<p>After reading around this site, it's made me a wee bit wary of overjudging myself upon which colleges I can get into. Problem is, despite all the hours of research I've put into it, I really can't see where I am in the process. I'm kinda an unusual case, too... So, if someone could give me their input, that would be great.</p>
<p>I really hate putting in a whole topic about myself.</p>
<p>So, stats:</p>
<p>My GPA is pretty crappy, around 3.4, or so (I'm afraid to look), which is partially the fault of the strange courses that I've been taking this year - according to people I've talked to, they don't "really count". I'm spending the year abroad, BTW, which means that I've got a language under my belt, and what I've been told is considered "leadership experience".</p>
<p>Next year I will be a senior and be attending my third school since freshman year.</p>
<p>I took US Hist AP sophomore year, and made a 4. Just finished the French Lang and English, and am confident to have scored high. Have also taken a couple SAT IIs, including Latin (740) and BioE (690). SATI is reading:760, math:730, and writing:690. Next year I plan to take APs in French Lit, Calc AB, and Bio (school reqs prevent from doing anything else). I am taking a couple classes at the community college this summer, and doing something fairly exciting with Latin.</p>
<p>And one last thing - the school at which I spent my freshman and sophomore years is unaccredited.</p>
<p>Oh goodness - so much more complicated than I had thought! If anyone would help me I would be quite grateful.</p>
<p>Which study abroad program are you on? Most I am familiar with do count. I had a full course load on my year abroad. Everyone applying to good colleges has a language under their belt. While i think going abroad for a year in high school says a lot good about you, I'm not sure how leadership factors in. So what's your question? Your SATs put you as an average candidate for top colleges, your gpa well below that expected at top schools, so we would need to really know more about where you're from, what kind of schools you attended, etc.</p>
<p>Yes, I am enrolled in an accredited study abroad program, with grades. However, according to former students, these aren't considered in the same way by colleges as would be at my local highschool, seeing as the average note is a B-.</p>
<p>My first highschool was a obscure little private school. The graduating class should be about 50.</p>
<p>I was informed that study abroad counts as leadership (yes, my sources are wonderful!). Perhaps this isn't true. I don't know what it has to do with leadership either...</p>
<p>Oops - forgot about EC's. Was MVP of my cross-country team freshman year, but haven't run since then thanks to a recurring injury. I've joined the couple clubs my school offered (Stock Market Game, and Junior Classical League). I've won some minor prizes in art, and participated in choir for a long time. I think that basically sums it up.</p>
<p>I think the ivy's and schools such as UVA, JH and UNC are pretty unlikely due to your grades. The top LAC's are probably a major stretch as well. </p>
<p>Now - this leaves an awful lot of colleges and uni's still on the table. Do you have any preferences as to location or size? What majors are you interest in? Will you need financial aid or merit aid?</p>
<p>outside of the most competitive 100 or so colleges, the rest accept the majority if not most of their applicants. My take on your situation is that you haven't yet been able to consider the breadth of colleges out there since most of them WILL take you. The problem really boils down to figuring out what you want in college, not who will accept you. I always consider it a warning flag when someone writes a few paragraphs and then asks "where can I get accepted" without mentioning anything about their dreams and preferences for a college. A lot of times all they're really asking is "what is the most prestigious college I can get into with the following stats" and ignoring any ideas of fit, what they want, etc.</p>
<p>Take a break from the search and build the foundation first. I highly recommend the book "Admission Matters" since it explains the process and how to search for colleges; there are lots of other good books too. </p>
<p>Then choose from the thousands of colleges that are ready to accept you. After you've done that, if you want to roll the dice then try for one of the 100 super-selective colleges, but as you can see there are literally thousands of other options available.</p>
<p>Many many very good colleges are available to a person with your credentials. The other posters are right, you need to make some decisions on the type of schools you prefer (big/small, urban/rural, intense/relaxed, etc.). Reading books (Fiske is really informative) is good, but the best thing you can do is simply stroll around as many campuses as you can (preferably when classes are in session and students are around), and chat to everybody you can, just to get a feel for how you react to the various criteria. For example, a small school might feel cozy or confining, a rural school might feel calming or boring. Once you get a good idea of what you're looking for, and what majors you're interested in, the people here will be thrilled to suggest some appropriate schools.</p>
<p>That's my enormous problem. Asides from being relatively sure that engineering is not for me, I don't really have any good idea of what I want to do. I'm hoping to have the chance freshman year to explore different subjects that I wasn't able to in highschool, hopefully get a good taste for what I like and what I don't like. Does anyone have any suggestions for doing so while still in highschool? (I hate being so uncertain.)</p>
<p>I plan to visit some schools this summer. Hopefully that will help.</p>
<p>Oops - I have to run now, but I'll post back later - many thanks to you guys for being so helpful.</p>
<p>The following should be more or less match-ish given your GPA. </p>
<p>Some LAC's - Beloit, Lawence, Centre, Rhodes, Wooster, Skidmore</p>
<p>Some Uni's - Case Western, Boston University, Brandeis, U of Pittburgh, Syracuse University, George Washington, U Delaware.</p>
<p>What about UT Austin? Or is that one too difficult thanks to the ten percent rule? Davidson?</p>
<p>Yes (to a previous poster) maybe it is a little bit "what's the most prest. institution where can I get accepted". But I also needed an idea of what range I should be looking at. I don't think that which my counselor has been telling me is accurate - especially considering that she hasn't looked at all my files (only PSATs).</p>
<p>I heard somewhere or another that if one attends a very small school, or one moves schools often, the transcript becomes meaningless. Yes - I know what this looks like - hopeful thinking - shoulda worked harder in highschool, no excuses... But since I believe my sources are bad, could someone tell me one way or another? (Haha, the point to this whole post in the first place; getting some PERSPECTIVE..)</p>
<p>Ok, I go to research (again!). As soon as classes slow down, I'll start looking into the books you guys have recommended.</p>