Chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hello, if someone is reading this, please, tell me something...
I will apply this year to colleges, and my dream school, by far, is MIT.
I arrived to this country 2 years ago....matter of fact on July 4, 2009.
My SATs simply suck (1850) math is on the 600s....all of the scores are sadly even....
My problem is that translating slows me down...and SAT is a speed test.I got 650 on Math II, 490 in physics. Math II is my second time and physics is my first time. I will retake them.</p>

<p>APs also sucked...and it's ironic: I got 5s on AP US, AP Spanish Lit (expected) AP Spanish Language (expected), AP English Language (how the hell that happened), and a 3 on AP world....The rest are not good....AP Physics B (offered at my school) 2, AP Calculus BC (self-study) 1...and the funny think is that I am right now enrolled in Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra. I had a A last semester on Calculus II (community college equivalent). AP Physics C, mechanics, a 1, AP chemistry, on my first year living here, 1. My science scores are just horrible. I do take the most rigorous schedule of my school: 2 APs on 10th grade, 5 last year, and 5 this year. That being said my school is not that good. But still, I am the culprit of those scores. </p>

<p>MY GPA is 4.15; I am in the top 5% of my class. I am city official, admitted to UCLA Anderson school of management Business program (Riordan Scholars), and last summer, worked at UCLA Henry Samueli school of engineering conducting research. </p>

<p>And I am creeping out because I think I will not go farther than my community college. </p>

<p>Please, tell me what do, to improve my scores. Is that realistic? </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>I do suggest trying to raise your SAT/ACT scores, but without knowing the rest of your application, you do still have a shot at the Claremont Colleges and they are not out of your reach. In particular, are you the first in your family to go to college or a first-generation college student (your parents didn’t go to college)? I know that Pomona in particular pays attention to this factor (as do other colleges) and may understand that you may not get prep for standardized tests. Also, talk to your counselor and perhaps they can emphasize that while your current scores aren’t the greatest, they are very high compared to your peers at your school, and demonstrates that with the resources at hand, you excelled quite well. You could put them in the extenuating circumstances section, but there is a fine line between such circumstances and making excuses as mentioned before, so having it in the counselor rec makes it more legit and less of an issue.</p>

<p>And definitely call about the minority weekend. Tomorrow.</p>