Chance a girl with straight A's but average scores

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Background:
-White female, middle class
-Average public school I guess (sends on average 3-4 kids to Ivies each year), Class of 2013
-Looking to be a Sociology major and Music minor</p>

<p>Academics:
-Ranked 10/167.
-4.39 W GPA (not sure how to calculate UW? My school doesn't use it)
-Straight A's throughought freshman, sophomore, junior year with the exception of 1 B+. Thus, I have been on the High Honor Roll for all of high school. However, I have only taken 4 Honors classes. The rest were regular, CP level classes. I will be taking 1 AP my senior year. Choosing to not take many challenging classes has been my greatest regret in high school. I could definitely convey that in interviews/essays.</p>

<p>Standardized Testing:
-1810 SATs (superscored. 660 W, 610 CR, 540 M). Completely average, I know. I'm just not good at this testing stuff. I'm aware that this will hurt my chances at upper-level schools.
-27 ACTs (Pretty satisfying, considering I didn't have a tutor or classes, and I only started preparing 2 weeks in advance. I will be taking them again in September.)
<em>I'm aiming for a 30 on the ACTs, but lets say I stay in the 26-28 range. Do you recommend I send in my SATs and/or my ACTs?</em></p>

<p>Extra-Curriculars:
-National Honor Society, Latin Honor Society (VP), Music Honor Sociey (will be inducted before I graduate)
-Debate Team 9-12 (There are no official leadership positions but it is clear I take on the role of a leader on this team and can surely convey that in any interviews/essays.)
-Drama Club 9-12 (have been part of every show as a cast or crew member since I started high school... And yet I didn't get elected president... Anyway, sorry for digressing.)
-Service Club 11-12 (community service oriented)
-Women's Chorus 11-12 (audition only select female ensemble)
-I will be co-organizing/cohosting an annual cabaret for the music department my senior year. (This should be interesting...)
-Concert Band 11-12 (taught myself the alto saxophone and achieved the position of 2nd chair)
<em>I plan to audition for the Chamber Choir (audition only co-ed ensemble), Jazz Band, and Wind Ensemble.</em></p>

<p>Outside of School:
-Altar Server at my church for 2 years
-A.Y.S.O. youth soccer referee (since 2004). Aside from reffing I also volunteer my time to help register the kids and I serve as a mentor to newly certified referees. I have committed 180+ hours to this group.
-I have volunteered for various special events in my town, that have amounted to 15-20 hours.
-I have volunteered for several organizations, such as the Special Olympics, with my school's Service Club.
<em>I have recently applied for several other volunteer opportunities and am waiting to hear back. I will surely add them to my resume if things work out.</em>
-Voice Lessons for 3 years
-Taught myself the piano</p>

<p>Work Experience:
-Referee for a local Indoor Soccer League (Getting paid $30 to blow a whistle at kids for 40 minutes... not bad!)</p>

<p>Its a long list, I know. I'm not applying to all of them, they're just what I'm looking at. By you guys chancing me I could possibly whittle the list down. Please chance me at the following schools:
-University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (will apply EA. Its a reach, I know, no need to laugh in my face)
-University of Virginia (will probably do EA as well. Another crazy reach, I know)
-College of William & Mary
-Wake Forest University
-Elon University
-North Carolina State University
-Clemson University
-Old Dominion University
-George Mason University
-Catholic University
-Muhlenberg College
-Villanova University
-Boston College
-Providence College (legacy. Great uncle was a professor for 50 years, 2 uncles and 1 cousin attended and graduated.)
<em>I have a few other schools but they're safeties and probably virtually unheard of by anyone outside NJ</em></p>

<p>Thanks for your advice in advance!!! :)</p>

2

<p>There are some very good schools on the “SAT optional” list.</p>

<p>Also, since you mentioned Music, Oberlin comes to mind.</p>

3

<p>Are my SATs really that bad? I probably won’t send them in, anway.
Thanks, I’ll look at Oberlin!</p>

<p>I should also add I am currently taking a Statistics class at the local community college. I’m getting 3 college credits for it.</p>

4

<p>UVA, villa nova, unc, Boston, and William and Mary are reaches. Sats and school rigor is too low.</p>

5

<p>I probably won’t send my SAT scores to the schools anyway. Thanks for the honesty though. Do you think I’ll have a better chance if I raise my ACT score?</p>

6

<p>I wrote this only 3 hours ago and it already hit the bottom of the 2nd page…? Can anyone else chance me please? I’ll chance back!</p>

7

<p>Anymore feedback would be greatly appreciated!</p>

8

<p>Your SAT is a little under the standards for College of William and Mary, UVA, BC, and Wake Forest. Everything else on your resume looks great so still apply. All in all, you will definitely receive acceptances from the rest of the colleges mentioned.
P.S I noticed you said you were in NJ? Apply to TCNJ! Chance me???
My Verizon login. Sign in to your Verizon Wireless or Fios Account</p>

9

<p>I actually think you may have more problem with your lack of course rigor than your SAT.</p>

10

<p>Wake Forest is newly test-optional so it is definitely possible- I might even go as far to consider it a high match/low reach for you. It sounds like it is the kind of school your looking for. For the other schools though, if you really want to raise you’re scores, it is possible. In my opinion ACT scores are easier to raise and you already have a stronger ACT score, so I would study for that. The absolute best book is Barron’s ACT 36. If you dedicate a good amount of time to studying for the next ACT, I think a lot more schools on your list would become a real possibility. If you aren’t motivated to raise your scores I would stick to test-optional schools (like Wake Forest) and schools with lower mid 50%'s (like NC State which favors OOS students). I hate to be honest but without raising your scores, UVA and UNC are pretty much out of the question- but then again it never hurts to apply!</p>

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<p>@Ballhead - thanks so much for the feedback! I know SATs is a big disappointment on my application. And as for TCNJ, I’d rather not stay in-state but I’ll definitely look at it. Would it be a match or safety? I’ll try to find your link to chance you.</p>

<p>@PCHope - hmm, you think so? Well either way I know those are the 2 big things that will keep me from getting accepted into the harder schools like UVA and UNC, unfortunately.</p>

<p>@stanfordboundkid - Wow I didn’t even know Wake Forest was test-optional, thanks for telling me! I’m definitely going to dedicate my time after I finish my Statistics class to studying for the ACTs. No no, I definitely appreciate your honesty as it also is actually a confidence booster, since you say I’ll have a better chance if I raise my ACT scores. What should I be aiming for to make UNC a possibility?</p>

12

<p>I’m looking at TCNJ too! I know a kid who got in with a 1680… you have pretty good grades and EC’s. TCNJ would probably a match. chance me backk?</p>

13

<p>Providence college, clemson are possible
Villanova: reach
Boston college: high reach
Wake forest: high reach
Unc chapel hill: very high reach
William Mary: very high reach
UVa: Very high reach
The rest I don’t know much about (sorry!)</p>

<p>I would find some matches before you get your heart set on reaches. Bump up that sat/act by 200/3-4 points and you should be good for more of those schools. Course rigor is too late to do anything about unless you take more aps senior year (which I would recommend)</p>

14

<p>I’m ashamed that I let this fall to page 8 without bumping it LOL. I would really appreciate any more responses!</p>

15

<p>Please be careful coming onto this board and asking for chances advice. Frequently, you’re getting advice from another high school kid (which is absolutely worthless). Occasionally, you can get advice from a student at one of the schools on your target list (who may have gotten accepted by three or four schools and has no more extensive knowledge than that). Overall, this is not a great place for admissions advice.</p>

<p>You also can’t put your entire life into one of these Chance Me threads, so no one can really tell what the whole you is.</p>

<p>Your SAT and ACT scores are not average (last time I looked, the average on the SAT was about 500 per test, and the ACT average was around 21). Check your percentile scores, which are well above average – don’t be so hard on yourself. And you can improve them with some preparation and often simply by taking them again.</p>

<p>Try talking to your school counselor for starters. He or she will have seen how other kids from your school have fared who have had similar academic records.</p>

<p>You can get some idea of how other kids have fared by checking out Naviance. You can also look at Cappex and My Chances to see some more results, assuming that the posters are telling the truth (ignore the percentage predictions from My Chances/Parchment, because they can be way, way off – look at actual results).</p>

<p>Don’t sell yourself short – you have a very strong academic record – but at the same time, make sure you have a few schools where you’re certain you’ll get in (and I would give the same advice to a valedictorian with 2400 SAT’s – there no guarantees).</p>

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<p>Are you from NC? If so, I think you have a great shot at UNC! Good luck; test scores aren’t everything so show interest and write great essays.</p>

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<p>Your lack of course rigor will be a very big problem for a number of these schools, possibly much more than your SATs. You should know that William and Mary wants physics and/or AP Calculus, they don’t look favourably upon Stats (this information comes to me from an admissions officer). Villanova, William & Mary, Boston College, UNC Chapel Hill, George Mason, and maybe even Catholic U are reaches. our ECs an Work experience are good though, so SAT optional school could be good to look at as they are generally less sore oriented overall.</p>