<p>I'm a rising senior at a poor, low performing high school in a rural area of the country. No one from my high school has ever gone to an ivy league school or anything remotely close. The average ACT score is 16 and our school was declared an academic emergency by the state a couple years ago, we only have around 130 kids in my class, but we face many of the problems of a large inner city school (drugs, teen pregnancy, and fights are extremely common), We even have bathroom monitors like we're in elementary school... I'm obviously looking forward to getting out of here, and somehow I've managed to give myself a chance to go to a top school, maybe not Ivy League, but I think I'd have a chance at a top 30 university. This would be higher than anyone at my school has ever gone. The only problem is that I feel incredibly unprepared. I got a 34 on my ACT (I'm just really good at standardized testing especially for a black guy) and I have a 4.0 UW gpa. I feel like I should be confident in my ability to succeed, but when I answer SAT II practice questions online I do horribly and miss most of the questions classified as easy just because I honestly have never been exposed to such things at my high school. I hear numerous stories of graduates from my high school majoring in things like nursing or chemistry and failing miserably, only to switch to something easy or in most cases transfer back to our local community college. Sorry for the novel but I just want to be successful wherever I go and it seems like the odds are stacked against me.</p>
<p>Hell yeah be confindent!!! Coming from a disadvantaged high school and still performing wonderfully deserves a shot at any school!! Still apply to Ivy’s because you’ve got a chance. Work on those SAT II’s and ACE THEM! You can do it if you believe in yourself. What’s your rank?</p>
<p>I’m tied for 2nd.</p>
<p>It’s quite possible that your school has done a poor job preparing you for the SATIIs. I wouldn’t let the SATIIs stop you from applying to great schools. If you study for the SATIIs and do poorly, don’t send them. There are plenty of schools which don’t require SATIIs. You’ll do just fine without them. But, try to prepare for them; I think your intelligence and drive will serve you well.</p>
<p>Have you reached out to Questbridge? </p>
<p>That ACT and the GPA are fantastic. Do apply to the top schools, as many as you’d like. Using QB, as previously mentioned, would be a good idea for you.</p>
<p>Also pick a few matches and at least one or two safeties. Then you have no worries.</p>
<p>There are a lot of great schools between ivy league & community college. Make sure to consider those, too!</p>
<p>Your ACT score is good, as is your GPA. Go for it! Apply everywhere and see which universities will fund your 4 year education!</p>
<p>I know there are tons of options between ivy league and community college, but affordability is a big issue, so I either have to go somewhere really good that will meet all of my need or go somewhere cheap with merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Not necessarily. Apply to the ivies, they have big bucks and can fund your FULL education. All you can do is try! </p>
<p>I think the title of this thread is a bit misleading. I’m not afraid of being rejected, I understand admission to top schools is very competitive and I’ll probably be rejected more than a few times. What I’m really afraid of is getting into a top college and ending up failing/dropping out because I am not capable of handling the material. I know that no one can tell me for certain that I won’t have any problems, but I wonder if anyone else has faced any kind of similar dilemma. I don’t want to become your stereotypical affirmative action case that should have never been admitted.</p>
<p>I think if you talk to students who’ve gone to college from your school, you’ll get a sense from them of how well prepared they were for college. Your ACT suggests they did a good job preparing you for that test that covers English, Math, Science, etc. You write well, and you probably didn’t teach yourself writing. I think the fear is reasonable. College isn’t high school, and a conversation with some peer graduates is in order.</p>
<p>Lots of schools have resources such as tutoring and academic mentors – you should check into whether the schools you apply to have this sort of thing. It is in the school’s interest to ensure you succeed once they’ve admitted you – they don’t want you to drop out. Make sure you are aware of these resources and take advantage of them!</p>
<p>Have you tried doing any review for the SAT II tests? Many students find that their schools didn’t cover all the material in those tests, and they have to do some prep on their own. Your local library may have copies of test prep books that you can use.</p>
<p>I agree that you write well and clearly you have a lot of natural ability, since your high school didn’t challenge you very much. But yes, at a lot of schools you will probably find that the other students have taken all kinds of classes you didn’t have the opportunity to take. You have to remind yourself that that is not due to any failure on your part, just that you didn’t have those options. Don’t let your confidence be undermined. But do look for a school that has a strong academic support system – you may find that you don’t need it, but it will probably make you feel better from the outset just to know it’s there!</p>
<p>A bit of an off-track loophole: some Ivies don’t require SAT IIs if you take the ACT. Brown and Penn do this, Harvard doesn’t. Which subject tests are you looking into?</p>
<p>I was just using the subject test as an example of how I feel unprepared. I know they aren’t required but they’d only help if I did well. I want to take mathematics and one of the sciences, probably chemistry.</p>
<p>Have you considered applying for a PG year at a prep school? This might help you feel more prepared entering college the following year and it seems that such a school would have a college counseling office that might be of more help not only guiding you through the process, but helping find a good academic fit for you. Good luck!</p>
<p>Dude, go for it! Write about your neighborhood for your essay and why you want to leave and do better. I’m rooting for you!</p>
<p>Try Bowdoin…</p>
<p>A number of ivies don’t require the subject tests if you submit the ACT. Your ACT score, assuming that you took it with writing, is excellent for anybody. </p>
<p>Yale, Brown, UPenn, and Columbia do not require subject tests from students who submit the ACT. </p>
<p>Harvard, Cornell, Princeton and Dartmouth require subject tests from all applicants - you don’t need to apply to these. </p>
<p>What you have to understand about places like Yale is that they have unlimited resources to help you succeed and will stop at no end to make sure that you do IF you doggedly seek help. Brown always seemed very low stress. </p>
<p>There are also a good number of liberal arts colleges that are also in the same category. </p>
<p>Studies show that going to ivies and their brethren top schools makes a huge difference in the lives of low-income students. </p>
<p>Good luck and keep your eye on the ball. </p>
<p>If they admit you, it means they believe you will succeed at the school. There are many resources at schools to help students adjust. You’ll probably struggle during freshman year, but most kids do, for academic and non-academic reasons. I knew lots of kids from your background who did just fine in college. </p>
<p>Have confidence in yourself. The failure of others does not predict failure on your part. Many students fail because they have trouble being far from home or adapting to a new environment. It is not always about being smart or studious. Sometimes the distractions of college doom otherwise ‘top’ students. It sounds like you have dealt with distractions most of your academic life. Channel that desire and you will go far!</p>