<p>I am just wondering realistically what my chances are for getting into a top university. I plan on majoring in physics and doing a pre-med program. </p>
<p>I have taken the SAT's twice. My scores are:
Critical Reading: 610 (very low)
Mathematics: 790 (high)
Writing: 670 (low)
Total Score: 2070</p>
<p>I have taken 4 SAT II Subject Tests:
Mathematics II: 800
Physics: 760
US History: 750
World History: 690</p>
<p>Throughout high school, I have taken the most difficult courses my school has to offer. Here are the AP's and my scores</p>
<p>Sophmore:
AP World History: 4</p>
<p>Junior:
AP English Language: 5
AP Calculus BC: 5 -I took AB in school, did BC on my own. I did precalculus over the summer before junior year
AP Physics B:5
AP Statistics: 5
AP US History: 5
AP Physics C Kinematics: 5 (self-study)
AP Physics C Electricity and Magnetism: 5 (self-study)
AP US Government and Politics: 5 (self-study)</p>
<p>Senior:
AP Chemistry
AP Biology
AP European History
AP Music Theory (self-study)
Italian: (I've done all 4 years)
Band: (I've done all 4 years)
Debate: (I've done all 4 years)</p>
<p>My grade is extremely competitive (Class of 2013) at my school. I have gotten salutadictorian (probably losing by a very small margin)
Weighted GPA: 100.537
Unweighted GPA: 98.24</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
Boy Scout: Senior Patrol Leader and Eagle Scout Candidate
Varsity Swimming: (All 4 years)
Varsity Track and Field: (Every year except Junior year)
Debate -did not to too well
Vice President and co-founder of a non-profit organization
I'm very involved with music: Trombone in band and jazz band. Guitar.
Ski Club
Volunteering at the Hospital
I have many more, but those are the extracurriculars I have been most active in.</p>
<p>I am a white male from New York.</p>
<p>My reach colleges are Columbia and Stanford Universities. If they are out of reach, somebody please bring me to the realization that I cannot make it to these universities and tell me that need to look elsewhere. Give me a list of some colleges that I should be looking at.
Because I am going for Physics and pre medicine, will they look less upon the critical reading and writing scores and possibly consider that my AP English score was high. Can I capitalize on my AP's to increase my chances for acceptance?</p>
<p>Agreed. I think they would be very high reaches. I’m reading Michele Hernandez’s book “A is for Admission” now. She was a Dartmouth Admin officer. The book is a little old, but I think much of it still holds true. She says that test scores are looked at more so than GPA, despited the fact that people always say it is vice versa. The Ivies’ AI (Academic Index) weights test scores as 2/3 of the AI and GPA/rank as 1/3. Then she goes on to say that academics/AI is about 70-85% of the consideration; the EC’s/personal factor is the rest (ie 15-30%). So I’d also apply to some less selective schools.</p>
<p>Cornell is a reach school for you.
You need a reality check or you need to retake SAT or try ACT.
The most important SAT sub score is reading score and you have 610.</p>
<p>I say, every top 20 college is a reach school for you.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think you guys are all weighing the SAT’s way to much. 12 people were admitted to cornell last year from my high school. We have an exceptionally smart class for my high school for 2013 and i am the Salutadictorian. I know I can get into Cornell easily. Yes, my SAT’s are low, but you guys are making it as if they are 100% of what they base their decision on. How about my GPA, all of the extracurriculars, my SAT score in math, math II, physics, and US history. How about my 8 5’s in a single year. Calculus BC for gods sake during my junior year. Aren’t these colleges supposed to take a holistic approach because to me, it looks as if everything is solely SAT scores. And physics and mathematics is the exact opposite of english and critical reading. You cannot pick a major that requires less critical reading skills?</p>
<p>Many of my friends who applied to Cornell with 2300+ and 3.95+ and multiple 800s on SAT IIs from an elite HS were waitlisted from Cornell but got into other top colleges.</p>
<p>BTW
5s on AP are not big deal
800 SAT math 2 is not a big deal</p>
<p>I don’t know anyone who got higher than a 2300 on the SAT and I am in a school in New York. (northeast schools have the tendency to be better). If 28% of cornell’s students come from New York State and there are 3307 in total enrolled (based on 2011 admissions), then 926 students came from New York State. There are about 1800 high schools in New York State, and my school is rated like 170th (fairly good ranking). That means 1 student comes from every other high school. Now I am ranked 2nd in my class in the top 10% schools in the state, New York having 3rd best ranking in public school system nation wide. Now every valedictorian and salutadictorian are not going to Cornell (there are obvious better schools), maybe only 10% of them will go (if that) which means with those assumptions, only 340 valedictorians and salutadictorians will enroll at Cornell from New York state. 926-340=586. 586 students then apply who are not 1 or 2 in their class. That is 586 extra spaces for new york state students for people who aren’t val or sal, and i’m sal. I don’t understand how the SAT alone would allow 586 NYS students to enroll before me.</p>
<p>Sorry but your test scores are kind of low…“I don’t know anyone who got higher than a 2300 on the SAT and I am in a school in New York.” I come from Maryland, and I know at least ten people from my school that have gotten over a 2300. I don’t mean to come off rude but honestly your chances are slim along with everyone else in the whole nation applying to ivies. I would definitely not say cornell is a safety because your test scores are kind of low. Are you planning to take the SATs again? I think it would be beneficial to you if you got your test grades up to at least a 2200. Some colleges I think you should consider are: NYU, UNC Chapel Hill, UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins Univeristy. Good luck with everything!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Statistically, this all does not make sense to me. Maryland is one of the states with better schools than New York. Yes, my SAT CR is very low and my SAT Writing is fairly low. But everything else on my application i feel is ivy level. I just don’t see how colleges base acceptance on 4 hours on one exam greater than all 4 college years.</p>
<p>They do this because these test are standardized that means they show how you rank amongst everyone in the nation. You might do well in school, but schools vary in academic difficulty. I am not saying you do not qualify for these schools you definitely do, but I do think you should take the SATs again. Good luck!</p>
<p>Tons, literally tons of people get 2300+ on their SAT (including me). Seriously, more people in my math class have gotten 2300+ than what sounds like your entire school.</p>
<ol>
<li>Cornell is no more a safety than I would myself get into Cornell for grad school (3.67 UGPA, no research experience)</li>
<li>Take the ACT also</li>
<li>Cornell, Stanford, Columbia are fine to have as reaches, but NYU seems more realistic</li>
</ol>