Getting Worried...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I normally don't like getting chanced considering that I am going to judge according to my abilities; however, recently I have been getting dreams about rejection letters from colleges and it is stressing me out.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.67(UW) 5.3(W)</p>

<p>Class Rank: Top 10% 9/129 </p>

<p>Courses in High School</p>

<p>9th Grade
Engineering Assessment 1 A, A
Engineering Assessment 2 B, A
French 1 B, A
French 2 A, A
English 1 A, B
Geometry Honors B, A
Biology Honors A, A
American Government Honors A 1/2 credit</p>

<p>10th Grade
Engineering Assessment 3 B, A
Engineering Assessment 4 C, B
English II Honors B, A
Algebra II Honors B, A
Chemistry Honors A, A
World History A, A
Computer Systems Technology 1 (A+ Hardware) A,A
Computer Systems Technology 2 (A+ Software) A, A</p>

<p>11th Grade<a href="Not%20sure%20about%2011th%20Grade%20scores">/u</a>
Engineering Assessment 5
Analysis of Functions (Pre-Calculus) B, A
AP Chemistry B, A
English III Honors B, A
American History Honors A, A
Computer Systems Technology 3 (N+) A, A
Computer Systems Technology 4 (Security) A, A</p>

<p>12 Grade<a href="Classes%20Taking%20Currently">/u</a>
Engineering Assessment 6
AP Calculus BC
AP Macroeconomics
AP Literature Composition
Computer Systems Technology 5 (CISCO)
Computers Systems Technolgy 5(CISCO)
Physics I Honors</p>

<p>ECs</p>

<p>FIRST Robotics - Lead Programmer Won PeachTree Regional and participated in National Competition in Atlanta, Georgia</p>

<p>Menti Liberali (Science Club) - Treasure, participate in Annual Science Bowl</p>

<p>SOSE (Society of Student Engineers) - Nominated as President in Junior Year [did not get elected] Selected and Participated in TEAM/JETS competition (engineering competition) was the only freshman in the team at the time. Showcase middle school students the opportunities in my high school (Magnet - Math, Science and Technology) </p>

<p>A+ Certified on June 2006
Getting CCNA by this year hopefully</p>

<p>SAT/ACT scores</p>

<p>Not to hot here...i am not a good test taker</p>

<p>First Try:. MATH: 550, CR: 410 WRI: 490</p>

<p>Second Try: MATH: 580 CR: 490 WRI: 410</p>

<p>Taking the ACT Sept. 15 of this year.</p>

<p>Colleges of Interest</p>

<p>Georgia Tech
MIT
Harvard
UF
Virginia Tech</p>

<p>Thanks in advance</p>

2

<p>What is your ethnicity and gender?</p>

<p>If you want to major in engineering, you should know that Harvard has a weak engineering program. You are applying for the name and prestige.</p>

<p>Georgia Tech: Unlikely
MIT: REJECT
Harvard: REJECT
UF: Maybe
Virginia Tech: Maybe</p>

3

<p>Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Black, African-American</p>

4

<p>I don't think his/her ethnicity or gender are going to impact it much. Georgia Tech and VTech to me look more like High Match/Slight Reach, and I'd give UF a "match". MIT and Harvard are very much big reaches, regardless of major. I would consider studying a LOT for your SAT/ACTs, because your scores simply won't cut it. It probably won't help for MIT or Harvard, but it would be so much better for GTech and VTech.</p>

<p>Edit: OK maybe his ethnicity can help a bit. I would still think that retaking the test scores would go a long way. If you can bring them up to ~570+ avg for each section, or a 27-29+ for the ACT, you look good for all except Harvard and MIT.</p>

5

<p>Harvard: Reject
MIT: Reject</p>

<p>Peppers said it best: your scores simply won't cut it at those schools. As for the others, I am unsure. Your GPA is mediocre at best, but should help you if you do well this year. Your scores will effectively eliminate you from just about every selective school in the top 30-40, so naturally I would suggest boosting them. It is statistically unlikely that you will achieve even a mediocre score (i.e., 1900-2000) on your third try, so perhaps you need to rethink where you're applying.</p>

6

<p>wait so your are saying i have no chance in getting to Georgia Tech or UF, and you said that my grades are mediocre, how are my grades suppose to be then. Also, what about the courses I am taking such as my engineering and computer science and ECs.</p>

7

<p>Of course you have a chance at GTech and UF, he's referring to MIT and Harvard. What would make GTech more attainable is getting your SAT up. EC's don't come into play until you're on the edge, or if they are compelling enough to demonstrate passion in that field. While your ECs are impressive, they're sparse and I wouldn't want to bank on them getting you into GTech or VTech. What would be a better way is to bring up the one thing that you really can; your SAT. Top 50 colleges expect applicants to be above average (ie. above 1500). No doubt a 1900+ would be ideal, but, if you can bring your scores up to even a ~1700, you'd be in a competitive state where your EC's could get you into GTech/VTech. I don't think you'll have much of a problem with UF.</p>

8

<p>i'm not gonna tell you where to apply, but i think it would be in your best interest to forget about applying to Harvard and MIT. Save yourself the time and money. Good luck in your admissions process :)</p>

9

<p>I have another question to add: "Is it possible for you, that is everyone on this forum, to tell me what errors that I have made in HS that is preventing me from getting into top colleges besides financial reason.</p>

10

<p>errors:</p>

<ol>
<li>getting many B's and that one C in your transcript</li>
<li>ECs arent spectacular</li>
<li>SATs are horrendous</li>
<li>Where are your SAT II's?</li>
</ol>

<p>Top 20 (even up to top 40) = REJECT
UF, GT, VT: MAYBE, IF YOURE LUCKY</p>

11

<p>I for one normally do not comment on chance threads because I find it hard and slightly idiotic for me to chance someone based on numbers and letters. However, what I want to say is that Aerex, you should apply to wherever you want to go, and for whatever reasons. There are thousands of students who apply to Harvard and MIT because of the name or the status associated with going to that school, that doesn't make applying for that reasons bad at all. When we look at your numbers alone, sure some may say that your scores arent " ivy" range. Neither are mine, but that wont stop me from applying to my choice of school. Im not saying that you will get into every school or that you wont, what I just want to proclaim is that you should take these remarks with a grain of salt and realize that different " students" have different opinions on what a qualified applicant is. </p>

<p>Good Luck on your college applications and I am rooting for you and all the other non 2400 SAT scorers. = )</p>

12

<p>Well, in our school, we are restricted to applyin to only 8 schools.</p>

<p>So in that case, these threads DO help, because each spot is precious, and if theres very very VERY littl chance yu can get it, than u shouldn't apply there.</p>

<p>waste of a slot, and for everyone else, waste of $$</p>

13

<p>Aerex- I agree with previous posters that you should take the SATs again or try the ACT. However, I also think that you should consider applying to some schools which are SAT optional. Two that I can think of are Union (in Schnectady, NY) and Worcester Polytechnic. Both have excellent engineering programs, which I assume is your intended major, both are SAT-optional (I think that WPI asks for some form of project or schoolwork in lieu of SAT scores) and WPI has Early Action, so that you could apply early with no requirement to attend if you are accepted (you could, in fact, apply to both MIT and WPI early action). </p>

<p>Good luck with your college search.</p>

14

<p>I think only CCer's call an SAT of 2000 mediocre.....I don't think you should believe you made "errors" just because you don't fit the numbers profile of a "top college".</p>

15

<p>I thought FIRST Robotics was a spectacular considering i get to program a working robot and compete with teams across the country. I don't what defines a "spectacular" EC then.</p>

16

<p>It is a pretty good EC, outstanding with regards to your major. However your numbers are going to drag you down, particularly your SATs. You're at a point where you can totally get into GTech and VTech, but you have to meet this arbitrary SAT milestone. You have the EC's and the GPA to get into both, but if you can't break at least a 1700+, no one on this board, to say the least, would consider you competitive. Sure an applicant can get in with your scores, but that's not the norm (which is what most people on the board chance you with regards to) Please don't think that anyone here is belittling your achievements, people on here would rather be conservative in their estimates than overly optimistic.</p>

17

<p>The numbers, it's all a numbers game now. Boost those test scores, and you've got it going for all those schools except H and M.</p>

18

<p>I got my ACT scores today :(</p>

<p>and I did terrible as usual</p>

<p>23 English
22 Math</p>

<p>Should I just retake and forget about applying early or just send my scores and apply. Would that hurt my chance in getting in</p>

19

<p>bump</p>

<p>10 char</p>

20

<p>hey, there's alot of haters on this board, and that's the truth. apply wherever you want, as long as you've got safeties.</p>

<p>don't trust anything said buy a user who named himself "aguynamedpoop" without his life being threatened...</p>