High GPA, OK SAT - how much will the SAT hurt me?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>So, I got my SAT score back and it's an 1820 (610 CR 590 Math 620 Writing). I raised by 90 points from my last test, which is nice, but I was hoping for at least a 1950. I'm taking the SAT next week (my final time), and I'm REALLY hoping to do a lot better. I'm wondering, if I don't do much better and my SAT score is still an 1820, how much will my score hurt me? I'm a international student - an African who is a US citizen living in Sudan. Born and raised in California for half of my life but now I live here.</p>

<p>My GPA is a 3.92</p>

<p>AP Classes taken:</p>

<p>Junior: Only 2 APs were offered last year. Took one - AP World History. Got As on every quarter, and scored a 5 on the exam.</p>

<p>Senior Year: Taking 3 at the moment (And the most possible APs you can take is 4. AP Studio Art is the AP I'm not taking). AP Chemistry, AP English Literature, AP Calculus AB. I'm one of the only three students in our school taking 3 APs. Then again, our school is small (K-12, 250 students).</p>

<p>Subject Tests: 730 on World History. Taking ML2 and Chemistry in December.</p>

<p>EC: Being a small school located in a war-torn country (in some parts, anyway) like Sudan, the school has always been unable to truly provide in the EC department. We're a very small school, so we hardly have any teachers who could set something up. So the only EC in recent years has been Model United Nations, which I have done since the 10th grade now. I was the Secretary General of our school's MUN, the highest position attainable. Also I'm part of Community Service, which I'm one of the heads of. There's simply not much else to do in our school for EC. I guess the only EC I could've done is playing Basketball or Soccer for our school's teams but I was too focused on my studies to spend a few hours a day having practice.</p>

<p>Also, again, I live in Sudan. Being a country sanctioned by much of the West, many things typically offered and found in schools in the US and Europe are completely unavailable to us.</p>

<p>So ultimately I'm wondering how much will an 1820 impact me if they take all of this stuff into consideration (GPA, APs, EC). It's the only thing bringing me down. I'm applying to some reach schools (MIT, Stanford, Harvard), but how much of a shot do you think I'll have for schools like University of Southern California, NYU, UVA, Boston University, and Northeastern, with my current stats?</p>

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<p>Geez, I feel like a total ******* bumping a thread but I’d really appreciate a thoughtful reply.</p>

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<p>I would take it again in december if your worried but UCLA is gonna be a reach i think with that SAT score.</p>

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<p>MIT Stanford and Harvard are almost impossible with your scores. But I feel like you could have an excellent essay given that you live in Sudan. So with that in mind, I will chance as though you have an excellent heart wrenching essay about living in a post apocalyptic like country. Oh and your African ethnicity is a huge plus.
USC - Reach
NYU - Reach
Boston - High Match/reach
NE - High Match/reach
I advise taking the SATs again!!! You could go somewhere great if you got them up to around 2100</p>

<p>Chance back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/801251-chance-anglo-saxon-hero-ivies-tier-1-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/801251-chance-anglo-saxon-hero-ivies-tier-1-schools.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>dont apply to MIT stanford or harvard with an 1820, its simply too low, but those other schools mentioned are great universities where you have perfectly good chances at, definitely apply there</p>

<p>chance me back at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/801012-chance-me-i-will-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/801012-chance-me-i-will-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Surely schools like USC and NYU can’t be reaches all because of my SAT?</p>

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<p>And yeah I know my SAT is low for MIT, Stanford, and Harvard but I’ll still apply. I mean, it’s not like they don’t accept people with a score under 1900. They do, just VERY few of them get in. And I am taking the SAT next week and honestly I’d be satisfied with a 1950, would feel great with a 2000, and super awesome with a 2100 but that’s not gonna be happen.</p>

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<p>Have you thought about Swarthmore? From what I have heard and experienced the focus is NOT the SAT and if you stressed how you took the most rigorous courses available and generally enjoy hard work and learning that would be well received.</p>

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<p>If you don’t mind me asking how come you went back to Sudan?</p>

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<p>BUMP </p>

<p>Behrumt, thanks for the suggestion but I’m not interested in liberal arts unis. Skas12, I moved back because my parents wanted me to form a stronger bond with my country and my family, and to become a better Arabic speaker. I was meant to move back a few years ago but my father’s stroke and deteriorating health meant that we had to stay here.</p>

<p>Anyways, any other thoughts?</p>

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<p>Because of your unique cultural background, i think you have a really good chance at NYU, BU, and Northeastern. The only thing is how you present yourself. Scores don’t really matter that much.</p>

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<p>BU/NYU-high match, very high match
MIT/Stan/Harv- Impossible unless you’re the next Harper Lee, and then a very high reach; IF you improve the SATs to 2250+, then a reach.</p>

13

<p>HSM - It’s really not worth the application fee with those scores, but if you get them to 2150+ your unique cultural background could give you a real shot.
USC - low reach
NYU - high match
UVA - low reach
Northeastern - match</p>

14

<p>MIT, Stanford, Harvard - astronomical reaches</p>

<p>University of Southern California - low reach/high match
NYU - high match
UVA - low reach/high match
Boston University - match
Northeastern - match</p>