Chances at Yale, Princeton, Uchicago & Wash U?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I know my ECs aren't great but I can write good essays and I test well. (though my SAT doesn't show it...my ACT is better) I can also get good rec letters.</p>

<p>White female from Chicago.</p>

<p>Stats:
GPA- 4.36 W (4.5 junior year), 4.0 UW
ACT- 35 (34 E/34 M/36 R/35 S), 34 (36 E/33 M/36 R/31 S)
SAT I- 2140 (790 V/670 M/680 W)
SAT II- will take in the fall
AP's- 5’s in Biology (11), U.S. History (11), and World History (10)
Will be taking Spanish, English Lit, Calculus AB, and Euro History
Classes are all honors/AP, except for required courses like theology, music and gym credits.
Rank- my school doesn't post official ranks, but I know that I'm 3/450something. </p>

<p>EC's:
-Competitive Marching Band (9, 10, 11, 12) Section leader (11, 12)
-Symphonic Band (9, 10, 11, 12)
-football marching band (9, 10, 11, 12)
-Model U.N. (11, 12)
-Spanish Honor Society (11, 12)
-NHS (12)
-S.A.D.D. (11, 12)
-Tutor after school two days a week (11, 12)
-Volunteer as musician in community theatre program pit orchestra (9, 11)</p>

<p>Work Experience
-Intern at the Chicago Board of Trade</p>

<p>Any ideas on safety schools I should consider? I don't want a really small LAC, but I also don't want a huge university with 30,000 people where I'm only a number. Ideally 3,000-7,000. Preferably with a city relatively close by.</p>

2

<p>Oh and my dad attended Uchicago but had to drop out senior year to work because my mom was pregnant with me (they were married). so does it still count as legacy if he didn't graduate? probably not?</p>

3

<p>I'd say you have a decent app for UChicago. Consider retaking the SAT I if you have time.</p>

4

<p>I want to apply Early Action for UChicago, so I won't have time to retake the SAT for that. However, I'm pretty confident in my 35 ACT for chicago: as you know, the midwest is primarily ACT. </p>

<p>For the east coast schools, though, I'm worried that somehow my ACT won't hold as much weight as an equally good SAT. I might be able to take them again, but I have to take the SAT IIs first. </p>

<p>Oh and I'm probably National Merit.</p>

5

<p>honestly...schools will not tell you this...but for east school schools...a 35 probably won't get the wow that a 1560 does.</p>

6

<p>These threads about SAT being preferred over ACT really must stop. They are considered equally at almost all schools. A 35 ACT is equivalent to a 1580 ACT. Both are considered superb scores.</p>

7

<p>quiltguru...go look on these boards...how many times do you see a person with like a 32 ACT but a 1320 SAT or a 35 ACT and barely a 1400. Obviously, the ACT is an easier test without a question. Obviously, there will be some that do better on the SAT than ACT, but it is defintely more rare. Also, you want to know where they came up with these equivalent scores?...from percentiles. There are Definetely smarter ppl taking the SAT. Therefore, a 30 ACT is like 98th percentile where a 1470 is like 98th percentile. Which one is harder to achieve..you judge?</p>

8

<p>I don't know about Yale and Princeton, but the other two should be okay.</p>

9

<p>collegekid, you are very wrong. In the first administration of the new SAT, there were approximately 300 perfect 2400 scores. In last year's administration of the ACT, there were only 24 TOTAL perfect 36 scores. Even if one accounts for the total number of test takers, the % perfect scores is much lower on the ACT than on the SAT. The elite schools have a direct conversion chart for ACT to SAT scores (which are then plugged in to calculate the AI for applicants). It is from this conversion chart that the conversion from an ACT of 35 to an SAT of 1580 comes.
The elite colleges are well aware that one test is not "easier" or "harder" than the other. There are students who do better on the ACT and those that do better on the SAT than the ACT. Of all the elite schools, the only school that does not accept the ACT is CalTech. At all other schools, they are considered equally.</p>

<p>As a parent who has researched this in depth, I want to make sure that student applicants do not accept the myth that schools prefer one over the other. They don't. The ACT offers score choice while the SAT does not. It is often reasonable for a student to take both the SAT and the ACT. If one score is significantly higher than the other, it alone can be submitted.</p>

<p>Morgaine, you should be confident that your 35 ACT is the equivalent of a 1580 on the old SAT. They are considered equivalent by ADCOMs at all of the schools you mentioned. If you took the ACT with writing, there is absolutely no need to waste time, money, or angst on the SAT I UNLESS you plan to apply to CalTech. All of the Ivy League schools accept the ACT with writing in lieu of the SAT I. However, remember that most of them still require 2 or 3 SAT IIs. You need to check each college's web sites to sort out how many SAT IIs are needed.</p>

10

<p>Question, though: I was pretty confident I would do well on the SAT, based on my PSAT and typically 99th percentile testing. So my SAT scores were sent to the schools already. On my apps, should I put both the SAT and ACT?</p>

<p>Also, anyone have suggestions of safety schools?</p>

11

<p>quiltguru is correct. Collegeboard's own website has the conversion numbers she speaks of . A 35 is a 1580. A 30 ACT is 97th percentile , not 98th. Anecdotally, my D did almost exactly the same percentile on the PLAN, PSAT,ACT, and SAT.</p>

<p>Brown will take ACTw/writing instead of SAT Subject Tests.</p>