DESPERATE for some straight up answers!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey everything -
I'm a first time poster, but long time reader on this site. I'm currently an American high school senior at an international boarding school on Holiday Break, and I'm trying to apply to college, but because my high school is out of the country, the process is a bit harder than I anticipated, considering I'm applying to all American Universities. I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice, honest comments, and answers to a few questions I have? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>I'm pretty much a completely dead average student academically, so I'm hoping that my extracurriculars will help me out.</p>

<p>GPA: I have an 83% average, which on a 4.0 scale I believe translates to about a 3.6-7 which I've been told is decent? I honestly don't know. I feel like such a slacker though, because if my average had been just 2% higher at an 85% I would have had a 4.0. (sigh) Oh well.
Rank: My school does do class rankings, which leaves me at a bit of a disadvantage in some cases.
Sat I: Keep in mind that I've had absolutely no prep for any of these tests in my life, haha, but after taking the SAT in November,** I got a 1710, with 640 on Verbal, 490 (eeeek) on Math, and 580 on Writing. ** So.... it could be worse! Haha, but it could be a lot better, so I'm taking it again in January to hopefully do better on the math section.
SAT II: While I hate playing the victim card, I honestly was at a serious disadvantage for my subject tests. Of the ones offered, I really only had a choice between three: Lit, US History, and World History. My english courses here don't study the same literature that was covered on the test, so subsequently, I got a 560. Then I had a choice between US and World history, and I was going to choose world, until I viewed some of the sample questions, and did better in US. After actually taking it, I got an abysmal 470. Fortunately, many of my schools don't require them, or will take the ACT plus Writing instead, so I'm not stressing about them so much.<br>
ACT: I took the ACT earlier this month, but still haven't gotten my scores, so I'll update that later. However, I didn't like it that much. After two consecutive weekends of Standardized tests, I was feeling really frustrated with the whole college application process, so towards the end of the test, especially in science, I just stopped trying as hard. I almost broke down actually; it wasn't a pretty sight.<br>
ECs: I'm just going to list everything off in order of commitment:
-** I'm a prefect*, which is a bit like being class president I guess. It's the highest and most coveted position in the school, reserved for seniors. There's about 15 prefects all together, and we essentially run the school. We plan all the events, are usually captains of sports teams, are involved in the arts, attend housemaster's meetings, meet with the headmaster once a week, and attend every event where the school needs representation. It's kind of a big deal, and a fun but busy job.
- **I'm on the student committee,* which is another student body that assembles to take up student problems within the school. There are kids from all grades in it, two from each dorm, and it first started last year. I was voted secretary last year, so vice president, and pretty much did all the work, because the president pretty much didn't do anything. This year, I'm the prefect representative, and therefore, can't hold office, but I'm still a driving force in the group, because its such a young group.
- I've been on my school's dance team for all four years, and it's considered a varsity sport at my school. We compete and put on a performance for the school.<br>
- I've played on JV Basketball, Varsity Rugby, and have been in two school theater productions, which count as varsity sports as well. I'm also in a musical this year that goes on in March, and every time I've been in a show, I've had a speaking role, so it's not like I've just been chorus or something, and I'm claiming a lead, haha. I also staged managed **one of the plays this year, and **I wrote a play that is going to be put on later this year.<br>
- There is a community service event called the "30 Hour Famine" in which we raise food to donate while not eating for an entire 30 hours and playing games on a Saturday. To keep everyone together and make sure that everyones ok while not eating, we play a lot of team games, give out prizes, and watch movies. It's really a great way to spend a Saturday. Last year I was a house representative, so I helped to plan games and get people to join in. It was a leadership position, and because of that, the teacher in charge named one other student and myself as his co-heads for this year, so I'm pretty much running the show this time around.<br>
- I've written for the schools newspaper once, and was on the yearbook staff until this year.<br>
- I've been on the environmental committee, in the politics club, and was helping the debate team. </p>

<p>I hope to major in English, Communications, or Education, so these are the schools I'm applying to:
Boston College
Boston University
Brown University (It's my dream school, haha)
Chapman University
Loyola Marymount University
Occidental College
Pitzer College
Rollins College
Santa Clara University
Spelman College
University of Redlands
University of Southern California (This is pretty much a dream too, but I do love it)</p>

<p>I love every school on my list, and would be happy at any of them. So, I think that's it. I can't think of anything else to include, haha, so if anyone needs to know anything else, just say so!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>very slim chance at any of those schools with your sat score. dont even pay the 70 dollars r w.e. for usc/brown/boston college. good luck with the rest</p>

3

<p>I’m not positive, but isn’t an 83 average much closer to a 3.0 than to a 3.6-3.7?</p>

4

<p>If a 95% is a 4.0 (an A), then your 83%, is a 2.8.</p>

<p>I don’t know if your grading system works the this way.</p>

<p>Based on your standardized test scores, get rid of that Ivy League, Boston College, and University of Southern California.</p>

5

<p>83 is NOT 3.6-3.7</p>

<p>thats like a…3.0-3.1</p>

<p>93 is 3.6-3.7</p>

<p>id say no chance at brown or bc, so dont even try</p>

<p>the rest, rides with yur sat score/act score</p>

6

<p>Thanks, beefs.</p>

<p>And EVERYONE, here’s the official breakdown for my schools:
77-79 = B+ = 3.33 (87-89% in the states)
80-84 = A- = 3.67 (90-92% in the states)
85-89 = A = 4.00 (93-96% in the states)
90-100 = A+ = 4.00 (97-100% in the states)</p>

<p>It’s a weird system, but it’s weighted that way because of everything else that’s mandatory at the school, I guess. They keep us pretty busy. Also, I’m in a different country so an 83% here is not an 83% in the states. That’s why I have a 3.6 or 7, just because I don’t know which one it is.</p>

7

<p>Your unweighted GPA is what counts.</p>

<p>Does your transcript give letter grades?</p>

8

<p>Gaffe, I have no idea what that means. That was actually going to be my next question. How do I know if I’m on an unweighted system?</p>

9

<p>ok but aside from your not so strong gpa, your horrendous sat will be very detrimental to your application</p>

10

<p>yeah I would say get rid of Brown…USC and BC</p>

11

<p>beefs, thanks, and I realize about Brown, USC, and BC, but do you know anything about my others? Because I’m kind of adamant about going to California. Brown and USC are just my reaches that I happen to really like.</p>

12

<p>Well an unweighted system (generally) looks like this: </p>

<p>A = 90-100 [4.0]
B = 80-89 [3.0]
C = 70-79 [2.0]
D = 60-69 [1.0]</p>

<p>MOST colleges don’t look at pluses and minuses. So your GPA would be a 3.0 on our scale.</p>

<p>HOWEVER for those who use the pluses and minuses:
A+ = 4.0 = 97-100
A = 4.0 = 94-100
A- = 3.7 = 90-93
B+ = 3.3 = 87-89
B = 3.0 = 84-86
B- = 2.7 = 80-83
C+ = 2.3 = 77-79
C = 2.0 = 74-76
C- = 1.7 = 70-73
D+ = 1.3 = 67-69
D = 1.0 = 64-66
D- = 0.7 = 60-63
F = 0.0 = 0-59</p>

<p>You would be around a 2.7 on this scale. [How</a> Colleges Interpret GPAs - Peterson’s](<a href=“College Admissions & Lifestyle Blog | College Planning for Students | College Guide - Petersons.com”>ASVAB Practice Tests | AFCT Practice Tests)</p>

13

<p>Thanks Izzy, but I’m curious, if my literal GPA in the states is a 3.67, then where am I? Do I still have a 2.7? Because that’s what my school does. They send out their equivalency chart with our transcripts, and somehow it works?</p>

14

<p>I honestly don’t know, I’ve never heard of that. Each college will interpret you on their scale anyways, and in the context of your school (rank). Good luck.</p>

15

<p>Thanks again.</p>

<p>Does anyone know ANYTHING about the other schools on my list though? For example, Loyola, Occidental, and Pitzer?</p>

<p>Oh, and I’m considered African American, I’ve had a job since July, and my divorced parents combined income last year was WAY less than $50,000.</p>

16

<p>im still saying very very extremely slim chance, to the point where id say no chance. go to the college board and youll see that these colleges have ranges from 600-700, and as an international applicant you need to be at least in the upper 600’s if not 7’s.you should apply to less selective schools in california if thats really where you want to be.</p>

17

<p>I’m registered on Collegeboard, and it says that I’m within the ranges for my SAT, save for math, for Chapman, Loyola, Pitzer, Santa Clara, Redlands, and for Occidental I’m below for writing by 10?</p>

18

<p>when you apply, are you international or not?</p>

<p>cut out the upper-tier part of your list, hope your ACT scores are good, and possinly register for the SAT or SAT IIs for Jan for schools that take Jan scores.</p>

<p>btw, your score on SAT 2 Lit shouldn’t be overly influenced by whether or not you have studied “those types” of lit. Aside from a few vocab terms, most of it’s interpretation (like some of the critical reading section of the SATI). most people i know did fine on it without ever having taken a class in lit. Just sayin’.</p>

<p>Good luck : )</p>

19

<p>I don’t know much about those schools but Brown is a definite super far reach for your SAT and GPA (83% is about a 2.8/4.0)([92</a> GPA converted into 1.0-4.0 scale? - Yahoo!Xtra Answers](<a href=“Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos”>Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos)) Someone misled you. I don’t know about the other schools that much but take it in the context that NYU would be a reach for those stats. While scores are neglible if your an uber athlete, they still are notice if they are way lower than expectations. However, i wouldn’t want that to ruin your optimism. You never know where you will get accepted! Best of Luck!</p>

20

<p>I would drop BU because it loves high SAT scores.</p>