<p>Hi, lol I'm new here but whatever I was curious so I signed up... Okay so I'm a junior in high school and I know it's kinda early to ask because I still have so much I need to do but I just need to gather some facts about the colleges that I am capable of getting into. I mean I am going to apply for UCLA, UC Berekely, UW (really want to go there x.x), John Hopkins (not going to even get in), UNR (<em>sigh</em>), UNLV (last resort, I live in Vegas), UCSD, USF (San Francisco), and finally, West Washington University. I go to pretty much the top magnet school in my city that specializes in math and science. So far, I have taken World History AP (Got a 3... so I know it won't count), US History AP, English language and Comp AP, Psychology AP, and Biology AP. My weighted and unweighted GPA is like 3.7 and 4.1 because I double in math and science because that is the requirement except for this year. I am rank 52 out of 603 people. Unfortunately, my extracurricular activities suck because I have to take care of my brother all the time so I'm not sure how good of an essay I can write that they would accept. I mean so far I've only done Key Club, entered an art contest (and failed), and currently doing HOSA. I plan to kick it up a notch next year though and I'll volunteer in the hospital, join NHS, art club, and maybe something else. Your comments are much appreciated!</p>
<p>Have you taken the SAT or ACT yet? How’d you do on the PSAT?</p>
<p>Actually, I did pretty horrible because I didn’t finish. I took it my sophomore year but I didn’t take it my junior year. I got like a 1260… Yeah, it was really, really bad.</p>
<p>Preparing for the SAT (or ACT) should be a high priority for you. It is a good idea to take it during the junior year, and you still have time for May or June. If you didn’t finish it when you took it before, it will be important to practice with timed sessions, so that you have a feel for how much time to spend on difficult questions before moving on to the next one, etc. If you prepare on your own, there are many online resources and available books. </p>
<p>Your grades and rank are good, as well as class rigor. If you can get a good SAT/ACT score, you will have lots of options, but it is hard to offer any guidance as to which schools, without knowing the SAT score.</p>
<p>Don’t be overly concerned about relatively few ECs. Caring for a younger sibling is recognized as an important activity. Adding a bunch of ECs at the last minute will not carry a lot of weight in admissions, so don’t bother with it, unless they are things that you really want to do. Your SAT scores will have a much larger impact on where you are accepted than a few more ECs will.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your advice! I just registered for my SATs in March and I’ve been studying for it but I know I won’t get a good score the first time. Thank you for also taking care of my concern about extracurricular activities, it’s just that everyone seems to be telling me that extracurricular activities are so important that I won’t be accepted to a good college at all.</p>
<p>“I did pretty horrible because I didn’t finish.”</p>
<p>Do you have this kind of problem every time you take a standardized test? If so, have you spoken with your guidance counselor about screening for dyslexia or another learning disability that makes taking these kinds of exams a challenge? You may be able to arrange to have extra time for the exam if you have a diagnosis of an LD.</p>
<p>The other thing you need to do is to get informed about the cost of college. Visit [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) to learn more about the various sources of financial aid. Run the EFC calculators at [College</a> Calculators - savings calculators - college costs, loans](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Calculate Your Cost – BigFuture | College Board) to find out what your Expected Family Contribution is likely to be. Be prepared for tears when your parents see that number. It comes as a shock to most of us! Talk with your parents about how they expect you to pay for your education. How much money do the expect you to earn during the school year, and summer vacations? How do they feel about student loans? Find out if they can pay your EFC, more than your EFC, or less than your EFC. When you look at the college websites, be sure to check the Cost of Attendance (COA) for each of them. See what they include in the COA. Is it just tuition, fees, food, housing, and books? Or, do they also include figures for transportation and personal expenses?</p>
<p>Tell your parents it’s OK to spend time here with the other parents. We tend to hang out in the Parents Forum and the Financial Aid Forum. There is a lot of useful information for both you and your parents in those two places.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>What did you get on your PSAT? Happymom is absolutely right you need to know how much your family can afford. For instance, UCLA and UCB will cost you $50K/year.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the information. I don’t always not finish in tests, it’s just that I had bad timing with the PSAT since I barely went through any of the directions because I didn’t read through the booklet. I timed myself on a full practice test just yesterday and I managed to finish most of them except for the ones I didn’t know. I’m not even sure if I will get to go to UCLA anyway because I doubt I will be able to get in. On my PSATs I got a 1260… when I took the full practice test online I got a 1410 or 1460… I’m still working on it though. Thanks again!</p>