<p>Berkeley is a far far far reach for every out-of-state applicant.
Do you have a particular reason for Evergreen State College?
What is important about potential safety schools? Location, size, cost, a certain major...?
Have you already taken the SAT?</p>
<p>First of all, my sympathies for your loss; to address your original question, I'd say that taking this second gap year, particularly with a view to the activities that you're planning on pursuing is a positive course of action that'll give you time to retake SATs, finish any form of preparation that you'd need for college and prepare a good college list.</p>
<p>I'd agree with Noldo and theatreworm, the circumstances you've had to overcome would form a part of who you are right now, and giving colleges this information would both explain your senior year grades and give them more of an insight into who you are.
We really can't help you with a college list till you post what major you're planning on pursuing/SAT scores (whether in practice or officially) etc.</p>
<p>Indigochild18, I can't relate exactly to your situation but I also went through a lot of stuff. I took 2 gap years and everyone thought I was crazy. I was admitted to a few places after my first gap years but declined my offers. Traveled to another country, worked without pay for 8months, took German lessons, and improved my French. Retook SAT I and II, with amazing results. Did a lot of music and church stuff, read "a million" books, and just had an amazing time.</p>
<p>My country doesn't do a-levels. Sec. school is 6 years, then we take a regional exam. So during my first gap-year, I self-studied for A-level math, further math and physics within a month. [Got A, U and B, respectively!]. I also worked in a music school for 2 weeks, pulled off a community project with help of friends. </p>
<p>Dude, take a second gap year if you want to. My parents nearly "killed" me. Well, not really, but my situation was really dicey because I didn't give two hoots about the university 15minutes away, where most of my peers were attending. My second round of applications was even more mature and my outlooks and everything had changed.</p>
<p>Now I don't regret the two gap years. In fact, a year off academics was a big relief for me. Take your second if you're entirely convinced, dude, and go all the way; let your prospective colleges know what you're up to, and your determination and motivation will shine through.</p>
<p>I had only read your original post before replying and am just reading the other stuff now.</p>
<p>Yes, my grades fell in my senior year, too. [Notably, I didn't get that many first prizes as I had in previous years due to a LOT of stuff that happened and some unwise choices I made.] I didn't even say a word about that to the colleges I applied to, even about the stuff I couldn't control. Although I told them about the life-changing experience I had when I was a child and about how that changed my outlook on society - but no excuses for my grades, even the major bouts of illness I had didn't make it on my apps.</p>
<p>Just apply to where you feel you fit the most, after doing a thorough search, and talking to counselors, alumni, friends, etc. But DON'T let anything you see or hear on CC affect your decisions and choices. In fact, during my app. period, I stayed off CC until my decisions came in. While checking the boards, I was so thankful I hadn't done that when selecting my schools, otherwise I wouldn't have applied to the places I did and won't be where I am now.</p>
<p>Sometimes CC can get so intimidating...</p>
<p>
[quote]
Sometimes CC can get so intimidating...
[/quote]
You are sooo right...</p>
<p>thank you all again. it is so appreciated.</p>
<p>i took the sat 1 on the 27th of january and got 600 on both the english parts.</p>
<p>and a really terrible score on my math score. :S which is why i'm going to take it again in june. </p>
<p>again the events that i stated affected this. i only had one month to study, and before that i have never heard of the sat 1, everything was rushed. in addition to that i was doing late-night college searches and found only a few universities with deadlines i have not missed. it was extremely stressful!!</p>
<p>i am thinking of a major in English. but it is still tentative. i'm trying to find as much information on majors. i am really strong in languages. i speak french, tagalog, a Filipino dialect, and right now i'm learning Mandarin, which i find quite easy. Xie Xie.</p>
<p>few questions:</p>
<p>do you think 3 months is enough to raise my sat score?</p>
<p>i am not taking the SAT 2. will this gravely affect my application?</p>
<p>and finally, which universities are you in/did you apply to ?</p>
<p>jrock and barum... CC really is...
i'm brand new here and i''ve been wandering around, reading posts and such.
but i couldn't get help but feel intimidated with all these online people listing their scores, activities, and how smart they are...</p>
<p>Berkeley requires SAT IIs (meaning you are close to an auto-reject if you don't take them), and the University of Mary Washington and St. Mary's College of Maryland strongly recommend them. You don't necessarily need them but in case you don't get your SAT score up to a certain level and considering your senior year grades, SAT IIs might be very helpful.</p>
<p>Have you ever thought about taking the ACT instead of the SAT? I never took the SAT because I knew I would do MUCH better on the ACT.</p>
<p>I am applying to women's colleges (I am a girl ;)) and a few other small liberal arts colleges in the Northeast (Colby, Trinity, Hamilton).</p>
<p>ACT sucks. I got my Dec score report in February.
The test although is better than SAT.</p>
<p>i think it would be a bad idea for me to consider the ACT now, considering I AM currently studying the SAT 1 at the moment. i'm getting the hang of it. if i switched now, it would be like trying to master how to tie my shoes in reverse. :D</p>
<p>i just purchased:</p>
<p>Reading and Writing Workout For the New Sat- The Princeton Review.
( to further raise my scores.)</p>
<p>Math Workout For The New Sat- The Princeton Review.
(to, hopefully, GREATLY raise my math scores.)</p>
<p>SAT MATH WORKBOOK, SECOND EDITION- Kaplan
( to get my head into math mode)</p>
<p>and </p>
<p>TOEFL IBT- KAPLAN
( to introduce me to IBT. i'm confident i will do well on it)</p>
<p>please answer accordingly:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>3 months enough to raise scores?</p></li>
<li><p>What do you know about University of Madison</p></li>
<li><p>please list your college list. i'd like to take a look at them.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>i cannot say this more. BUT I AM SO GRATEFUL to have this "team" online.
so thank you.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I don't know, I took the SAT only once and was satisfied (2190, not phenomenal, not at all bad, though)</p></li>
<li><p>You could PM dda. He hasn't posted on this thread, but he's been accepted to UW Madison AND he lives in Hong Kong (US citizen, though). He also visited, I think, so you could ask him any questions you have (I'm not speaking for him, but he's a friendly person :P).</p></li>
<li><p>I'm applying to HYP (far far reaches :P), UCs Berkeley, LA, Irvine, Vassar, Amherst, Williams, Colgate, Oberlin, Hamilton.</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>Three months is easily enough time to get your scores up; I'd also recommend the Barrons SAT Math book, it's quite useful. SAT Math's essentially about not making stupid mistakes, as a few errors can lower your score significantly; so practice'll increase your speed and thereby your efficiency and thereby your score.</p></li>
<li><p>I've no idea although a friend of mine is applying and has a relative associated with the university so I could find out.</p></li>
<li><p>you can find out by clicking on my username and seeing my stats profile (there are 14 colleges there, so it'll be quicker for you to do that than for me to type it out ;))</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>Three months is more than plenty. But honestly, what are going to do in those three months? Do you think you can and will make up all the math you missed throughout high school to score well on the math section?
Not considering the ACT simply because one started SAT prep already is... stubborn. Many students take both tests. If you already took an ACT practice test (<a href="http://www.actstudent.org/sampletest/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.actstudent.org/sampletest/index.html</a>) and THEN figured that the SAT is the way to go, that's fine.</p></li>
<li><p>no clue</p></li>
<li><p>Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Colby, Trinity, Hamilton</p></li>
</ol>
<p>CURLYFLY - 1.2190, excellent score:D
2.PM DDA, will do, i'll just search his name.
3. the majority of the schools you're applying to are private.
Expensive. how are u planning to pay?</p>
<p>B@R - 1. i didn't miss math in highschool. i graduated highschool then took
a gap year. (april 2006) but my mathematics is really terrible.
i will check the website you gave me. it won't hurt to see.</p>
<p>k-twin- 1.thanx.
2.THANK YOU. that would really be great. i checked the website.
but it's best to hear from a person within.
3.will do.</p>
<p>I'm a Curly FRY, not a FLY.</p>
<p>(Please don't let Arit see this thread.)</p>
<p>I applied for finaid.</p>
<p>:D I'm sure he'd make hay out of that for days!</p>
<p>Yeah, he would. :<</p>
<p>
[quote]
i didn't miss math in highschool
[/quote]
indigochild18, I know you didn't literally miss math in high school. All I wanted to say was that I don't know if reading prep books will help you raise your SAT math score significantly (when you didn't grasp a concept for years in high school, how likely are you to do that now in 3 months?). Sorry for the ambiguity of my original statement. But I realize that k_twin has a point: practicing can help you avoid stupid mistakes and thus raise your score.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm a Curly FRY, not a FLY.
[/quote]
Now that you say that... I used to mis-read your name as Curly Fly too ;)</p>
<p>hahahah. sorry</p>
<p>it's called reading withouth seeing. curlyfry. :)</p>
<p>may i ask who arit is? i'm new here so...</p>
<p>so k-twin did u ask that friend of yours?</p>