GED + High SAT = ?

Applying to College
1

Context: I never completed high school. I have a GED (98th percentile). I have 15 credits from a semester of community college, which I only took in order to enlist in the Marine Corps with said GED. Unsurprisingly, I did not take particularly rigorous classes, and skated through with a 3.6 GPA. I took the SAT ealier this year and scored a 1500 (720 M/780 R&W). I’m getting out of the military next year and plan on going to college Fall 2018.

I’ve asked admissions officials at some of the more selective schools on my list whether I should even bother applying to such places. While everyone has reassured me that my application wouldn’t be dismissed outright, the vibe I’m getting is that it’s highly unlikely I will be admitted without a serious academic record to refer to. Aptitude tests and veteran status alone aren’t going to cut it.

So my question is this: how far below my SAT score do I have to go before I have a strong chance of being accepted? -100? -150, 200? Is it reasonable to assume that I can at least get into schools with a ~1300 average, like U Washington and Rutgers? I’ve been able to find very few similar cases, so I don’t really know what to expect.

2

You can do very well at U.Washington or Rutgers. When I was a graduate student at a very highly ranked university, there were several students there who had done their undergrad at Rutgers.

3

DTG, appreciate the response. To clarify, I’m not bitching at the idea of going to a place like Rutgers. I’m just trying to get some help assessing the probability of getting into different tiers of schools with such an unusual application. I.E., at what sort of college will the SAT, veteran status, and (hopefully) a great essay give me a good chance despite the GED?