<p>Hey Guys ~</p>
<p>Just wondering if I have any shot. Applying from a Catholic Massachusetts high school w/ a 3.05 GPA and a 1900 SAT (1230/1600). I have great ECs, including serving as a sports writer of a magazine, two weekly newspapers, and a daily newspaper. My father is an alumni, donates about $500 a year. What do you all think, any chance?</p>
<p>Couple questions... Is your GPA on a scale of 4.0? a-4 b-3 c-2...? is it low from fresh, soph grades? Have you shown an increased grade trend? Have you taken Honors/ap classes but gotten low grades??</p>
<p>What magazine/newspapers do you write for? Thats awesome. Definitely retake the SAT and try to increase your score.</p>
<p>I write for the MetroWest Daily News (<a href="http://www.metrowestdailynews.com)%5B/url%5D">http://www.metrowestdailynews.com)</a>, CMass Sports Insider (<a href="http://www.cmassinsider.com)%5B/url%5D">http://www.cmassinsider.com)</a>, The Ashland TAB, and the Dover-Sherborn Press, all as a sports writer. My grades have gone up, and this first term I got A/A/A/A/B+/B and it's out of 4.0, all honors except spanish and AP history</p>
<p>im not really sure, but im kinda in the same boat as u. my gpa isnt up to nd's standards (3.55) and my dad is an alumni who i think donates a decent amount (hes in some sorin society thing). but yea take the test again, and consider takin the act as i did better on that (30) then the sat (1300). good luck tho.</p>
<p>The alumni connections will certainly help but my guess is that both of you may be a bit to low both on GPA and SAT. I have been wrong before, however, and it never hurts in trying but that is my guess as well.</p>
<p>If you have an upward trend definately highlight that and also talk about why your grades are low in your essay (as well as all of your OC's for the OP, so possibly discuss those things (not the OC's) in that supplimental essay at the end). Just try to highlight anything that will separate you from everone else!</p>
<p>Good luck to both of you. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help out and let me know how it goes!</p>
<p>I'm also in the same boat as you guys. I have a 3.18 unweighted GPA (3.86 weighted). I have taken the hardest classes available at my school, but never done any homework for any class. My SAT scores are 1510 (800M 710V) and 2180 (800M 740W 640CR) and a 35 ACT. My EC's are nothing special either; they are just varsity sports, work experience, and service hours.</p>
<p>However, I don't have alumni connections to the school. I just have a older brother who attends. I'm kinda bummed out because I think that I may have ruined my chances at getting into ND simply because I never do any homework.</p>
<p>they will combine your old and new SAT scores to make your SAT score a 2250, but a 35 is better anyway</p>
<p>I'm not worried about my scores, it is my GPA that frightens me. I also have SAT II scores of 800 Math I 800 Math II 800 Physics.</p>
<p>so when did you realize that doing hw might help you get better grades? you couldnt have cared that much if you never did anything</p>
<p>I have always known doing my homework would get me A's in the classes, but I didn't really care. That was untill my older brother was accepted at ND and I saw how great the school really was. Then everything changed and I really had an interest in the school. But by this time my habits were pretty much set. I have not completed a homework assignment since the 5th grade. At the same time the lowest grade I have managed on a test in my high school career is an 88. I guess I always figured if I made the test grades why should I be required to turn in the homework.</p>
<p>icebarracuda, i really question whether or not ur lying. i mean, come on, uve never handed in an assignment since the 5th grade? not even one? yet u still do well on the tests, got three perfect scores on the sat IIs, and almost perfect scores on the act and sat? how do u acquire the knowledge to do well on all of that without doing work? i dunno, it just doesn't add up, u might be completely telling the truth tho so im sry if u are, but personally i think ur full of it.</p>
<p>believe what you want. I have no reason to lie about anything. The bit about the homework was a bit of an exaggeration, but I do rarely turn in homework. The reason I do well on tests is because I actually pay attention in class and comprehend what the instructor is teaching. Does one need to complete the homework assignments to understand the material being taught? no.</p>
<p>The SAT II scores are not that hard to get in Math II and Physics. The scales are very lenient for both tests. One can miss something like 4-5 questions on each and still get an 800. The Math I was no harder than the SAT Reasoning tests Math, one just has to look for the tricks SAT puts in there.</p>
<p>Homework counts for 10% of the final grade in every class that I take, therefore unless I was able to score 100's on every single test I would not get an A in the class. Yes it is my fault, yes I should have done my homework, but in no way to I deserve to be called a liar.</p>
<p>In addition, I studied for over a month for each SAT/ACT test that I took and for 5 weeks before I took the SAT II's . I believe anyone who puts in that amount of work will get great scores.</p>
<p>methinks icebarracuda is good at math....but yea studyin for those SAT tests does wonders..........imaigne that</p>
<p>I would believe that what icebarracuda says is possible. From my summer job where I've been forced to oversee a bunch of high school students who attend both various public or private high schools I've been told how hard it is to actually fail at high school. Social promotions are a integral part, especially in the public education system in my area. Some students know it and just don't care how they do, or they don't mind going to summer school and sleeping through it and end up making up the failing grade. </p>
<p>icebarracuda - I would caution you that the admissions committee is going to be questioning your motivation. If you can ace standardized tests yet do mediocre classwork, then they will get the impression you might be lazy and probably unwilling to apply yourself. Plus, homework at college is finicky, often the teacher's don't teach how to do problems but lecture about concepts (or else ramble on about something entirely off the subject) the burden to learn how to do problems is on the student. The admissions dept thus wants to get motivated students because those are the ones who will succeed.</p>
<p>There's no way to measure motivation on paper. But I would imagine they are still saying how grade in class-to-test score correlations imply causation. Good luck with the application process though.</p>
<p>before i get jumped all over I was not implying that icebarracuda was a product of social promotion or whatnot. The aforementioned example was simply to illustrate how I have often been told by HS students that they do no hw. They say either their teacher doesn't care, or if they are penalized with bad grades, that they [the students] know how they aren't in any real danger of being failed or held back....</p>