<p>Im posting this for a friend who is trying to decide where she should apply:</p>
<p>I was thinking she might have a chance at schools like Vanderbilt, Duke, Emory, Wake Forest, etc Just because of her circumstances she is low-income and is basically looking for the best school where she can get into and go to for free (good need-based aid) so if you know of any schools that might work please let me know!</p>
<p>I know her stats arent great, but was thinking that her non-academics might make up for it:</p>
<p>African-American Female
From a rural & poor town in SC: school sends kids to top schools once every 5 or so years
3 sport varsity athlete: Volleyball, Basketball, and Track (though probably not good enough to be recruited)
Works 35+ hours per week
Unweighted GPA: 3.8
Weighted GPA: 4.2
SAT: (what kind of score would she need to be competitive?) What if she had: Math 600, CR 600, W 600?<br>
Rank: 35 out of 350</p>
<p>If she’s ranked 35/350 and is trying to apply to these schools, how does her school only send kids to top colleges every 5 years if there are 34 people above her?</p>
<p>Your friend sounds like a great student whose GPA and rank would not take her out of the running; her ECs are great. However, if her SATs are only at the 600 level in all three areas, she should know that Vandy doesn’t admit many students in that range. The Common Data Set for last year shows that about 6 percent of the entering class of 1600 scored between 500-599 in CR and Writing; about 5 percent were in that range for Math. That’s a small handful scoring lower than your friend’s projected score, and it’s probable that many of them were recruited athletes.</p>
<p>I’m assuming she’s a junior - she can spend the next few months doing solid self-prep for the May or June SAT, and even more over the summer if that doesn’t get her to maybe Vandy’s 25th percentile for each section, which is between 660-690. There are very effective, low cost ways to study for the SAT (and will she do the ACT?) - there are lots of good ideas right here on CC.</p>
<p>It’s hard to know from what you posted what kind of classes she takes and what is available at her school, as that may be a factor. And please don’t take this the wrong way, but if she hasn’t had a pretty rigorous prep, and she is getting 600s at best on the SATs, she is in for a tough time at Vandy or any of those schools, at least at the outset. Not to say she won’t rise to the occasion, but she better be ready to WORK her butt off!</p>
<p>many colleges will consider the low functioning level of her high school if her high school has issues (our son’s hs has a 50% drop out rate). Many admissions officers will also favor a student who works for 35 hours a week but more impressed if the money earned is being used for intentional purposes.</p>
<p>If her essays are far better than her verbal scores, she might be in the 6% at a school like Vandy. I don’t think the question is posed correctly in your view just yet. It is not so much should she get into a school like Vandy…because I don’t really believe that her string of 600s are indicative of her true potential or anyone else’s true potential in many instances. Her actual ability may not be measured fairly yet at all.
the question should be posed as “which colleges will accept her, support her financially, and do the BEST job of helping her reach her potential.”
If 25% of Vanderbilt students has near perfect SATs and ACT scores the issue is really not so much that they are better smarter etc, they are simply more prepared. And the classroom pace and exams are going to be geared to push students who are highly prepared from day one. Vandy students with 4.0s in high school and high test scores often see their first poor grades or their first limitations and walls re their own abilities compared to the next guy’s…that is what a highly selective college is all about. You have to find your own talents and support and applaud the talents of your peers in a fast paced environment. You have to face up to your limits and not be crushed. ie my son missed zero on the math section of one of the big tests but he is NOT a math talent in Vanderbilt. He was just good at high school math. These are the things you have to face and figure out at age 18-22.</p>
<p>I would be looking for colleges that will grow talent like your friend’s talents, that would support her emotionally and be happy places for her socially. You have to start with where she will be accepted and I guess you are wondering which colleges with lots of money will accept her and if there are private colleges that are going to support her. That is a good question and will take some research and also some awareness of if she would be willing to leave her geographic region etc.</p>
<p>It will be difficult to overcome her current SAT scores for schools that are highly selective and have big endowments so I have to agree with frazzled. That said, most colleges really do evaluate the entire story and picture of every student. However they have to believe that the student can succeed in their colllege.</p>
<p>High test scores in some cases can be achieved by diligence…not in every case but in some cases. She is young enough to really focus on testing and to assume responsibility for self teaching on testing right out of the 10 real ACTs red book and or the blue book on SATs. My son liked Testmasters answers to the REal SATs. Highly selective schools also require SATIIs subject tests and expect AP enrollment commensurate with what was offered in your home high school. She has time to change her test scores. My eldest son increased his test scores by 200 points the fall of his senior year (studied a lot over the summer) when either his brain suddenly organized itself or he matured emotionally enough to realize this was all really up to him. Because he had nailed high SATII scores, I guess the College Board believed his new score otherwise I bet it would have been flagged for “review.”
this board has threads completely devoted to testing.
I am a Furman graduate so I hope she will consider Furman. If she can improve her scores a bit she may also have a shot at Univ of South Carolina Honors which is a very fine program. It is also possible that there are reciprocity agreements with some NC state universities if you are an honors admit. (I know that SC Honors admits in some states get to attend at SC instate tuition rates…a huge plus so perhaps she also has this privilege out of SC in some instances.)
She should be meeting with her home school guidance counselor very quickly.</p>
<p>Based on my knowledge of my three Vandy alumni relations, your friend’s hypothetical grades and scores do not seem high enough for a very selective school such as the ones you mentioned.
Perhaps your friend should consider schools such as higher ranked public universities, even those outside of SC, who might be seeking out of state students and provide her with attractive scholarships.
If she is interested, maybe she should even consider some of the better known historically black colleges, such as Spelman.</p>