College Suggestions for a confused person!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi. I am an incoming senior who is feeling pretty much bummed out. I don't know what college I want to go to, let alone get into. So please, any help, critcism, critique, compliments would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time.</p>

<p>Here are the STATS
Name: Yi Jianlin (not my real name)
Residence: California
Status: U.S. Citizen, Immigrant from China
GPA: UW 3.97 W 4.50 UC GPA 4.61
Rank: 5/623
Eligible for ELC
APs: 3 on AP Bio
Pending AP CHEM, APUSH, WORLD
SAT Reasoning: 570 CR 620 M 640 W 10 Essay (hangover from night before)
SAT subjects: 640 US, 600 Chem, 600 World (Will retake for 700+ in each)
I know, i know. I suck at standardized testing. But I will retake again this fall to up my scores.
okay.
Taken most rigorous courseload offered at school.
Self-studied for AP World History
Senior Courseload is most rigorous at school.
AP STATS
AP CALC BC
AP Microeconomics
AP Govt
AP English Lit
AP Spanish Lang
AP Studio Art
AP Physics Mechanics</p>

<p>now onto ECs. Hopefully they're better.
Founder/President of Model United Nations (10, 11, 12) - raised over $5,000
NHS (9,10, 11,12) - member
CSF (9,10,11,12) - member
Link Crew Leader - (10, 11,12)
City's Board Committee (10, 11) - Helps make decisions for youth of the city
Senator's Campaign Intern: 150+ hours, lots of precinct walking
Basketball League - Guard
Library - tutors innercity youth (9, 10, 11) - 400+ hours
Attended Leadership Conference at UC Regents (10)
Attended Asian Leadership Conference in Sactown (11)
Member of Winning HS Academic Decathlon Team (11) School won 1st Place at County
Founder/Leader of Hip Hop Dance (9, 10, 11, 12) - performed at events
UC EAOP Program - (10, 11, 12)</p>

<p>Work Experience:
Macys' Sales Associate (9,10,11,12)</p>

<p>This Summer:
CA Golden Boys' State - High Office</p>

<p>UC COSMOS Program</p>

<p>Essays: I consider myself a strong writer. Will write a good essay. </p>

<p>Major: Political Science
Minor: East Asian Studies
Family Income: Below 10,000
So I need some blind-based schools since I am hella poor.</p>

<p>COLLEGES (Reaches/Matches/Safetys)?
I need help on this.
Please.</p>

<p>So does anyone also know any schools that offer great financial aid? I need a full ride seriously.</p>

<p>I'm not sure what else to include, but this is what I can think of as of now. Thanks for any assistance, and feel free to suggest any schools you want.</p>

<p>again, thank you.</p>

2

<p>bump please</p>

3

<p>wow. you look pretty solid to get in just about anywhere.</p>

<p>so then you have to consider what you want in a college</p>

<p>big or small?
rural or urban or suburban?
want to stay in state (in which case you're a good bet for most/all of the UC's) or branch out?</p>

<p>that would help narrow it down.
try collegeboard's matchmaker
it should help get you started.</p>

<p>good luck!</p>

4

<p>well.
i want to attend an urban university
like out of state
and more of like nyu
but nyu is hella expensive and no aid
so i have no idea
=[</p>

5

<p>UPenn? UChicago?</p>

<p>Out of state is still rather vague; do you have a state or part of the country you would like in particular? Because there are big, state schools just about everywhere...</p>

6

<p>out of state as in the east coast.
=]
and a big city.
considering im from a small town.</p>

7

<p>Then just think of the big cities on the east coast (Boston, NY, Philly, etc), and look for colleges that a) are big, b) offer and are preferably strong in the major and minor you want, and c) give good aid. Use the college searches from CollegeBoard or Princeton Review to get started.</p>

<p>Sorry I can't be of more help; I'm an LAC girl myself :]</p>

8

<p>oh thanks.
yeah people have been telling me that my SAT scores are going to stop me.
so i really dont know.
oh your going to apply to an LAC?
the only LAC i would ever go to is Amherst. but I doubt I'll get in there. hahaha</p>

9

<p>Well, from your other threads I know that you're planning to retake SAT and SAT IIs, and you're first generation, which should help.</p>

<p>Are you looking deeply for prestige, though? Because obviously there are some universities that are just better known than others, especially on the East Coast.</p>

10

<p>Your class rank is great and it seems like your ECs are fine.</p>

<p>But your test scores are very poor compared to the rest of your stats. Even if you can retake them all and do better, do you even have the time? Assuming you retake all those SAT IIs on the same day, you will still need two Collegeboard testing days. This is pushing it, and the improvement you are hoping for is very very large. Also, despite that massive list of AP classes for senior year, the one AP score you have is a 3.</p>

<p>So what I am getting at is that you are obviously a strong student with a great class rank but that those test scores, as they are now and even as they will be well into the fall, will most likely prevent you from getting accepted to the top schools.</p>

<p>Assuming that you make slight improvements across the board on those test scores, schools I would recommend in urban East Coast areas are NYU, Tufts, Boston College, Brandeis, and Lehigh. You could also get aid from schools like Boston University, GW University, and Villanova. Retake those tests and then adjust the list.</p>

11

<p>georgetown, American, and other DC schools would prolly get u scholarships if DC is an alright city for u.</p>

12

<p>Try and take the ACT in September if you can. It sounds like SATs are your kryptonite, so try the September testing after trying some practice tests. As others stated you have pretty god stats, just get your testing scores up to match your grades/ECs.</p>

13

<p>yes. well. can you register online for the ACT?
I think I might try to prep for the ACT this summer. Take a few tests, see how well I'm hitting on it.
any suggestions for ACT/SAT prep books?</p>

14

<p>SAT: I have Princeton Review's one about the new SAT, and I think it's rather helpful because it has 11 practice tests and explains all the answers in full. That being said, it only really has tests and not too much "prep".</p>

<p>And about the ACT: <a href="http://www.actstudent.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.actstudent.org/&lt;/a>. And yes, you can register online.</p>

15

<p>Well this may be very well a real reach unless you do a "hella" good job in the SAT/ACT and subject tests and ap's next time you take them (though your EC's are very impressive), but Harvard and Yale both have this Financial Aid Initiative that if your family earns less than 60,000/yr (Harvard), or less than 45,000/yr (Yale) then your family does not have to contribute anything to your undergraduate education. I dont know if there are any other schools like that but those are the one I know. Again, you know the reputation and % of admission to these schools, but being a first generation and with all your great EC's and if you better your standardized scores (even if u dont significantly you should still apply, you never know), you'll have a pretty good chace. I wish you success!</p>

16

<p>bump.</p>

<p>10 chars</p>

17

<p>SAT Reasoning: 570 CR 620 M 640 W 10 Essay (hangover from night before)*
lol, good job drinking the night before the SATs.</p>

<p>Raise your SATs into the 700s and you're probably in at all the UCs.
Also try for Rice, Georgetown, Tufts, Columbia.</p>

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<p>10 chars</p>

<p>bump</p>

19

<p>bump</p>

<p>1-0 chars</p>