<p>I got 27 in mu ACT and I know that's low for high rank school yet I'm wondering if the rest of my application can make up for it. I have only gotten 2 b's my whole career one semester of AP language and in pre can the rest have been a's. I'm in the top 2% of my class. So far I'm getting a's in my 5 AP classes. I do tons of community services, I'm a two sport athlete, senior class president, student school board representative, I'm in 3 different national honors society and principal advisory counsel, student ambassador, part of a city wide student group, and quite a few others. I also have only know English for about 7 yrs which could have affected my test scores yet at the same time I know that there must be people that have been in this country for less time with more achievements. Do I have a shot to get into northwestern or an ivy?</p>
<p>I would say with a 27 probably not… That puts you in probably the bottom 5-10% of their students… But take the ACT again and bump it to a 31 or even a 30 and your chances become a lot better IMO.</p>
<p>What’s yourdefinition of “top school”?</p>
<p>Lots of students do not do well on standardized exams for many different reasons. The admissions officers know that. They really, truly, are much more interested in your grades and the classes that you have taken. The very “top” institutions are a gamble for even the very “top” students. If you are particularly interested in one or two, go ahead and apply.</p>
<p>If you still are concerned about where you can get in with your grades and your ACT score, take a look at the list of exam optional colleges and universities at [The</a> National Center for Fair & Open Testing | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org%5DThe”>http://www.fairtest.org) You may find an even better match for yourself there.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>are you a URM? I’m asking because one kid i know got into U of C with a 26 but he had high GPA, URM, and first Generation applicant. Another kid i know goes to Cornell now; he had a 27 ACT and was also a URM. basically, there’s some hope, but it’s not the norm.</p>
<p>I’d say you probably have a shot at Northwestern. My brother got into Vanderbilt with a 26 ACT with less ECs than you. I dont remember his GPA exactly but he made a 4.0 for his last semester sophomore year and for the rest of high school. he was in the top 10% of his class but the school was public and about as average as a school gets. He never applied to Northwestern but I know a guy who had a similar record to you EC and GPA wise (he was probably a worse EC wise actually) and got into Northwestern but he also was national merit and had like a 33 on his ACT so Im sure that played a large role. Also keep in mind my brother and this guy were out of state.</p>
<p>If you really want to get into a top school, you should take the initiative to retake the test. The schools will be more concerned with the fact that you couldn’t be bothered to retake the test than with your actual score. They want kids with initiative, not those who settle for a lower score. Remember, most kids who apply will not only have your other stats, but high test scores as well. It would be in your best interest to retake the test.</p>
<p>I’m Mexican I think that does put me qualify me has a URM.</p>
<p>Has for retaking the ACT I have taken it 3 times, the first two I got a 26 and this last time I got the 27. So I have try getting a higher score I just haven’t had the chance to and I don’t know if taking it again in December would be too late.</p>
<p>My high school is public, my graduating class will be over 700 hundred people. It’s a pretty diverse school.</p>
<p>Time to try SAT.</p>
<p>Screw what everyone else says. Yes, you should try to raise your score, but if you shine through in every aspect of your application, then I think you have a good shot.
Being in the top 2% and being Mexican American helps exponentially. They will take that into consideration, and quite frankly, looking through these boards displays quite a few of these same threads with 26’s and 27’s, where they actually end up getting in.
Have hope, you deserve it!</p>
<p>While being hispanic certainly gives you a boost, there are so many high stats hispanics today that it is nowhere near the boost of being black or native american. A 27 will make any top 20 hard, unfortunately.</p>
<p>Yes, that is understandable, but the top 20, or at least some of them, view the applicant holistically, so test scores aren’t going to be the only deciding factor. It may not “help” him, but I do not thing it’s going to get him thrown into the rejected pile. If he brings something to the table, then I think he could have a shot.</p>
<p>It’s just so funny how those top 20, holistic review schools, end up with SAT averages that go up every year!</p>