<p>Hello, I really want to be a Nuclear Engineer, but I have pretty bad grades (a 2.78GPA or a 82.3 and am ranked 182/494.) I did bad freshmen year (2.4sih) Sophomore year was a 2.9 then this year was a ~3.54. My GPA has gone up alot and it has gone up while taking harder classes (Took AP lang and comp, Physics B and APUSH) and I just took the ACT and got a 23 composite : English - 20 , Math - 23 , Reading - 22 and 25 on science with a 6 on the essay. What are my options? I also have almost 100 hours of community service and plan to do great next year as well in grades, but I apply in the fall for most colleges so that does not really matter. What are some good options for me? Would Texas Tech take me? I really do not want to go to community college at all.</p>
<p>I would really enjoy some opinions :)</p>
<p>For some reason there is no edit button… but my main hopes in order are:
Purdue
Texas Tech
Texas A&M
Extra’s (Last resorts)
K State
ASU</p>
<p>It will be almost impossible for A&M and Purdue. Your GPA and test scores just aren’t high enough. You have a better chance at the other 3 schools but any engineering will be a challenge.</p>
<p>Yeah that’s what I figured, I am retaking it in September and hoping for much more. I did not study at all and the time was the real killer on me, I had to guess on, clearly, to much.</p>
<p>Zed456,</p>
<p>Practice, practice, practice. Go out and get every ACT book with tests you can get your hands on. Read the strategy material and take it to heart. Take all the practice tests you can. </p>
<p>You can’t do anything with your GPA. The only thing you can work on is your ACT score. What I suggest is the only way you’re going to increase that ACT score. </p>
<p>You need to take this seriously and use this Summer to prepare yourself to get the very best score you will ever get.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Do you have any recommendations for books? I was looking at prepme.com as well.</p>
<p>Use the official ACT book for practice tests. I recommend using sparknotes test taking strats + PR ACT book for more tests/techniques.</p>
<p>We found a bunch of books online and ordered every one. My son went from mid-20’s (his first practice test) to 31 (the first time he actually took the official test). He was shooting for a 30, so 31 was enough for him to stop. One and done. ;-)</p>
<p>I don’t remember all the names of the books. There were about 4 or 5 books and a couple of sites he signed up with. They all were pretty easily found by searching. </p>
<p>We also signed him up at Huntington Learning Center, but he felt that was a waste of time and money. He got more out of the books.</p>
<p>Make sure you truly wrap your brain around the lessons and strategies the books try to teach. The ACT is much more about what you know than the SAT, but there is still a strategy to taking it.</p>
<p>Okay thank you all.</p>