<p>If any of you have read the other post I made in this forum you'll know that I performed poorly on the SAT. I took the ACT earlier this month and performed just as bad - if not worse. </p>
<p>My options for college are looking pretty grim right now, and I'm feeling pretty depressed (somewhat suicidal). I have no one to talk to about this, my mom doesn't understand she thinks that if you're a good student have the grades, and the EC's then that will compensate for a ****ty score, and my dad doesn't know much about college at all since he went into service right after high school and got his MBA through taking night courses. Some of my teachers, and even my peers think I have what it takes to get into a top school but little do they know that I have no shot in hell because I've been performing poorly on my standardized tests. </p>
<p>I just need someone to talk to... nothing so far has been going according to plan and I just feel miserable</p>
<p>Start looking for the test-optional schools. There is a counter-movement away from standardized tests as a major part of admissions decisions. Go to f<em>a</em>i<em>r</em>t<em>e</em>s*t. org; they have a list that includes some top school (Bowdoin, Bryn Mawr, Colby, etc.) as well as some less selective ones. </p>
<p>The right college is out there for you; just keep looking.</p>
<p>Your SAT score won’t be the sole determinate of whether or not you get into college. Top schools will consider your application holistically, so if the rest of your application is good, you may have a decent chance depending on which schools you apply to.</p>
<p>Getting into a top ranked school doesnt matter in life. I’d rather go to a school I like and have a great experience than going to a higher ranked school and being miserable.</p>
<p>Have you applied to any schools yet? I don’t think you should rule any school out until you get a denial in writing. All you can do is try your best and there is a school out there for you. It may not be one that you have considered in the past. Have you looked at GCSU? I think its one of GA’s hidden treasures. Expand your horizons. </p>
<p>I agree with the poster above…a higher ranked school does not guarantee happiness.</p>
<p>I have a relative that attends GCSU , visted, thought the campus was nice but overall the school didn’t really appeal to me. I guess I’ll just try for the state flagship and keep my fingers crossed for the SAT optional schools. I know a higher ranked school doesn’t guarantee happiness or success but it would be really nice if I had the slightest change of getting into one. </p>
<p>Maybe its harder for people on this forum to understand my frustration since most of them score in the 80th and 90th percentile on the SAT/ACT - and yet think that their scores are sub par. :/</p>
<p>Don’t beat yourself up for wanting to attend a top school; most students have the same dream. OTOH, if you end up at a second tier school, that’s not the end of the world. Definitely check the fairtest list, but remember that “SAT optional” could mean any one of the (1) submitting AP or SATII scores instead of SAT I scores or (2)only students w/ a certain gpa or class rank don’t have to send scores. Good luck.</p>
<p>I’m not sure where you are from, but we have an AA foster son. He had difficulty on his ACT test. Many of the colleges have special programs for minority students to get extra support just for that reason…poor test taking skills. He was accepted to two programs like this (Western Illinois and Northern Illinois University). Many of the colleges have programs like this, you have to indicate your interest in this on your college application. I am a teacher, so I knew how to figure this out, so don’t be too discouraged if your parents don’t know about these programs. Your counselor at school should be able to help you, or find a friend who has a parent who might know the system a bit better, or phone the colleges yourself to see who will have programs. I have a few kids in college, and two were terrible test takers, so we just had to find the right fit. Believe in yourself and the opportunities which will come your way. Not everyone is a perfect test taker and the colleges know that. Keep the faith…</p>
<p>Attending a top school isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, if you’re looking for quality teaching and not a name brand, I would advocate attending a smaller, liberal arts college that would facilitate the development of relationships between faculty and students, because it’s infinitely harder to do so at a large research university. </p>
<p>The door of opportunity opens to those who knock persistently enough, and that is true, no matter what the rank of the school you graduate from is.</p>
<p>"Maybe its harder for people on this forum to understand my frustration since most of them score in the 80th and 90th percentile on the SAT/ACT - and yet think that their scores are sub par. "</p>
<p>Please. </p>
<p>The frustrating part is, some peoples view of a “top school”.</p>
<p>I don’t know your story, but a “top school” is relative. I realize now that I might have been able to go to a “CC top school” thirty years ago, but Howard was where I went, and that was a “top school” for me!</p>
<p>Honestly, college is what you make of it. Just practice making and adhering to rigorous schedules with hourly prescriptions, and you’ll be absolutely fine. In a race, the start doesn’t matter as much as the finish - go to whatever college you get into and do your thing.</p>
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