<p>DS is applying from OOS…</p>
<p>SAT: Reading - 540 … Math - 660 … Writing - 630</p>
<p>ACT: Comb - 30 … English 31 … Math 29</p>
<p>Looking to get into engineering.</p>
<p>Top 20% of class
3.86 GPA (unweighted)
NHS…
Followed a STEM / engineering program in school… (Unweighted STEM GPA 4.1)
3 AP classes (Unweighted GPA 3.85), remaining honors classes (Nothing lower than a “B”, most “A’s”)…
4 years Spanish
Varsity Club…
Two sports…
Three State championship awards…
Held steady job year over year…
School & Community Vol hours +200…
Post Sandy Community Clean-up…
Helped train a certified therapy dog…
Will have lettered 7 times by the end of SR. year…
Captain of two teams…
Leadership in other areas…asst coach youth for 2 sports, oversee a reading program for youth, aside from being the team captain he is a leader in his position area, leadership camps.</p>
<p>Yip, thought so. It kills me, our neighabor got in with a comb of 28 after taking the ACT 6 times. His GPA was way lower, never took and AP and yet she gets in. He Dad is a doctor and is paying the full ticket, not sure if that helps. My DS is applying for the NROTC scholarship, odds are very good. His officer interview was steller. BU was No.4 on his NROTC list. For whatever reason he perfers public schools over the private.</p>
<p>I don’t think OOS matters at BU. The students there are very diverse.</p>
<p>I’m kind of surprised he’s considering engineering, his math scores aren’t that stellar. I don’t mean that as a slam–DH and I are both engineers, they’re typically people who live and breathe math, KWIM? He might want to look closer at the math requirements–some fields are much more math-oriented than others.</p>
<p>My DD had SATs of 760/580/690, unweighted GPA ~3.9, class rank of 28/400, and considered BU a reach school. Just to give you a comparison. Personally, I’m not surprised she got in–she tends to sell herself short–but she certainly wasn’t counting on it.</p>
<p>Thank you JRCLMom,</p>
<p>My DS took his ACT a 2nd time and did not prep for either… In regard to the math it would not show on the SAT or ACT; however, in school math is his strength. I’m a also an engineer and to be certain he was making the right choice I took him to Villanova. I got the okay to allow him to sit in on a few classes, he also spoke with the department head. I was bit surprised in the end, he went in thinking mechanical and came on firm on electrical. </p>
<p>He sat in on a physics, cal 2, and electrical class and understood what was going on. The professor assured me he really had a grip on things which took even him as a surprise. One day only a few classes but the experience was good.</p>
<p>He wants to take the ACT again in the Fall but this time he is going to prep over the summer. The ACT / SAT concordance table currently puts his ACT in the SAT 1250 to 1280 range so that’s no so bad; however, it can be better. The 26 in math converts to a 650 and the english 31 is around a 700. I think that if he bumps his math a point or two it will be competative </p>
<p>[Convert</a> ACT to SAT - How to Convert SAT Scores to ACT Scores](<a href=“http://collegeapps.about.com/od/standardizedtests/a/convertSAT2ACT.htm]Convert”>Convert ACT to SAT: A 2017 Table for Score Conversion)</p>
<p>In regard to taking the SAT, well it was not a good day for him, he also want to take that over. </p>
<p>With regard to BU and the college board postings he currently sits right in the center of their ACT span of 26 to 30. With the SAT span he is 30 points low on the reading but well within the math and writing sections. </p>
<p>In the end I don’t see him at BU as it falls to the No.4 spot on his “B” plan of NROTC. His “A” plan is the Naval Academy. He is attending the summer seminar as well as one of their sports camps. Although it will be a long difficult road he has some favorable things happening. I don’t think being recruited will help get him in but he is a strong candidate for one of their D1 sports. I guess having BU in the 4 spot is good because of it being a reach.</p>
<p>No wonder why my kid tells me I’m wrong. I just went through his numbers again and boy did I make some errors. You would think that by knowing a higher level math I could finger point a conversion table easy enough. Duh!!</p>
<p>I mentioned a 26 is = to a 650… That correct but he got a 29. </p>
<p>The 29 in the math is = to 700 on the SAT. With the English being a 31 that’s also = to a 700.</p>
<p>The combined is not so bad at 30 that gives him a 1330 to a 1350 range in the SAT. This kid is crazy to want and take this test again. His lowest score was in the science section, he got a 28 in each. </p>
<p>That’s it I’m give up on trying to figure this stuff out. I’m just going to listen to my kid, get advise from the forum, and while I wait I’m watching hockey!!</p>
<p>Okay, I think he’ll be fine in engineering. I just wanted to make sure you guys didn’t invest a lot of time and money into something he really wasn’t cut out for. And those “new, improved” scores look fine.</p>
<p>Good luck on trying for the Naval Academy–that would be quite an honor.</p>
<p>P.S. You can see by the scores I posted, my oldest is NOT cut out to be an engineer! She’ll make an amazing teacher, though. I have 4 kids, and only 1, the youngest, is engineer material–he all the classic personality traits. Life is a problem to be solved with that one.</p>
<p>JRCLMom,</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your feedback. I must apologize for my reply it sounds harsh. I appreciate your thoughtful parent thinking, this is most important.</p>
<p>The Academy would be quite an honor but it’s a long difficult road. My DS started the application to apply (yes, apply to apply) in Jan. and he recently got his offical candidate letter which now allows him to start the primary application. He showed me his list of madness the other day. Adding to the Academy is the NROTC application which is where BU comes in. In short he has on his list an “A, B, & C” plan. The “C” plan is if all else fails.
The “A” plan is the Academy…
The “B” plan is NROTC where he has to pick 5 schools and required to pick one major, in his case engineering.
The “C” plan has our in state school, one safety, and one semi-reach.</p>
<p>At some level with him having all this done (A, B, & C) by July it will allow him to relax going into his Sr. year. Yes even the “C” plan is complete, he finished all his essays for the schools he wants some time in December. The crazy kid called the three schools and asked if their essay questions remained the same or would change. I ask why so much now and he said with all that he has seen other seniors go through at the start of the year he just wanted to be done with it now. The only thing he will need to do come Sept is his applications for other scholarships. </p>
<p>In regard to you DD scores, I would have to say they were quite impressive, I could only wish my DS had that.</p>
<p>I read your PM, thank you… I responded.</p>
<p>Are people here serious or joking ?</p>
<p>OP is above average for BU. Boston University is a low match. Personally, I would call it safety since 30 ACT is near the 75th percentile.</p>
<p>Well, speaking for myself, I’m serious. My D17 considered BU a reach school for her. I was less worried, but nobody thought it was a sure thing. If you check my D’s stats against the stats for the Class of 2017, you’ll see that she’s dead average. She only had 2 AP classes, and was light on school EC’s, with no leadership positions. OTOH, she clearly demonstrates a passion for teaching (her chosen major), and that comes through in her overall “package”.</p>
<p>3units–I had no idea how complicated it was to get into a military academy! I spent a week at USNA back in the stone age, it was obvious a rigorous program, but excellent place to learn and serve. Kudos to your son for being so dedicated and focused–if you have a secret, I’d love to borrow it for my S16 (who doesn’t think beyond his next meal).</p>
<p>Secret… He is a lot like his mom, driven, very selfless, organized to the hilt and in regard to serving, that comes from me. I served and I’m a firm believer in giving back what people have given to me. I could not support him enough on his efforts on getting into the Academy; however, he will get no help from me. Why? If he is going to be an officer and serve, this has to come from his heart. I know what a good and poor officer is, by this coming from his heart he will be a great officer.</p>
<p>Actually all of our kids are a lot alike in what I described. I forgot one last thing. They have all be taught to earn everything and to never hold out their hand. As tough as that may have been through the years it has served them well.</p>