<p>My son just got his SAT scores...not stellar in any way 510, 510 and 450. He is in a highly competitive hs and is barely in the top half of his class. He is playing varsity tennis and running cross country as varsity.
Does he have a chance of getting into a college?</p>
<p>joolie, I'm guessing your idea of college is not even remotely similar to a typical CC poster's idea of college. (Im talking Ivies, top LACs, prestige factor). </p>
<p>Although with his current scores he isn't in the best position, there probably are some colleges out there which he could get into, not to mention a ton of community colleges. If he can bump those scores up to 600's though, he should be fine. 1200-1300 (Old SAT) should be OK for a handful of state schools.</p>
<p>If this is his first time taking them, he will most likley go up the second time around. It's also a good idea to devote some serious time to prep in the summer. There are plenty of reliable books out there, and there's also online courses.</p>
<p>Hope this helps, and good luck to your son!</p>
<p>Welcome, Joolie.</p>
<p>He most certainly has a chance of getting into "a" college. What type of schools does he have in mind? What is his GPA?</p>
<p>As an example, my grandS got into UNew Hampshire, very decent state U, with a 970 (old SAT), 3.0 in non-competitive hs, nothing outstanding in the EC department. He also got into U Maine (lesser ranked than UNH). These are the only two schools to which he applied.</p>
<p>There are numerous schools which fit what you have told us so far re your son. With a little more info on him and what he wants, you will probably get some excellent suggestions.</p>
<p>You have come to the right place to help your S strategize re his college options.</p>
<p>The above poster's suggestions re improving his SAT is one way to go. But if, as yomama said quite wisely in another thread, his SAT score "is what it is", do NOt despair. He does not have to try to be what he isn't, rather to find the set of colleges which will match what he is.</p>
<p>You are absolutely right, Helix. We are also in Texas, so the top 10% rule is problematic. This was his first time for the SAT, so I will definitely encourage the prep.
I appreciate your reply. Thanks! By the way...is this forum mostly for the type of member you described? Should I lurk instead of post if there is no way he's looking at top-tiered schools?</p>
<p>No, Joolie. Don't lurk instead of post. There are lots of lurkers, and some posters, with situations just like yours. And many well-informed posters (eg, carolyn) who have lots of information for kids with stats like your S. Altho my gS was also a "non-typical" cc kid, I got much useful support and guidance here. You will see other threads along the lines of "non-typical cc kid." This board will be even better when the "typical" cc kid represents more of the kids who are out there.</p>
<p>Thank you also to jmmom. I need to gather more information in order to present the whole case. His GPA is 3.2 (barely in the top half of his class), and is presently struggling with his dad's terminal illness. Perhaps some of that struggle could be fodder for his essay. He is such a good kid and great leader, but his scores do not reflect his essence.
I'll repost when I have more data.
Thanks for your kindness, eveyone!</p>
<p>Joolie, definitely don't get discouraged. Although I described the typical CC kid, there are so many out there in your situation who benefit from the discussions on this board. By no means should you become a lurker just because your son isn't dreaming of a top-tier school. Like jmmom said, there are plenty of decent schools out there for your son.</p>
<p>Luckily, CC is brimming with smart and helpful parents and kids who have a wealth of information about everything regarding college. You should definitely post your questions and opinions; don't get taken aback by the 4.0 GPAs, perfect SAT's, and mile long lists of Extracurriculars. Remember that CC is probably representative of the top 1 percent of college applicants, so don't worry if your son doesn't fit the CC mold.</p>
<p>Although it is intimidating at first, CC can be a very helpful place once you get past the "shock and awe" :)</p>
<p>There are plenty of 4-year colleges that he could get into. Go buy the US News college guide (available at most bookstores in the magazine rack). Look at the schools that are second and third tier. Many have average scores that are similar to your son's. After all, the SATs are for college-bound seniors, and most of those college-bound seniors get into a college. In fact, about 60% of students who apply to college get into their first choice college. Most colleges take the majority of students who apply.</p>
<p>There are only a relatively small number of colleges that are extremely selective; places like the Ivy league and some very top state universities. Most colleges are not that selective.</p>
<p>One important suggestion: Figure out how much you are willing to pay each year for your son's education. That may be the most important aspect of your son's application process because there are plenty of colleges that would accept him. The question is -- "Can you afford them?" Always check the colleges' financial aid info on their website before having your son set his heart on it. The type of four-year colleges that your son has the best chances of being accepted to are not that generous with financial aid because they don't have large endowments.</p>
<p>You also might want to take a look at the book, "Colleges that Change Lives" by Loren Pope and check out that website, too.</p>
<p>You'll get more specific suggestions here if you provide info about any financial or geographic limitations and what your son wants out of his college experience.</p>
<p>College Confidential is for all people who desire info about colleges, not just parents/students interested in elite colleges. If more lurkers came out of hiding, the boards would be more representative and helpful to students who are like the typical college applicants, who are definitely not applying to places like Ivies, and who have scores and grades similar to your son's.</p>
<p>Fantastic ideas from everyone. Thank you so very much! I've already checked out Pope's book and the website that is based on her work. What a wonderful resource!
I promise not to lurk....and I will try very hard not to be intimidated!</p>
<p>Hi Joolie. You'll find that the "average cc kid" is nothing like the average-regular HS student. Most HS kids are content with a "B"average and their (old) SAT scores were in the 1040 range. Even on Long Island -NY, 60% of our graduating class goes to SUNY (State U of NY) and the local community college. My younger d was having a real hard time with the SAT. She decided to take the ACT and scored better. So my first suggestion is that your son take the ACT as some kids do better on that test. I also second getting US News and familiarize yourself with the State schools that admit students with SAT range of (approx) 970-1150 . I can say with certainty that in the Mid-Atlantic area, there are many fine schools that accept kids with those scores. Even in my d's case (and she has an 89 average and Nat'l Honor Society), she will apply to a community college just to ensure that she has a true safety. Their are plenty of good schools out there- you just have to know where to look.</p>
<p>Deep breath here. Can you hear it? Thanks so much for all of the kind and right-on advice. You all are fantastic!</p>
<p>Loren Pope is a guy! :) An OLD guy, as a matter of fact. (I think many people assume it is a woman's name). We found his book very helpful!</p>
<p>Joolie - I'm not sure where in Texas you are, but Colleges That Change Lives goes out on tour and will be in Houston and Austin on August 27th. For more information, check <a href="http://www.ctcl.com%5B/url%5D">www.ctcl.com</a></p>
<p>Does your son want to stay in-state or go out-of-state? There are a lot of college options for him!</p>
<p>PLEASE STAY!! College Confidential IS for you! It is for everyone interested in the college search and admissions process. While there is a large number of readers and posters who are looking at the most selective colleges, there are members interested in the entire range of colleges. I think you will learn a lot if you read and share stuff here. </p>
<p>As others have said, there are MANY colleges for your son. There are probably MORE colleges for him than the small number of colleges at the very top that way too many kids are trying to get in. Your son's scores and GPA are average for kids in this country. Those stats get kids into LOTS of schools. He also is a varsity athlete. </p>
<p>I would love to help you but need to know more information about him....such as difficulty of courseload, rank, depth of extracurricular involvement, interests......and then, what is his college criteria? Size? Location? type of environment? Particular interests/programs? Then maybe I can help you with some possible schools.</p>
<p>Also, as others suggested, your son could do some prep and possibly increase that score into the 1100's (I forgot the new SAT is different, so maybe 1650's). The suggestion to try the ACT is an excellent one. I would not make this the total focus but it is worth doing a little prep and one more stab at increasing the score which might make him more safely into some schools of interest. </p>
<p>I also don't know the level of his athleticism or leadership or stuff like that. </p>
<p>I am sorry to hear about his father and my guess is that your son has a lot of life experience that he can bring out. </p>
<p>Let us know more about him and what sort of schools he would be interested in. Lots of folks here are knowledgeable and very willing to help. </p>
<p>Your son WILL go to college, a decent one.</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Joolie,</p>
<p>Thanks for coming, and please keep posting!</p>
<p>You may want to try an online college search, putting in your son's scores and location preference. You can try the one at the College Board website at <a href="http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp%5B/url%5D">http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp</a>. You'll get a list of schools where his numbers are in the "midrange" (25th - 75th percentile).</p>
<p>That will give you a "starter" list of schools that he can research further.</p>
<p>Also, there are a number of SAT-optional schools that don't require SAT submission at all. Check out the list at fairtest.org.</p>
<p>He can ask his coaches if he is recruitable in his sport. That can give him an "in" even at some colleges that are somewhat above his numbers.</p>
<p>Please keep posting so we know what works out for him!</p>
<p>Joolie, I'm in Texas, in fact, I work at one of the UT's. The top 10% really only is an issue for UT Austin, and honestly, I wouldn't send my undergraduate student there. It's too big and the focus is not on the undergraduate education. Has he considered some of the less famous UT campuses? Like UT Dallas, UT Arlington, UT San Antonio, or maybe Tech?</p>
<p>Joolie, please stay. I think a lot of people get totally intimidated by the stats on this forum, and would never post because their situation seems to be "not important". Nothing could be farther from the truth, because those stats are much closer to the norm, so there should be more kids interested in their options at those levels.</p>
<p>Also, kids with more "normal" stats aren't usually as into college admissions because they are going to local state schools and community colleges, and aren't looking at admissions as a competitive process - but their parents may be concerned! Demonstrating that there are options beond CC college, local commuter school, or giant state uni is important.</p>
<p>I have personal reasons too - my son who will be a freshman in high school this fall will have stats much closer to the "norm" than DD had. In our state, your options are CC, big state uni, medium regional state unis and a very few private LACs, some of which are not such very good schools. Since my son is shaping up to be a late bloomer - I'm very interested in nearby, nurturing options that will take a kid with a less than stellar record, that don't cost an arm and a leg, in case he becomes even lazier, and we can't count on him going to class (may end up at community college then :)).</p>
<p>You just keep posting - you questions help many others out there!</p>
<p>Texas A&M University - Commerce campus (very good shot)
Possibly University of North Texas - Denton</p>
<p>*Highly competitive high school is good.
*Texas is good - a lot of schools in the Northeast really look for students outside of the region.
*Varsity sports are good. Is he competitive enough to get recruited (and therefore a bit of a nudge in admissions) at a D3 school?</p>
<p>So... your son has a little more going for him than you might think. :)</p>
<p>Are his grades going up? A lot of boys have pretty low grades when they start out, and then improve as they mature and are able to focus more. </p>
<p>I really like the suggestion to try the ACT. Also, he could try the SAT again as a senior, because the extra year of schooling (and Xiggi's test prep advice!) can really help his scores. Did he study the first time around? Did he take actual SATs and not just pseudo-SATs which were made up by Princeton Review? </p>
<p>Best of luck. :)</p>
<p>Joolie,
I'm a regular poster with an average son. Mine took the SAT as well as the ACT and scored about the same. There are a ton of schools on the East Coast that take our B kids. It will take some research to find the school with the right fit, but believe me, there is a college for every student and I don't think anyone should have to settle for a school that is not right for them.</p>