<p>I am a senior and have applied to Brown University as well as other Ivy Leagues, Columbia and Princeton, and these are my stats:</p>
<p>10-12 GPA (W): 4.14
SAT I: 1900 CR-660 W-640 M-600-----Taken in the fall of my Senior Year
SAT II: Pending (Anticipated for Math 2 is 700-800 and USH is 750-800)
APs Taken: WH(4), EngLang(5), APUSH(5)
Course Schedule This Year: AP Psych, AP Stats, AP Calc BC, AP EngLit, AP Gov, AP Bio
ECs: Academic Decathlon and Debate in Junior Year; AcaDeca, Mu Alpha Theta, and AP<br>
Club this year
Positions Held: President of both AcaDeca Club and AP Club now
Volunteering: Mostly Tutoring after schools in the library, normally 5 hours a week</p>
<p>Both of my parents died in the summer of 2010, at the end of my sophomore year. I did not go back to school until August of 2011, pretty much skipping an entire year of school. In my first semester back, the fall of my Junior Year, I did not have very good grades and suffered depression because of the unresolved issues as a result of my parents’ deaths. Before they died, their sickness engulfed my family, to the extent that I could not get involved in any ECs until the second semester of Junior Year. The low GPA is a result of this as well as financial hardship. We were very poor and my brother and I still struggle to pay bills and things of that sort. I got accepted into the QuestBridge program, but failed to match with the schools I ranked. While I have gotten numerous fee waivers for college applications, I am stuck in a hard place because I lack the funds to send my official SAT scores to the colleges I applied to(Cal, UCD, UCLA, UCSD, USC, Princeton, Brown, Columbia, Tufts, Haverford, and Stanford). I have been told that my writing is good, but I don’t know if it is good enough to get me to these schools. I know that I applied to a lot of them, a majority of which are very competitive, but I want to know 2 things from the very respectable people here at CC(no sarcasm at all): Do I have a chance given my situation? and Is there any reliable way that I can send my official SAT score reports?</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about your situation. Did you look at schools that were recommended by Questbridge? Just my honest advice… Apply to a school within your range. There are many good schools out there that are not Ivy League but are true gems. You will get good merit money and will be better off. You don’t want to be in debt going to college but want to come out with marketable skills to be successful.
Best of luck.</p>
<p>I don’t remember receiving any recommendations of schools from QuestBridge after the matching round of applications. The schools I applied to other than UCs were for the stage of the QuestBridge application that allowed me to complete applications and send them to schools for free, the regular decision process. I chose Princeton, Brown, Columbia, Tufts, Haverford, USC, and Stanford. I knew that these schools were reaches, perhaps far reaches, but I applied anyway because my safety school was Davis, which I think will accept me. It might’ve been a stupid decision, but these schools will get to see my QuestBridge application and I was hoping that it would sway their admissions decisions somewhat. Despite all of that, I really appreciate the advice. Thank you</p>
<p>You should be able to get a fee waiver from your high school that will cover the cost of SATs. If you have UCs as your safeties that’s fine, but even Davis is more of a match than a safety. I suppose it’s a little late for that, though.</p>
<p>If your brother is on the West Coast, you might want to consider a few more West coast schools. Not just because of the travel costs, but it would seem to me that emotionally, getting to see each other often would be therapeutic for both of you. Besides the UCs, there may be some private colleges that will give you money for finances more generously, sometimes allowing travel, books etc, so ending up costing less than even a state school. I know a student going to an east coast school with a similar deal.</p>
<p>Hopefully you have a guidance counselor to give you some guidance re where else to apply. Just off the cuff: investigate Reed, Lewis and Clark, Gonzaga? There are some lists which will help you with which schools may be a bit more likely to give scholarships, but don’t go only by those lists. Make sure you like the schools too! (and some schools that aren’t on the lists may still find money for you.) All of the above still have pending deadlines (Jan 15th or Feb 1st) And ask for an application fee waiver at any school, just don’t delay getting all your parts done!</p>
<p>I think you need a school or two that you know will take you and that you will be able to afford. Those schools are all reaches even for those with stats much higher than yours. It’s great that you give it a try, but every and any applicant should ahve at least one definite school on the list. That way the rest is all gravy. It is not a desperate situation to have to get into those colleges. Theyare among the most selecitve in the country, and are not what one would call basic fare for anyone. Do look for some schools that are definites. That is really the challenge of a college search. ANyone can come up with the lists of name brand schools.</p>
<p>About collegeboard score reports… it sucks that they only give you 4 score reports for free when you use fee waivers for the exams… They do give you another 4 additional free score reports when you register for the exam but there is a deadline for it. goodluck!</p>