<p>highly unlikely, I know. It was my first time and October will be the 2nd. Does anyone have any advice as to how to improve this? The prospects of such a dispecable score are dim if I apply to WUSTL. How can I describe admissions that I'm a serious, and a very very hardworking (honest & willing) individual? CR is what kills me, as well as writing. I think writing is alright, but I just can't find a pattern to curve around CR. I'm studying 1000 word vocab for October and maybe a few practice here and there. I don't know if that would help. I just got so caught up with summer work that I hardly had the chance to work carefully for SAT. Now school has begun and all my teachers are pressing on extra work. It's just impossible to study for the SATs. Please give me some advice as to how I can get in. It's languishing me from the inside that if I had time I could get over a 2100. I can kick **** if I had the time to sit down and study for the SAT 2 weeks straight w/o homework and tests, but we all know how unrealistic that would be in today's world. I haven't even started my apps and I feel completely handicapped b/c of this. If you were one of those that began w/ a 1700 around, please share with me what you did to improve. I'll manage the studying (since I owe it to myself for being so stupid w/ the SATs), but I just need to know your skills in overcoming this aptitude test that has me worried for my future. :(</p>
<p>While I’m sure you already know this, I’ll tell you just to spark some motivation: You won’t get in with a 1790. It just won’t happen. Wash U is ranked 13th in the country and there’s no way a 1790 would be acceptable to admissions officers. I consider myself fairly lucky to have gotten in with a 2200. What are you scores for the individual SAT subsections? How is your GPA? What about extracurriculars? If they’re not so outstanding either, you might want to save your money and apply elsewhere.</p>
<p>That being said, there’s still time (albeit a tiny amount) to practice for the SAT. But you have to get your priorities straight. If you have way too much schoolwork to study for the SAT, then you have to drop into some less difficult classes. Wash U won’t care if you’re not taking every class at the highest level offered. They want to see you excel at a level that’s a good challenge for you. But it seems as though right now you can either (1) focus only on your schoolwork and submit a mediocre SAT score or (2) ignore your schoolwork and improve your SAT, thus dropping your GPA. Either way, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. GPA and test scores are two main factors that colleges look at. If you only have enough time to work on one of those, something is wrong.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, you’ve waited a bit too long. This past summer would have been a good time to take some SAT classes. But practice takes a while and I’m not sure how much a month’s worth of scattered review is going to help you.</p>
<p>Have you considered taking the ACT? The vast majority of students score similarly on the ACT and the SAT, but you may be one of the few who does surprisingly well on the ACT. It’s unlikely but it could be worth it.</p>
<p>Also, you might want to try asking for help [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-act-tests-test-preparation/]here.[/url”>Test Preparation - College Confidential Forums]here.[/url</a>]</p>
<p>I’m going to flat out disagree with the above poster:</p>
<p>you MIGHT get in with a 1790. I know someone who is here with a similar score. The way they got in was through a huge hook that his adrep loved. </p>
<p>That being said, it’s very, very unlikely.</p>
<p>But as ravn said, have you tried the ACT? I didn’t study for either the SAT or ACT (went in blind). SAT: ~ 2100. ACT: 33. Obviously the 33 is much better than a 2100 when you compare them on the same scale. In other words, some people just do a lot better on one test rather than the other.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t waste the application fee to be blatantly honest.</p>
<p>Don’t forget–the Wash. U. admissions office still plays around in not-so-honest ways with the admissions process, doing all that it can to increase applications (even among students who are no way qualified), decrease acceptance rates (by waitlisting candidates who are unlikely to enroll and waitilisting huge numbers of students overall), and increase yield (with measures as described above). They certainly have been successful in manipulating this process to their advantage, thus increasing their rankings–while losing the respect of the rest of academia and people more thoroughly familiar with college admissions. There are PLENTY of students admitted with test scores in your range, and even more who enroll with similar scores. It won’t be as easy to get in to Wash. U. with a 1790 than it would with a 2100, but it won’t be as hard to get in with a 1790 than it would with a 2300 (you would likely be wait-listed with the 2300, especially if you live in certain geographic areas of the U.S.).</p>
<p>^ I have brought this up in numerous occasions but I’m going to say it again here. Yield Percentage is NOT factored into the rankings.</p>
<p>Hoyasaxa, You say Wash U has lost the respect of the rest of academia.
This is completely untrue. All of my colleaguesin all fieldsrespect Wash U and its academics. They have top faculty in many fields, produce top students and train them well. </p>
<p>And, to return to the OPs question, could you provide a reliable source for this?: There are PLENTY of students admitted with test scores in your range.</p>
<p>Don’t go for the bait. It looks like hoyasaxa1 is making an attempt at starting the same old fantasy about WashU admissions. Lots of random statements with no facts to back them up. I would tend to agree with the post made by profnomad above.</p>
<p>As for the original post, the following statement will be difficult for admissions to accept “How can I describe admissions that I’m a serious, and a very very hardworking”, unless the OP can back it up with a fabulous GPA, ECs and teacher recs. Even then, it will not be easy to accept.</p>
<p>In the meantime my advice for the SAT would be, take as many practice tests as possible. (Books with practice tests are available at most book stores). </p>
<p>Johnson181 also has a good idea in taking the ACT. Some students seem to do better on that test than the SAT. Good luck with your decision, but do consider all of your options before deciding your course of action.</p>
<p>To other posters, hoyasaxa1 is purely baiting you. (Hoya…think Georgetown). This poster consistently bashes everything about WashU and virtually EVERYthing in the post about their admissions is fluff and unprovable. Please don’t go on about manipulated data, as this poster likes to do. Their admission practice is not any different than any other top college.</p>
<p>And about your 1790: acceptance is more than just a number. To WashU, if you demonstrate interest, that’s good. If you select ED, that’s good too (and dah! how is that any different from any other school?)</p>
<p>You’ve given no information about other scores, GPA, ECs, etc., so it’s hard to know how the SAT score will play, but I am inclined to agree with the pessimistic view. I don’t think all the demonstrated interest in the world overcomes that score (ED or RD) . What COULD get you in is factors you haven’t addressed, “hooks” (such as URM status, some really unusual achievement or activity), exceptional GPA with a really hard curriculum, etc., but I wouldn’t count on it.</p>