My school itself is not known for producing top scores in general. This year we had two co-valedictorians (both attending PSU Honors college) who scored lower than me on the SAT. As far as I am aware, the highest scores my school typically produces are typically close to what I currently have. I will likely attempt the July ACT, work schedule permitting.
Quick question on Penn State:
My older sibling was admitted c/o 24 to the college of engineering with weaker SAT (low 1200s), GPA, and ECs. I have always wondered if this is partially due to the fact the vast majority of our family has attended, including both parents. Does legacy status give me an edge at PSU - for both admissions and ideally the Schreyer Honors College?
For Penn State, the decision is college by college.
Within that college, the #1 factor is GPAxRigor: ideally 4 courses each from the 5 core subjects, 16+ Honors+APs, and specific classes (ie., for Engineering or Smeal, precalculus honors or calculus is expected so itâs better if you have it v. not, for Engineering all 3 core sciences - bio/chem/physics- are expected and itâs better if you have one of those at the AP level, etc.) GPAxrigor=2/3 of the decision.
Your test score is evaluated within the context of your school.
Statement, legacy, ECâs are also factored in but all 4 of those only add up to 1/3 of the total.
Legacy doesnât count at all for Schreyer: there, the application isnât read by AdComs but by the freshman seminar professors. Basically, you need to convince them that, reading your essays, they want you in their seminar. Do you write well, do you have ideas, are you well-read, etc. The essays are of paramount importance. Other criteria include academic rigor of HS curriculum, grades, and recommendation. Legacy or test scores donât factor in at all. For Schreyer, the college also matters since only the best applicants for each college are admitted.
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Not sure when you applied or your major saying you can get in with no F/L is not good advice.
Since Cornell is a school of interest, I just googled their hs requirements for the A&S college and foreign language is on there and theyâre pretty explicit about it:
â3 units of one foreign language OR completion of at least the third level of a foreign language sequence (e.g., Spanish 3).â
*It is our strong preference that students complete 3 units of one foreign language during high school, however, students who have initiated a foreign language sequence before high school or who have heritage language skills that allow them to place directly into a higher level course will have met our minimum requirement by completing at least the third level of a foreign language sequence (e.g., Spanish 3)"
âexceptions to these requirements should be explained in a letter accompanying the application for admissionâ
Note the word requirement, twice. Also the UCs and CSUs here in CA require two years, only if the hs doesnât offer any f/l can you get a waiver, and the only way they would make that a requirement is if most, maybe all, h/s in CA offer at least one.
ânone of these schools has a requirement that you study a foreign language prior to applyingâ
Definitely not true, not sure why youâre perpetuating advice like this, I understand your point on not stressing out the OP with a third year of F/L. Anyway, the OP has two years but at this point the options are to take that third year somewhere as others have suggested or have the GC write a letter, which also has its own levels of stress, meaning adcoms are not keen on reading anything extra.
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I believe one or two years of fl are a graduation requirement in my state. My 5 kids took 4 - 5 years, as did their friends, students are encouraged to take at least 3 if theyâre planning on applying to colleges (which is 95%).
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1380 is top 4-8% depending on the reference group. It is a strong score. Colleges generally care more about grades, class rank, and many of the other factors which you present (like class president). They know that test scores can be manipulated by coaching and test prep, and often are.
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