Chances with a 1.9 GPA and 1400 SATs at large state schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>stats:
SAT: 710M 540V 1250
New SAT: 800M 600CR 600 W 1400/2000
SAT II: 770 Math I 680 bio M
taking chemistry and math II in november (Lets say 750 IIc and 700 chem)</p>

<p>GPA: 2.9/4.0 UW
5.15/7.00 W
ranked 118/ 412 kids (29 %)</p>

<p>fairly competitive school in a suburb of philadelphia</p>

<p>Extra ciruculars:
Boy scouts all 4 years
Soccer for 3 years(not senior year) JV captain junior year
Cross country senior year</p>

<p>Schedule/grades
* notes that this class was the highest class offered
at my school H/AP/IB > A > R > M
though i didnt take any r or m</p>

<p>Freshman
Geometry A* 88
English 1A 77
French 2A* 73
World history A 74
Quantitative Physical science H* 78
Art 70</p>

<p>Sophmore
Functions H (algebra II and trig)* 78
Chemistry 1H* 75
English 2A 80
Band 95
French 3 H * 84
US History 1A 89</p>

<p>Junior
Pre calc H* 86
Bio 1H* 89
Chemistry 2AP* 80 (4 on AP test)
English 3A 77
US History 2A 95 (3 on AP test without taking class)
French 4 AP 80</p>

<p>Senior year(mid year grades are projected)
Biology 2 AP* 85
English 4A 83
Statistics AP* 90
Calculus AP* 77
Physics 1 H* 85
Intoduction to business 96</p>

<p>My essay is interesting, and definitely reflects my personality, but is not necesarily good. No one else could have written it. It's a Daily Show- like report on B size batteries</p>

<p>My recs will be from:
JV soccer coach -I was on the team 2 years, and I was the true team leader junior year. I always worked my tail off in practice, and was always a good sportsman</p>

<p>Bio 1 H teacher- Understands my strengths and weaknesses really good. my strengths being I am a good critical thinker, my weaknesses being my tendencies to not study and do homework slopily.</p>

<p>Im instate for rutgers/ TCNJ/ Rowan, legacy at delaware(both parents), and PSU(brother) am a white male</p>

<p>I am applying as a math major</p>

<p>Heres my view of it
Reach: TCNJ</p>

<p>Match: PSU
Udelaware
Rutgers
James Madison
Virginia Tech</p>

<p>Safety: Rowan
Temple</p>

<p>Other good match schools within driving distance of Philadelphia? Preferably under 25k a year</p>

2

<p>I am so confused. I see an 800M 600V/W, and your SAT composite is 1400/2000? What does that mean?</p>

3

<p>it means 1400 out of 1600</p>

<p>2000 out of 2400</p>

4

<p>yea i'd say your list is fairly accurate. And the fact that your bio teacher thinks that you don't study is not a good sign because you will be forced to do ALOT of studying in college. Luckily you dont have any lofty expectations for colleges so you should be ok.</p>

5

<p>I think that all of the schools on your list are reach schools. Because high school grades are the best predictor of college performance, adcoms know that despite your obvious intelligence, there's a good chance that you'll flunk out of college. For that reason, despite the fact that your SATs are impressive, adcoms may not want to accept you because they know that you'll probably hurt their retention figures.</p>

<p>My older S had scores very similar to yours, and a gpa a full point higher. His teachers would have described him the same way that yours describe you. He went off to college, and although the work was very easy for him, he didn't bother to turn it in or to attend class (Since he figured he knew so much that class was unnecessary). As a result, he flunked out.</p>

<p>Not every smart person is college material. My advice is to take off a gap year or two and do so something productive during that time such as work a full time job or join Americorps. After you learn more about yourself, if you then want to go to college, go ahead. You'll probably go with more focus and motivation than you're likely to have now, when you're probably heading to college just because that's what everyone expects.</p>

6

<p>Thge topic title was a typo, its 2.9, with a rising trend, in all the hardest classes</p>

7

<p>Then, I think that you have decent shots at all of the colleges, but I still would suggest that you take a gap year. That would help you learn more about yourself and whether college is something you'd like to do or if you'd prefer to take a more eclectic path. Unless you go to college because you want to -- not because your parents or friends think you should -- I doubt that you'll be motivated to get the grades to pass.</p>

8

<p>I would suggest going to Bucks County Comm. College for a year to see if you really want to go to school or not. Bucks is an excellent community college and they have options to transfer into 4-year colleges in the PA and Philly metro area if you decide college is right for you right now.</p>

<p>Edit: I want to add that you can also have a much better chance to get into your reach schools if they are really what you want if you go to Bucks and prove yourself with a high GPA. My fiance went to Bucks for a year and a half after flunking out of Pitt hoping to be able to raise his grades and transfer to Temple. He ended up moving down here with me, so that obviously ended up not happening, but you don't want to end up like him and flunk out of school the first time around. He had very similar stats and background to yours (plus came from metro Philly area...well...I guess that's obvious since he ended up at Bucks...).</p>

9

<p>I think you will get into Rutgers or some of the state schools on your list, people here are way too pessimistic. A girl with a 3.0 and a 1050SAT got in there from my HS.</p>

10

<p>I live in Camden County, not Bucks</p>

<p>and I judt asked if my list was accurate, and suggestions for schools</p>

11

<p>i think you are fine, but i had same score as you, 800M and 600V, and let me tell you, that score is a killer(in a bad/disadvantages way!)
i got rejected by all the elite schools i applied to!
but i think you'll be fine with your list</p>

12

<p>You obviously have math ability at least in your standardized testing. But even your math grades aren't that great. My prediction...TCNJ no, there are just too many top kids applying...I'd say 50-50 ish at your match schools. I would predict you'll most likely continue with the same pattern in college...get grades between 2.5 and 3.0 in spite of the fact you could do better.</p>

13

<p>People do go to comm. colleges that aren't in their county...but thats a moot point. I was just trying to mention that if you really want to go to a school that reflects your ability attend community college for a year with outstanding grades and you will achieve that. Plus its way cheaper to do that and figure out you need more time to sort out where you want to be in life than spending tens of thousands at a larger university.</p>

<p>When applying to your schools I would probably ditch the Daily Show essay and just reflect on your upward trend through high school and how you plan to continue your upward trend through college. What stimulated your upward trend? How do you plan to continue it in college? What is driving you to continue your education? I think this is more of what will help you get into a good school, focus on why you are mature and able to continue your upward trend, not a mock commentary...I think you are too close to the edge with your grades to get away with this...</p>

<p>Edit: If you are applying as a math major, why is your AP Calc score anticipated to be so low? And what is your focus on being a math major? Do you want to teach secondary ed? Some more things to think about...</p>

14

<p>I think that you are probably correct in your assessment of acceptance likelihood except for Penn State if you are an NJ resident. That would be a definte reach with your GPA for out of state even with 1400 SATs.</p>

15

<p>My brother goes there</p>

<p>And my Calc grade probably will be higher than 77. I think my teacher made the first few weeks very tough to weed out some kids. Im flying strong with like an 85. 85 in that class is a GOOD grade. These are smart kids, and only like 4 people have A's. I probably like 9th / 25th in terms of grades in that class.</p>

16

<p>9th /25 is not impressive for someone with an 800 math</p>

17

<p>Bring up your GPA to at least a 2.0 and you'll be alright. Can you reply to my thread, anyone, reply!</p>

18

<p>JMU is VERY GPA driven. Despite your SAT's, Madison is a reach for you.</p>

19

<p>I am a Virginian who lives in the part of the state that is treated with a bit more generosity at admissions compared to the Northern Virginian students who are in stronger school districts. (This is unfair to NOVAs but keeps our Universities from being Universities of Northern Virginia.) Keep in mind that Virginians are vying for UVA and Wm and Mary and have trouble getting in because we allow 30% of those places to go to elite students from out of state with Ivy test scores and grades. That leaves a lot of kids with A averages who apply to James Madison and Virginia Tech. Both schools have a huge percentage of students from the DC corridors where schools are strong.
Even with an advantage, students here with more than one or two Cs on their report cards in our set of friends were never admitted to James Madison or to Virginia Tech. If you don't apply ED, there really is no chance at either school IMHO, and even then you are going to be a question mark. There are just too many students with B averages or better applying. Requirements for OOS students are much much tougher. Your SATs were a little better than our friends who were waitlisted, but they had over 3.0 averages and SATs near 1300-1350.
Do not consider Madison or Tech matches. If your essays are compelling and there are other great aspects to your applications, who knows? I also have my doubts that schools with very large intro classes are schools where you will succeed. Why don't you find a school where classroom size means your teacher knows your name?<br>
It is possible that Mary Washington might take a chance on you if you applied ED. They are still 60% female so you have that card, but our buddy who is there now was waitlisted and was not admitted till late May..no Cs on his report card..your SAT is better. Mary Washington is popular with Long Island and Pennsylvanians. It truly is like a private school on public money..great place.
Dickinson might waitlist you but if you showed a lot of interest, you can get an excellent education there and perhaps you would thrive.
If you might could afford 25 thousand in tuition, I think you are more likely to find a good LAC willing to accept you and the worrisome split in your scores. I hear of students who begin at LACs and make good grades who are able to transfer to Madison or Tech when they are half way through with ease if they make As and have good references. In Virginia, you might look at Roanoke College in Salem, Lynchburg College, Randolph-Macon and Bridgewater College. These schools have dedicated teachers, small classrooms where you are accountable and good outcomes in graduate schools.<br>
NorthstarMom is right. If you have trouble doing the assignments in high school fully, the distractions in college are going to be very intense. Perhaps you should take an honest appraisal of yourself and ask yourself where you are most likely to learn the most and apply only to schools where you can concentrate. Exams are about regurgitating material and that means studying. Failure in a freshman year in college can be devastating and can hurt your confidence and end parental financing. But an education will greatly increase your future earnings and independence. Choose a path that will result in your getting educated, even if that means a gap year to think. Someone close to me would be graduating this year, if he had ever attended classes or turned in assignments. He had a 1430 SAT and an honors admission. He arrived in Bagdad yesterday, and has been in service for the last three years. He simply was not able to focus in college, and flunked totally out. He also had attention issues that he did not compensate for but that the military life is making up for instead. Find a school with a peer group that will inspire you to focus and make good use of your chance at a college education.</p>

20

<p>your list is fine although you will get a few rejections</p>