<p>In Boston itself, Northeastern and BU. Nearby, Wheaton. </p>
<p>But you really ought to try to get him to visit Bowdoin. It’s about 2 hrs by car. Maybe 2 1/2</p>
<p>Here are some possibilities that appear on fairtest.org, only suggestions! </p>
<p>Bard College (alternative curriculum)
Bates College
Bennington College
Connecticut College
Hamilton College
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Middlebury College
Providence College
Rollins College
St. Lawrence University
Union College
Wheaton College</p>
<p>A fine list. Bard’s curriculum is very rigorous and not very alternative these days. Not saying the student vibe is not alternate but the have significant requirements to fufill and a thesis.</p>
<p>My sons’ SAT scores rose 200-300 points after taking the Testmasters SAT prep course + completing 5-10 practice tests. With S2, I’d drive him to the library and drop him off there for 4 hours to do the practice test. It was easier to focus that way. Many kids understand the SAT questions just fine, but they can’t finish all the sections before time is called. A prep course will help with that by giving them tips that will speed things up, and the practice tests get them used to working at the proper pace. The course was actually fun, lasted 4-5 weeks, and my sons didn’t mind going. A higher SAT or ACT score will only increase your son’s options.</p>
<p>I think its important to apply to some reaches since his gpa is high. If you had the reverse – lower gpa higher test scores, Id be rather worried. I think he is actually not a very high reach for Midd or Weslyan. Definitely try Bates/Bowdoin. Also look at Georgetown - they dont give a lot of scholarships and the economy isnt getting better next year. Create a list consisting of 2/3 high reaches 2/3 middle reaches 4/5 targets, 2/3 easier to get into (include a rolling one in that one) and 2/3 safeties (like Lafayette or FM although you have to watch out for the safeties – FM takes a huge percentage of their class from ED to keep their yield high, and they may sense that youre using them as a safety) Also play the ED1/ED2 angle well.
Most importantly – have him spend the summer prepping and taking as many practice tests as possible – its not inconceivable that he may raise his scores a 100 or so.</p>
<p>D’s prep school is pleading that students not apply to more then 10 schools, because everyone is applying to 13 to 18. Competition is highly competitive, insanely so at the moment. And if you need FA, you are going to have to compare packages. </p>
<p>GC who are recommending only 6 apps including two super-reaches may be heading student toward that mysterious condition called “taking a year off before college” that seems to be afficting some very talented seniors this year. IE got into academic safeties only with not enough FA. And these are top flight students.</p>
<p>To the OP: my kids were just not that interested in the college process till later. So I did jumpstart it with my best guesses and prejudices. With my oldest one, I did use the traditional “reach, match, safety” model, but with this last one, as we visited schools, I could see that his favorite schools were not based on reach or name recognitions. So his reach schools were not his top choices at all, and he turned down an ivy for smaller, less known school. I can see my next one who is actually eying colleges a bit earlier than his brothers, looking at them that way as well. </p>
<p>In our case, finances have entered the picture as well, so it is really a blessing that they are looking at things that way. Son is in his first choice school, happy as can be and got a nice merit award as it was not a reach school for him. The reaches did not offer him any money.</p>
<p>Mid-term update–Just got the Oct SAT scores for S. After several weeks of tutoring, his scores went up to 680 CR, 700M and 660W, an increase of 170 from the previous highs. The reach schools are still super-reaches but they are worth attempting. More importantly, he interviewed at Lafayette, F & M, and Denison this summer and would be happy at the first two, and ok with the third. He is waiting for his scores on his second attempt of the ACT and is scheduled for 2 subject tests in Nov. H will be happy with Laf or F & M or Denison but is still hopeful for Dartmouth. We are all still talking to each other.</p>
<p>Sorry I’m posting my question on this (how else do I do it I’m a new member) but I have a similar question.</p>
<p>I have a 34 on my ACts but today i got my SAT IIs and i got a 690 on math 2 and 710 on bio. I am applying to stanford early (in about 2 days). SAT II scores are optional. should I include them or not?</p>
<p>To give some encouragement to kids who don’t do well on the first round of testing: S has been accepted at 4 of his 6 schools, waitlisted at 1, and still waiting to hear from Dartmouth. He was accepted at Wesleyan (wants to major in film) and was offered a really wonderful scholarship at Lafayette. The hard work both in the classroom and studying for the SATs paid off. He did NOT do well on his German SAT II (13 years of classroom and 3 weeks in Germany for an exchange and 3 weeks of hosting a German student did not prepare him for the exam; he did not study at all for it and got under 600). One year ago, I was so disappointed with his scores (compared to his gpa) and I am so proud of how hard he worked to improve them.</p>
<p>Congratulations to you both for having such good choices to make. I hope you and your dh can take a nice relaxing vacation once you have him settled and moving on into adulthood. ;-)</p>
<p>I thought my son was a bad test taker. He did tutoring (twice a week) with a sat prep place (if interested pm me and I can let you know the name, I dont know if they are national but they may be) and his score went from 1800s in practice tests to 2230. 730 CR/700 math/800 W. The interesting thing that the tutoring did was look at the type of questions he was getting wrong. It was kind of odd, but may be true for your S. My S was getting the easier questions wrong, the hard ones right. Some of it is just learning how to take the test. Academically, my S’s course load was not nearly as rigorous as yours.</p>
<p>"My S was getting the easier questions wrong, the hard ones right. "</p>
<p>The same occurred with my younger S. His tutor explained that S was overthinking the test. S’s scores went up a great deal after he learned not to do that.</p>
<p>Congrats to your S! A daughter of a friend went to Wesleyan and had an amazing experience. Fingered crossed for Dartmouth!</p>