<p>Perhaps your age has sensitized you to forum posts because I don’t think that his comments are at all “side and nasty”. For the most part, he speaks the truth and offers very realistic predictions about people’s chances at the price of coming off as being a little blunt. But in the end, I’m sure that most people would prefer direct advice as opposed to useless (but nice sounding) anecdotes (i.e. my daughter landed a great job).</p>
<p>Besides, the sheer volume of applicants to schools on par with Ivies means that adcoms don’t have the time to pay specific attention to each individual applicant. This is why they rely on metrics as the most basic filters; adcoms will probably not even read the essays of the kids that don’t pass these benchmarks.</p>
<p>If it’s possible, you should probably read all of the posts in this thread (I know how daunting 3 pages must seem for a mother) so that your own posts can be accurate. It’s reasonable for me to assume that you unfortunately did not do this, because if you did you would understand that we all agree that the OP has a decent shot at UVA; the OP’s chances at Penn are what don’t seem that good.</p>
<p>To the OP, how many ap’s does your school offer. What is your class rank, if your school doesn’t rank, please provide an approximate rank. Are there students who have taken a more demanding schedule than you. Dont forget, the transcript is the most important document in the admissions process.</p>
<p>Billabong,
Perhaps YOU should read a little more closely. I said that my daughter got into UVA OOS with a lower ACT than the OP (she also got into Princeton with that ACT score). The “useless anecdote” was about my niece and was simply an aside about the value of real work.<br>
It is not my advanced age that has “sensitized” me to the rudeness of so many youthful posters here.I’ve just had enough experience to recognize and abhor the baseless certitude of posters who puff themselves up by opining so assuredly about the inner workings of adcoms. (And, there is a difference between bluntness and rudeness so don’t kid yourself-- most sentient beings can tell the difference.)</p>
<p>I’ve definitely read your post, so my assertions stand as is. I think you should refer to page 3 to see our discussion on how much value anecdotal advice really has.</p>
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<p>Wow, what an excellent point. I’m sure that the OP’s hardware store work experience will translate smoothly into his future career.</p>
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<p>People who perpetuate the thought that “admissions is a mystery” are retarding the growth of this forum. Nobody is suggesting that they themselves understand completely the mindset of adcoms, but for the most part, people can accurately predict what the adcoms will most likely be doing. Schools like Emory and Princeton that have released specific information about how they select their applicants corroborate facebook’s post.</p>
<p>Wharton could be a reach, but Huntsman would be impossible.
Not that you are unqualified, or your scores are mediocre.</p>
<p>It is just that you have been preparing for a wrong school!
Huntsman is looking for people who can speak 3+ languages, strong interest in finances, and has a very, very diverse, international backgroud.</p>
<p>I don’t know why I’m applying to Huntsman. I’m just going for it with the hope that I get denied into Wharton. One thing I’ve also done is travel a crap load. I’ve been to like 12 different countries out-side the U.S. I really do expect to be denied from Huntsman but I’m hoping that maybe my app will get accepted for Wharton. Also I’m taking the Math II SAT II and I’m thinking that I can probably get an 800 on it.</p>
<p>Also, thanks gracemom for the confidence boosters. I feel like many of the people on this site just like to shoot kids down to raise their own confidence. I mean if Harvard says that there AVERAGE ACT is a 31-34 that is their average. I don’t know how people can’t understand that. I know my chance at a school like Harvard is non-existant but there is still a slim chance…</p>
<p>UVA (dream school since I was 5) (Should get in here imo)
UPenn ----> ED to Huntsman program/wharton (VERY LOW Chance)
Georgetown (Low Reach)
UNC (High Match)
Dartmouth (High Reach)
Princeton (Virtually no chance)
JHU (High Reach)
UC Berkley (Low Reach)
University of Florida (instate) (In)
Florida State (in)
U Chicago (HIGH Reach)
Emory (Mid Reach)
Vandy (Mid Reach)
Notre Dame (Low Reach)
Rice (Mid Reach)
Dartmouth (High Reach)
Boston College (Match/In)</p>
<p>For the first time ever I kind of agree with Billabong, you don’t have a good shot really with that ACT. It converts to 2190. An unhooked applicant needs a 2250 MINIMUM for the schools you’re looking at.</p>
<p>People like to shoot down people all the time don’t worry
I’m going to say that you will most likely get into UVA…one of my classmates had a lower gpa than me (I had a 3.8)…wrote a sob story for her essay…and got into UVA. I’m at Stony Brook because I wanted to stay home (to help my mom pay bills and stuff)…however I did get into Binghamton. If you reach big then you will definitely get into your #1 school. My best friend had a lower score than you and got into Colgate and admission into their select scholar group.</p>
<p>Apply to your top 5-6 schools and see how everything goes. You won’t know if you will be accepted unless you try :)</p>
<p>Facebook and Billabong, along with the others here, don’t quite understand what they are saying. Yes, a 35 looks better than a 33, but at this stage in the game, who cares? Would a college REALLY accept a student because he/she answered 3 more questions right out of ~200 than another student? NO. Once you pass their thresholds, they move on to Extra Curriculars. Once they see that this applicant is obviously intelligent, as presented by high grades/rank and standardized tests, they move on. </p>
<p>I think this sight is full of introverts who sit in their rooms and study all day; this is why they like to post negative comments about students with a 33 ACT when that’s obviously a VERY competent score. They don’t get out and do things at school that’s meaningful, so they try and find a way to make everyone else who has slightly lower scores than them feel like crap. </p>
<p>Also, a range is a range. If Harvard said that their range for applicants (25%-75%) is a 31-34, THEN THAT’S THEIR RANGE. NUMBERS DON’T LIE. Hopefully all of you will see that.</p>
<p>I’m not downplaying the importance of high standardized test scores, but colleges want students who can perform in the classroom and out of the classroom, not someone who just excels at one aspect.</p>
<p>golfer111, if you believe this site is full of basement-dwelling introverts, I highly suggest you remove yourself from the very site you are posting on. Hypocrisy at its finest: “I’m part of _<strong><em>, but that doesn’t mean I’m part of </em></strong>”. </p>
<p>There is absolutely no indication on here that anyone is playing down the value of a 33 ACT. By any standard definition, it is a strong score, but you must understand that it is mediocre if not weak compared to many other applicants for the Ivy League or equivalent. If you are the smartest person at your school, would you still be the smartest in a symposium of Nobel laureates? </p>
<p>And by the way, roughly one-half of Harvard admits have some form of hook: the rest just fight tooth and nail for a spot determined to a degree by luck and the amount of caffeine the admissions officer had. </p>
<p>I cannot guarantee you that no one here is not here for the singular purpose of making others “feel like crap”. But I think the vast majority are helpful, and frankly, most posters or readers learn something–I did for sure. </p>
<p>That being said, I do believe that out-of-the-classroom experience is important, but how much so? Unless your accomplishments are stand-out in any circumstance, it can just as easily be done by any other applicant (chances are, it’s already been done anyways).</p>
<p>UVA- = reach
UPenn ----> ED to Huntsman program/wharton (oppps; i thought you were doing CAS- reach)
Georgetown- reach
UNC- reach
Dartmouth- reach
Princeton- reach
------------- that ends the list of schools I’d really like to attend but here are some others
JHU- low reach
UC Berkley- reach
University of Florida (instate)- safety
Florida State- safety
U Chicago-low reach
Emory- low reach
Vandy- low reach
Notre Dame- match
Rice- low reach
Boston College- match</p>
<p>In my opinion (JHU, Emory, Vandy) are low reaches for everyone who is qualified. All of the Ivy league schools are reaches also.</p>
<p>To the OP, UVAorBust:
If you disregard the, how shall I word this, “not-optimistic” chances you receive, then why come here? It’s inherently pointless if your singular willing point of reference is your own opinions. If you feel belittled by community members, then ignore their advice: you certainly don’t need to attack. And by the way, I sincerely hope you never attend an Ivy League institution. Your self-assurance combined with a rather primitive, “curse them out” mindset is going to be annihilated by other students. Sorry, but really: there’s a reason for all the “****” I’m seeing.</p>
<p>I’m not calling the kids who post their own chance threads, such as UVAorBust, introverts. I’m calling kids like facebook and billabong introverts. You know why? They ALWAYS downplay other people’s achievements. Maybe they’re not introverts in real life; I don’t know. But they come off as introverts, so hey, perception is reality. Until I meet them in person, they’re introverts. I remember seeing UVAorBust so excited after he got his 33, and he even wrote a short passage containing motivation for other students who are at a loss in terms of standardized testing, and now we have kids like facebook and billabong who bluntly try and turn away UVAorBust’s hopes because he doesn’t have a perfect score.</p>
<p>I understand that Harvard is mostly luck unless hooked; however, most recruited athletes/URMs/others have less than or equal to a 33. If Harvard’s numbers say that their range is 31-34, then hey, UVAorBust has a solid chance at the school (solely based on numbers). If he can incorporate his job into a compelling essay, then I can see him gaining admission with the right amount of luck.</p>
<p>If UVAorBust had, let’s say, a 31, then I would agree with facebook and billabong. But he has a 33. 99th percentile. End of story. His scores are solid, now it’s time to work on other things. The 33 won’t get him IN to the school, but it definitely won’t keep him out.</p>
<p>Also JustAnotherTry, UVAorBust was NOT attacking them. He was simply defending himself. I would be shocked also to see someone post that I had no chance at Princeton because I have a 33 ACT score; this is such a far-fetched statement that it would even catch me off guard. He was simply trying to get a logical reasoning from them, and they continuing to banter about how his score is too low without any real proof.</p>
<p>I found your posts to be cute and amusing.
Read again and see what I wrote.
OP should not apply to Huntsman, but somewhere else, CAS.</p>
<p>According to your logic, I should retake my 2400 because a 2190 is same as a 2400.
Look, having higher scores can only help. Okay?
And I am trying to convince the OP to apply to UPenn (an Ivy) not Huntsman in Upenn.
So stop belittling my posts and say that I am an introvert.
My sole wish is that I can talk to OP in real life not on the web so I can tell him that I was not being a snarky dude.
Read what oP wrote about him being spoiled and a dick to his parents.</p>
<p>Facebook I’ll give myself a 1% chance in at Huntsman. I’m hoping to be declined and put into Wharton… Thank you golfer. I feel like I’m just being ripped for my 33. Honestly, I’m like one of the few kids in the past 5 years to get a high act score…</p>
<p>I wasn’t saying OP could get into Huntsman…to be honest, I doubt he will, but NOT because of his scores</p>
<p>And I believe the ACT-SAT conversion is somewhat flawed…the ACT tests achievement, while the SAT tests aptitude, so how can you equate those two? A 33 is a very solid score. If you had elaborated on your posts, instead of just bluntly saying his 33 is crap, then maybe this discussion wouldn’t have happened.</p>
<p>I understand that higher scores can help, but a 33 is no basis for rejection at a school as you are implying.</p>
