<p>Ok, so this is the situation I am currently in. I am 15 years old, and a rising senior at high school (I'm not trying to brag but I want to give even the most miniscule of details so I can get help). I've taken the PSAT when I was 12 in 9th grade and scored a 1380 (terrrrrible score, I know) :(
I have to start applying for colleges by September and I haven't taken the actual SAT's yet, but I will (hopefully) in october. I'm studying my butt off for the exam but I still have a strong foreboding that I will score in the range of my PSAT score, which is killing me. Can i still apply but not send in my scores at that very moment? My GPA is a 3.8 and I have over 1,800 hours of community service. I haven't taken any AP's (because my stupid school doesn't offer any) and I haven't taken any SAT Subject II's. The colleges that I want to apply to are Columbia U, Dartmouth C, Stanford U, St. John's U, NYU, Drexel U, UPenn and Brooklyn College's BAMD program. However, more than half of those colleges require scores for a SAT Subject II test. Is it possible for me to apply and get accepted without taking the exams? Or is it cumpolsory for me to take those exams in order to be a qualified applicant at the aforementioned universities/colleges? I'm in dire need of help here, anything will be greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>(Oh, btw I live in NY and I am ranked 1 in my school if that's of any help)</p>
<p>Yes, the schools that require them do require them for acceptance, but don’t worry as you can take 3 SAT II’s at one time and then the SAT. They are scheduled approximately every month (ACT is too) starting September and there are early registration dates so don’t miss the deadlines. Depending on the application deadlines for your colleges, you can take these tests in time- and you can ask the colleges for the last test date they will accept. You can apply and send scores later as long as it is by the deadline.</p>
<p>You can get prep books for the SAT and also the SAT II in each subject. Pick the ones (you only need 2, some do more) that you are very good at and prepare for them. At this point it might be best to just focus on two- but other people may say more is better- I don’t know and it depends on what you are good at. Prepping for the math SAT I or II may also help with the math part of SAT I (they are different tests but same subject) and save time.</p>
<p>Don’t panic and do the best you can. Make sure you apply to a broad range of schools that are likely to accept you as well as your reaches. I You have matured a lot since age 12 and are likely to improve with preparation.</p>
<p>You are an excellent student, however, success in college depends on many factors. I don’t know the rigor of your school, or how the lack of AP’s affects your application compared to other applicants. Go ahead and apply- and let the admissions office decide.
You are 15, and sometimes a year of maturity makes a difference- especially since you are applying to schools across the country. You want to succeed academically, but there are other social factors in college to deal with. So apply, and do not panic, but if the results are not what you want, there are prep schools that offer a post high school grad year- or you can do come combination of part time college/work gap year from home. You are either ready to be accepted into these schools- or not- and you can take the time to be ready if you need to do that.</p>
<p>it seems your school is far from the level of challenge you need. have you considered applying for a PG year somewhere? Some of the nice boarding schools have APs (or even higher-level) courses that might suit your needs. For example, I’m pretty sure that Exeter’s math program has no real upper limit, and they offer courses in ALL THE THINGS.</p>
<p>By the end of this you’ll be more likely to get accepted to your choices because:
- You’ll be a year older, and a year wiser.
- Colleges will see that even though you’re 16 (17 or whatever) you’ve handled yourself well living (sort of) on your own.</p>
<p>Also, don’t let the fact that your school doesn’t offer APs get you down. Some of them are really doable as self-studies.</p>
<p>I also didn’t know you could take the PSAT in 9th grade. How’d that happen?</p>
<p>@Pennylane2011 : Oh, I see. But, the convenience of taking multiple exams on one day doesn’t give me confidence that I’ll pass =/ (Thanks though) I have been studying using college board’s online practice section as well as a separate handbook for the SAT, so I hope that it all pays off. (I’m sure, though, that it will) I have extended the horizon of my college choices, however, the ones I mentioned before are my dream schools =((
I have also been looking into these “post grad schools” you have talked about. I find it interesting and think that it may greatly benefit me for colleges & standardized test scores. But, I am a little fickle on my decision. I think I’ll need some more time to fully make a final decision. Thank you so much =)</p>
<p>@jchun12 : As stated before, I have. I applied to Collegiate School in Manhattan, NY (reasonably close to where I live). & Thanks for those predictions, they do seem very plausible. Also, I thought you needed AP test scores as well as class participation in order to be an applicant at the colleges I mentioned? Perhaps not.
I took the PSAT in 9th grade because my school accidentally entered into the school system that I was in the 10th grade (though I wasn’t). Only later did they realize that I wasn’t in that grade, but that sudden realization hit them 2 weeks after I took the exam and received the scores. =/ Oh, well. lol</p>
<p>Btw, do any of you guys, or any other viewers of this thread, suggest any easy SAT II’s? “Easy” in the sense that the general content is considerably easier to comprehend and doesn’t require months but rather weeks of studying to receive a decent score on?</p>
<p><strong>I’M CONSIDERING TAKING LITERATURE AND CHEM FOR THE SAT II’s, IS THAT A GOOD DECISION?</strong>
Thanks, all. =)</p>
<p>How good are you at math? There is math I and math 2- the latter being the more impressive if you have studied through pre-calc. Most students going into any math/science/tech track will probably have taken math 2</p>
<p>@Pennylane2011 : Well, you can say that I’m familiar with basic concepts and a few advanced concepts of the field. However, it’s not my best subject. I looked in Math I & it seems to be pretty easy, I just need to brush up on a few skills and familiarize myself with some other concepts. So, Math I & Literature seems to be my future plan. Good enough?
Thanks again :)</p>
<p>Literature is fine and it depends on how much math you have taken. Not everyone who applies has had advanced math and if this is the level of your high school, they will take this into consideration. However if you have taken classes at the level of Math 2, they will consider why you have taken the easier test. Look at the Math 2 questions. Of course the average of the Math 2 test is quite high, considering that many math oriented people take it.- so choose wisely. The admissions people are experienced. They will see right through taking an easier test. </p>
<p>You may want to consider taking both of them to show exactly what you can do- and you can do that, Math1, Math 2, and Literature on the same day. Each test is about an hour long. A high score on Math 1 is great but if you are more advanced than that, it will not show the schools what you can do- and it won’t have the weight of Math 2. It is probably best to ask your math teacher to suggest the right test(s) so that you know which one (s) to take. Many people at the level beyond math 2 would get a perfect score on Math 1 if they took it, but taking something easy won’t impress the college. Better to get a good score on Math 2 than a perfect Math 1 if you have taken that level of math. Since you took the PSAT in 9th grade you should be on track for the Math 2- but ask your teacher.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that many of the applicants to your dream schools will have had many advanced classes, but admissions will look at the opportunities that you have had and what you have done in your school. They will not penalize you for not taking classes that are not offered.</p>
<p>However, they will assess your readiness for the classes in college, so leave it up to them to do that. Do not panic if they determine that you need further schooling- you are young and have time for that. Or they may be impressed with your potential. Just apply and see.</p>
<p>@Pennylane2011 : Oh, ok. That makes sense. I just took a practice SAT and received a score of 1500 
(500 in the math. A 40 point jump from before.) I took a practice Math Subject II and got almost every question right. It doesn’t make sense to me, lol, because the SAT math seems easier. Oh well. And, the literature seems pretty easy as well. Understanding the poems is quick and most of the questions are straightforward and require little to no thinking. But, about the Math II, I have no idea if I’ll do well (or even relatively well). It’s frightening me. </p>
<p>But, honestly, thank you so much. Your answers have given me much more confidence than I had before this thread.</p>
<p>You are welcome. Don’t despair. If your scores are low, then perhaps your school has not prepared you well enough, and you are young. You can do a PG year if you are not ready. Better to be ready for college so that you will have a better chance of succeeding there.
I hope you have involved your parents in whatever you decide, and if you need to have them talk to your guidance counselor as well if you feel you need more time and/or a PG year. 15/16 is very young to go to college.
Good luck with the preparation. You know you will need to get your SAT up higher to be competitive for the schools you wish to apply to, but again, this may be a matter of time, preparation, and some maturity as well.</p>