How does this sound?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi everyone. So far I'm thinking about applying to: Ithaca College, SUNY Geneseo, GWU, Boston U, Northeastern, Northwestern, and NYU. I intend to major in Speech Pathology, and yes, each of these schools has this major. I'd really appreciate any of your input or suggestions!</p>

<p>I'm a white female and a junior at one of the top public high schools.</p>

<p>SAT (March 2005)
Math: 640
CR: 670
Writing: 800
(Composite: 2110)</p>

<p>SAT II - none, but I'm taking the ACT in June which supposedly takes the place of an SAT II requirement? (If I'm wrong, can someone clear this up for me?)</p>

<p>GPA: 3.7, UW
rank: school doesn't rank</p>

<p>Regents Scores: (do these actually matter?)
Earth Science: 95
Biology: 95
Chemistry: 90
Global History: 99
Math A: 87
Math B: 96
French: 100</p>

<p>APs:
Euro: 3
Comp: don't know yet (3 or 4 most likely)</p>

<p>College Courses:
Introduction to Psychology (@ Cornell)
Statistics
Calculus</p>

<p>Honors Courses:
all Science (Earth Science, Bio, Chem, Physics) and Math (Math A, Math B, Precalc) from 8th to 11th grade</p>

<p>other misc. courses?:
Exploring Childhood (11)
Social Science Research (9,10,11)
French (9,10,11)
Concert Band (9)</p>

<p>Not sure what else I should write for this part.. how about what my classes will be senior year:
Exploring Childhood II
Social Science Research
AP French
Spanish I
Economics
Ecocriticism
Forensics
Senior Initiative (I'll be interning/shadowing a speech pathologist)</p>

<p>k, on to ECs:
-French Honor Society (9,10,11 (officer in 11th) )
-Project Care (volunteering at nursing home) (11)
-volunteering @ the children's center @ local family court (summer of 10th-now... 75+ hours)
-4 wk language immersion program in France (summer of 9th grade)
-spent a month doing community service in Guadeloupe (also summer of 10th... 80 hours)
-varsity track & field (9)
-Placing in the top 10 on the National French Contest (took a higher level each year) & receiving awards (9,10,11)
-National Honor Society Candidate</p>

<p>So, for those of you who read/skim through this, what do you think my chances are at those schools?</p>

2

<p>Right on track, nice picks</p>

<p>All are safeties, but Boston U i think is a match
Northwestern is a slight reach.
NYU is a match</p>

3

<p>Thanks! </p>

<p>How about James Madison U or UVA? I forgot about those.. I know UVA would be a pretty big reach, but I haven't really researched much about most colleges yet. I would LOVE to go to Emory, but it doesn't have my major. </p>

<p>Are there any other schools I didn't think of that seem worth considering?</p>

4

<p>nah..i think everything is a saftey except for Nwestern, NYU...they matches</p>

5

<p>Vanderbilt?</p>

6

<p>A lot of colleges will accept the ACT instead of SAT IIs, but not all of them. Some schools who think they're better require SAT IIs with or without ACT and I think Boston may be that way. Just double check their requirements online so you don't get screwed over.
I think your chances are good especially because you have an idea of what you want to do and you seemed to be involved somewhat in the health area.</p>

7

<p>Just checked Boston-- No SAT IIs. But, it also says that they won't accept the new ACT without the optional writing section. I registered to take the test without the writing section since I did so well on the SAT writing section.. grr.</p>

<p>meh I guess I have to sign up for some SAT IIs. Now I just have to decide what to take em in..</p>

<p>Also, haven't heard too much about Vanderbilt-- I'll check it out, thanks.</p>

8

<p>Oh and, do I have a shot at getting a merit-based scholarship to any of these schools?</p>

9

<p>Ticklemepink, of the schools on your list, you might want to find out which scools are not considering the SAT I Writing section for 2006 applicants. As this is easily your best score, this could affect your chances quite a bit.</p>

<p>If all sections are weighted equally, I agree w/ lolok.</p>

<p>But NYU will be a slight reach & Northwestern will be a reach if only your two sections (640M/670R) are considered.</p>

<p>Take a look at that. </p>

<p>Overall, good chances. :)</p>

10

<p>Thanks. I visited Ithaca last week, and the admissions person said that this summer they'll be discussing how to handle the SAT writing section. When I visited GW, I got a similar response. I just checked the websites for BU, NYU, Northwestern, and Northeastern, and they all require the writing section, but none of them specify how it will be weighted. </p>

<p>I got the impression from NYU's website that the writing section would be as significant as the others, since under the info for 2005 applicants, they "strongly encourage" students to take 3 SAT IIs; specifically advising to take English as one of them (which is pretty similar to the SAT I Writing, I've heard).</p>

<p>Ok, new dilemna: for these schools, would it be worth it to take the SAT I again if I know that I'd improve 50 or more points on the CR section? I figured that if I do really well on the ACT, it'll make up for my SAT I Math & CR scores, and I won't have to worry about jeopardizing the 800 writing though (I feel like 50 points isn't significant enough to take it again.. Having just one score would be stronger, you know what I mean?)</p>

<p>Feel free to ignore the next part of my post if you want, just ranting.</p>

<p>I'm curious though as to why the colleges don't yet know how strongly to consider the Writing section. The excuse "because it's new" doesn't work because the other two sections have changed as well. Northwestern's website says, "Since the verbal and math scores of the old SAT Reasoning Test are concordant with the critical reading and math scores of the new SAT Reasoning Test[...]" but they're not concordant.. ahh it's so annoying. </p>

<p>Whatever, I'm over-analyzing.. besides, the colleges may not know how to judge a 650 say on the writing section because there's no previous data to compare it to, but a 200 or an 800 should be self-explanatory, no? I don't even know if this is relevent.. why can't the colleges tell us what they're thinking?</p>

11

<p>P.S. Would legacy help at all? My dad went to Northwestern undergrad, and both of my parents went to NYU Stern for graduate.</p>

12

<p>i don't think grad is factored in usually</p>

13

<p>how about Cornell (slight reach but u never know)??</p>

14

<p>Cornell.. I don't know, the suicide rate kinda scares me there.</p>

15

<p>suicide?!? i thought that was MIT and such...Cornell is very laid back and stuff...trust me</p>

16

<p>oh! well, laid back is definitely what I need. Still, Cornell would be a reach for me, so it would still be somewhat difficult for me if I went there (or to any of my reaches). More and more, I'm starting to think that a school that's a safe match/a little below my level would be the best environment for me. I know I would be able to manage in a tougher school.. but who wants to just "manage"? I want to be able to be comfortable. Ithaca's speech path program/the school it's in is slightly more competitive as well, and the therapy programs there seem to be well-respected. Idk, what do you guys think?</p>