<p>I am in love with (and have been for quite some time now) Swarthmore and will be applying ED in a couple months. The rest of my application I consider to be strong enough for Swarthmore (fairly high GPA at the most competitive school in my district, top 10 percent, most rigorous courses possible, strong ECs (some of which are rather unique) that I am passionate about, a unique essay and so on), but my scores are awful. I have now taken the SAT three times, the ACT two times and three subjects. I bombed my subject tests forcing me to submit my SAT and ACT. My highest scores are...
SAT: 1930 (680 CR, 660 M, 590 W)
ACT: 28 (31 R, 27 M, 27 S, 26 E and 8 on the essay)
I will take the ACT one more time in September but do not anticipate my score will go up by more then a point (maybe 2 if I am lucky). Basically how much will my scores kill my chances and is there anything I can do to compensate at this point (assuming there is no improvement)?</p>
<p>Well… to be honest, this isn’t likely to go well. And – if you truly can’t get your scores any higher than this, you will likely struggle academically at Swat if you do get admitted. If you don’t think you can hike your scores much, then your best bet is to start looking very hard at the rest of your colleges on your list and getting comfortable with your backup plan. At a school like Swat, your love for them does not translate into them loving you back. Do you have an ED II school in mind (assuming you want to go the ED route)? Have you worked very hard to find matches and safeties you like as well? Other than very intensive test prep (which should pay off if you are the type to be successful at Swat anyway), doubt there is much else you can do.</p>
<p>@Intparent Despite my scores I do think that I could succeed academically at Swarthmore. For most of my life I was home schooled which led to me developing my academic skills but having almost no exposure to standardized testing. I have had nothing but As in both APs and classes at a local college and understand the material I am being tested on, but struggle to pick a correct answer in a timed setting. I will not do ED II, due to a combination of not having another school that I would be willing to commit to without seeing a financial package for and my other top choices being places that my family is uncomfortable with due to the distance. That being said I do consider my overall college list to be much more well rounded including three safeties (two of which have basically said I am in at) as well as many more matches and reaches. What would be the absolute lowest ACT that you think Swat would consider acceptable? Also will Swat give any weight to me being low-income (most of the people I know with high scores had very expensive test prep that my family could never afford)?</p>
<p>Ok don’t listen to the above poster as far as if you don’t have the higher test scores that you will struggle academically. That is complete bs. In my opinion, it comes to your work ethic and how much effort you are willing to put in. If you had like a 19 ACT and a 1300 (M+W+CR) SAT, then I could understand you struggling academically, but that is not the case. Your scores are not even that bad to begin with, but if you can raise your ACT score a few more points, you will be a more competitive applicant. I saw that you got a 26 in English. You can easily raise that to above a 30. The first time I took the ACT, I got a 24 in the English section. I studied and took a lot of practice tests and the second time around, I raised my English score from a 24 to a 34. You just have to learn the tricks and the grammar. Also, don’t apply ED1 to Swathmore if you know that you can’t financially afford it. Run your family’s finances through the NPC to see if your family can afford it. It may be off though if your parents own their business or have a lot of assets. After doing this, you will be able to know if you can afford the school.</p>
<p>@FlyEagle17 I have run the financials, the only reason I am okay with it is because of Swarthmore’s no loan policy and a scholarship I get called the Pittsburgh Promise. The numbers were a little higher then I would have liked, but it would still be one of my least expensive options based on the net price calculator. Your ACT English score jump is amazing! What did you study specifically to improve it so much?</p>
<p>I agree about English being easy to raise.
I got a 26 on my first, 33 on my second, with 11 essay. It’s just grammar and rhetoric… super easy to anticipate, and therefore, study for.</p>
<p>I have a caveat, though; I can get subscores in the 30’s’ though I took Swat off my list because I thought it would be too intellectually challenging. I knew I could handle the work, but only if I studied day and night. Just a thought, though I wish you the best.</p>
<p>Just a couple of coment to add in. As with the other posters, I think that your concern over test scores is well placed. However, even without the expensive test prep classes you should be able buckle down and use some of the on-line guides and resources at your local library to boost your test performance. You need to look at this as another course to tackle and succeed at. The strategy of the test is AS IMPORTANT as your general subject knowledge. </p>
<p>When applying, You will need to really focus on your essays and drive home your love of Swarthmore and the unique offerings YOU bring to the student body.</p>
<p>Once thing to caution you on the financial aid side, each year there are a couple of students who end up finding that the calculator did not accurately represent what was offered. It is a very heart wrenching situation when they find that they managed to be accepted to then find that their needs are calculated in a way their family cannot support.</p>
<p>I think you are fine to apply EDI to Swarthmore and then leave the rest to RD and review of financial packages. Make sure you check out the threads here about the schools who are most generous with merit aid as well as meeting need.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>ArtsyGirl,
I don’t think that your SAT scores will automatically rule you out. I’m not looking at your writing score because I don’t think that Swat places much emphasis on that. If you truly have unique EC’s and a terrific Why Swat essay, these may be able to overcome less than stellar scores in the ED round.</p>
<p>But please don’t use home schooling and a lack of exposure to standardized testing as an excuse. My kids went to a high school where they weren’t exposed to any standardized testing either, but they worked very hard on taking timed practice tests over and over to get themselves used to the type of questions as well as to get their “timing” down.</p>
<p>Good luck with your application to Swat!</p>
<p>Take a look at the most recent Common Data Set statistics for Swarthmore, specifically pages 9-10, to see how Swarthmore uses the essay component of the SAT and ACT (it doesn’t) and to see the graphing of scores.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/Documents/administration/ir/cds2012.pdf[/url]”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/Documents/administration/ir/cds2012.pdf</a></p>
<p>I agree with above posters that work ethic and study skills are different than test scores, and I wouldn’t gauge your ability to handle Swarthmore using test scores alone. Being a good test taker and being a good student are wildly different things.</p>
<p>Like others have said, “low” test scores can be compensated for with EC’s, grades, and, especially for ED Swat, the common app and Why Swat? essays. I know people with scores lower than yours that have been accepted and people with near perfect scores that have been rejected.</p>
<p>Instead of spending too much time worrying about scores, I’d focus on stellar essays. Definitely use online test prep to learn the “tricks” involved in the ACT English section (like others, my English score improved a lot when I learned the types of questions and how to approach them based on wording), but don’t be overly discouraged by scores!</p>
<p>Artsy Girl 13 - I agree that SAT/ACT scores are not the sole determining factor for admission to a school like Swarthmore. But, given the variability in quality and grading practices of schools around the country - scores on SAT/ACT continue to be one of the only ways college admissions committees have to compare applicants across a variety of backgrounds. I would be interested to know what are your other college options and which schools have said “you are in.” I’m also wondering why Swarthmore? There are many wonderful small liberal arts colleges with outstanding programs and students committed to learning. Can you share more?</p>
<p>@ArtsyGirl</p>
<p>For the English section, I bought the ACT Princeton Review book and I bought the Real ACT Book. I did all the practice tests in those books. Here was my approach. If I got a question wrong, I would review the grammar rule that it related to so that I wouldn’t make the same mistake. If you study hard over the summer, you can easily raise your ACT score to a 30+.</p>
<p>@FlyEagle17 Thank you for the information, I will be sure to look into the book you used. So far all I have used were various practice tests I have found online.</p>
<p>@Steve26 There are several schools I feel confident about. I feel particularly confident about Chatham (where I have taken classes, know both faculty and admissions staff and am well above average for scores and grades), the other I don’t feel comfortable saying online, but will have several professors who I have worked with advocating on my behalf and am again well above average for scores and grades. I also feel fairly sure that I will get into Allegheny, Juniata and Pitt (though less sure about Pitt Honors which is the aspect I am more interested in).
As for why I love Swat more then other LACs it is a combination of things. I will not list them all now, both because some are a product of a lot of research (specifically talking with several students) and I would prefer to not share them in the hopes of having my essay being slightly different and because this post would be way too long (though it is already getting long). That being said I love Swat due to the love of learning and passion regarding learning that I am yet to see to such an extent at another school, as well as how Swat fosters this learning (and their belief that people can learn in any situation). I also love how unlike many schools they do not separate people by major or interest in their housing, ensuring that students are exposed to a diverse student population. Another major reason for my love of Swat is their nerdier/quirkier side. Things like the Yule Ball, screw your roommate and their more unusual clubs have all seemed like unique and fantastic experiences.</p>
<p>@Dora13 Thank you for the advice!</p>
<p>@momof3sons Thank you for both the advice and link. It was very reassuring to see that Swat does not look at my essay from the SAT/ACT, I am very aware that I am not the greatest writer in a timed setting. Do you think it would be beneficial to submit a writing sample (specifically a paper that I am particularly proud of) to show that I am a competent writer despite my writing scores?</p>
<p>@GvaMom Thank you for the advice and the warning regarding financial aid. Do you know if those situations were a result of unique financial situations (perhaps their family owned a business) or completely random?</p>
<p>@marshallmeyer12 Thank you for the advice</p>
<p>Again thank you to everybody who has taken the time to respond!</p>
<p>Thanks ArtsyGirl13 - do you have a major/area of interest identified?</p>
<p>@Steve26 No problem, I am interested in majoring in neuroscience (I am aware that Swat does not have the major, but does have the interdisciplinary program with bio and psych that could lead to me majoring in it there) with a minor in studio art.</p>
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<p>Taking the ACT twice without getting a prep book does not really show a focus on the type of preparation you need to get a high score. If you want to raise your scores, you need to have a systematic approach to improving it. These tests are not rocket science, and are often repetitive in the types of questions asked and skills required. Students who do well aren’t “practiced at standardized tests”. They are more likely to be thorough and diligent in their preparation. You still have time to pursue this if you choose to. Agree that “The Real ACT Prep Book” is a good place to start. </p>
<p>Also, is there some reason you are not also making a push to improve your SAT scores? As you have to provide both sets of scores, you should be working to improve both. You don’t say if you used a SAT prep book – but if you didn’t, you should get one ASAP and take one more shot at the SAT. I know you said you took it three times – but if you didn’t get a prep book and follow a systematic process to try to figure out each missed question and prep for it next time, you could probably improve on that test as well.</p>
<p>One thing to note is that Swarthmore is not always speedy at getting FA packages to the students it does accept ED. If you do get in, keep working on your other applications and applying until you have seen and agree to the FA package – you do not have to accept an ED offer (and withdraw other applications) if you haven’t seen the FA package.</p>
<p>@Intparent Actually that 1930 is my score with a push. My first SAT was hideous, after that I worked through several books, took a free class through my school and took many practice tests. Math alone was raised by over 100 points, the other sections saw improvements as well (but not as drastic as math). It is no excuse, but both ACTs were taken within days of finals leading to me having less time to prep then I would have liked. I will be sure to get the Real ACT Prep Book and will also look into other books (are there any other specific ones you recommend). How realistic is it to score at least a 30 with a decent amount of prep a couple times a week (I am working all summer, limiting my prep time) on the September test? Also will it violate the ED agreement to not withdraw my other apps if I do get in? Thank you again for taking the time to help.</p>
<p>It does not violate your agreement if you have not seen the FA package yet. You are only bound by the ED agreement if the FA works for you. However, you do have the responsibility to get in any FA documentation required by Swat by any deadlines they set. There was a student who did not complete other applications after his ED acceptance by Swat last year that got a very rude & unpleasant surprise when he saw his FA information a few days before the other application due dates. He really scrambled… I will say that our FA from Swat was not good compared to other colleges, also (my D was accepted last spring. So you really can’t count on it, but need to verify.</p>
<p>Have you seen the “Xiggi Method”? It is for SAT prep, but much of his advice will work for ACTs as well.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/68210-xiggis-sat-prep-advice.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/68210-xiggis-sat-prep-advice.html</a> </p>
<p>Also… one thing you need to be aware of is that while other posters talk about some students getting in with scores on the lower end at Swat, those students often have a hook – underrepresented minority, first generation to college, athlete, or some mind-blowing EC. So continue to work on your test scores and Swat application, but be VERY sure that you have focused in on match & safety schools you could be happy at as well. Be sure you really have looked hard at those colleges – maybe you are not mentioning all the other colleges on your list (not sure why you wouldn’t) – but the academic gap between Swat and the colleges you listed is very, very large. Just be sure you don’t want a few colleges in that gap as well. If the type of intense academic rigor Swat offers is essential to you (as I think it is to almost all accepted students), you need to think about your other colleges in that light.</p>
<p>@intparent I do have school in between the ones listed and Swat (I only mentioned those because OP had asked about safeties). I am currently looking at around 30 schools total (including around 10 reaches) and hope to cut that list in half by the RD deadline. Matches include Dickinson, Bryn Mawr, Oberlin, Gettysburg and Kenyon. Other reaches include Bowdoin, UChicago, Vassar, Georgetown (I did not expect to like the school but actually liked it quite a bit when I visited) and Washington and Lee. Thank you for the link, I will be sure to look at the guide. Also do you have any recommendations for schools that you think have the same type of rigor but are less selective? Thank you again for taking the time to help.</p>
<p>ArtsyGirl13 - I’m not sure what your background/experience is or what you want to do with a neuroscience major and studio arts minor. Unless you plan to move well beyond your undergraduate degree it may be challenging to find a job with an undergraduate neuroscience degree. Having said that, should you be accepted at Swarthmore you are likely to find more opportunities than you could find elsewhere. What is your interest in neuroscience?</p>