU’s I believe. http://architecture.tulane.edu/
You’re in that zone where it really depends on the school whether test-optional is advantageous, because your SAT score isn’t as weak as a lot of test-optional applicants, but it’s still weaker than your grades, so it’s a judgment call whether withholding yours scores will help… but at some schools it would.
