How screwed am I?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello, I'm a bit new to this website... I've lurked here once or twice before, and decided I'd finally join up and ask for some advice. Since the age of 7 I have wanted to go to MIT... long before I knew what that entailed, or, quite frankly, that MIT was... well, MIT. This all started when my sister began attending some weekend classes there. I loved the campus, the atmosphere, and the way she described it made it sound like nerd heaven. As I have grown older I myself have begun to attend those same weekend classes, and have come to spend a great deal of time there with my many friends who attend the school. The problem, however, is that my grades are rather abysmal, and—since I live on an island with only 400 kids in its high school—I don’t have the ability to participate in many of the classes and ECs that my “competition” will have. That aside, I have what I like to think of as a good list of extra curricular academic and intellectual pursuits. I have been attending weekend classes up at MIT for the past three years, despite the fact that it involves a 2 and a half our boat ride and a 2 hour drive just to get there (I can not stress enough how difficult, expensive and time consuming it is to make these classes, but I think its more then worth it). I also attended CTY last summer, taking international politics and Chem, and received good comments from both my teachers. As a result of my taking chemistry, I was able to test out of my high school’s chem. class (after a great deal of politicking) and become the first sophomore in my school’s history to take physics. </p>

<p>My grades, test scores, clubs and planned clubs, work experience etc.:</p>

<p>9th grade:
Hon. Alg. 1(though I already completed it in middle school with a high B avg., my schools guidance department forced me to repeat it again for reasons that they have still yet to explain): 84
English I: 89
Small Gas engines: 80
World Hist: 87
Hon Bio: 84
Spanish 1: 79</p>

<p>I also took the SATs in December of that year and received a 610 math 680 verbal, though I generally did much better on the practice tests</p>

<p>10th grade (so far this year… might go up as I generally do extremely well on finals):
Hon Alg II and Geometry: 81
Hon. Physics: 86
Photo: 84
Spanish 1B (my school’s language schedule is really odd): 78
US Hist. 1: 77
English II: 97 avg (with a 100 on the mid term)</p>

<p>11th grade (after wrangling with guidance to get into honors classes):
Hon Trig+Pre calc
AP physics B through CTY distance ed. (my school does not offer any AP science classes except for Bio, and I loath bio with a passion)
Hon English II
Hon US Hist II
Culinary
Spanish IIB</p>

<p>On the note of extra curricular activities, I here is the list:
*Planning and organizing various trips up to MIT for a few students, working on getting financial aid from the school for those who couldn’t afford it.
*Official MIT ESP rep. for my school.
*Blue lobster oceanography quiz bowl team member this year and next (only thing close to a math or science club in my school).
*I’m starting and captioning a rowing team for next year
*I’m also co-founding a student activism/Intellectual discussion club for the school next year</p>

<p>Other stuff:
*My photography has been featured in the both the school and local newspaper, as well as in various art shows on the island
*I have been offered an internship with a local professional photographer
*Two evaluations from John’s Hopkins U. which say I have an astonishingly high verbal IQ (150+), but some learning disabilities (might help soften the grades).
*Despite the fact that my family is not particularly wealthy, I have traveled a lot in third world nations(life experience is a plus), and moving to Australia and South Africa for a year with my sister.
*I am a [non-wealthy] Nantucket Island native, which (according to the people I have talked to at least) helps me kinda'-sorta’-not really stand out from the pack.</p>

<p>Work experience:
*Working in the family party rental [url=<a href="http://www.placesetters-inc.com%5Dbusiness%5B/url"&gt;http://www.placesetters-inc.com]business[/url&lt;/a&gt;] since the age of 10, official photographer for the past two years.
*Culler on a scallop boat
*Photographer for local Shellfisherman’s Association
*Afore mentioned internship offer.
*Volunteering for the local Air show
*There is the possibility that, if Kerry runs again in 2008, I might get a job as the Logistics Assistant.</p>

<p>I have resigned myself to the fact that I am not going to make it into MIT, but I really do want to go to a good school, particularly one with a good physics department. To clarify about my grades though, it’s not that I don’t understand the material (I do, extremely well), it’s just that I have a really huge problem getting my homework in on time and such. I’m working on it, but it’s not easy.</p>

<p>Anyway, what are your thoughts on my prospects?</p>

<p>Thank you for your time.</p>

<p>Regards,</p>

<pre><code>-Schuyler
</code></pre>

2

<p>Few things:
retake the SATs
go to a doctor to verify any lerning disabilities
take SAT IIs in your best subjects</p>

3

<p>Your story is interesting, and your tenacity, so that will get you over the hump at schools where you're a match. CMU and UMich sound right. Harvey Mudd for a reasonable reach. The lsit cou;d be long if you could bring the math SAT close to 750. That would be my focus!</p>

4

<p>Get an IEP that allows you to take tests untimed. That will boost your SAT and SATII scores a lot. </p>

<p>And relax. You're hard working and tenacious. That's 90% of the battle in life. Get a few books about colleges and see what schools you like and might fit into. It is a good idea to find one and apply early to that school but only if you feel you can really go there. Remember, it's only college not the rest of your entire life. You've already shown you can succeed so you will.</p>

5

<p>Work hard in the math/sciences over the next year and you will have a decent shot at Harvey Mudd. </p>

<p>SAT math needs to be 750+.
SATII math IIC should be 780+.
SATII science (physics or chem) should be 760+.
sounds like you'll do fine on the language portions.</p>

6

<p>No offense or anything, because you did better then i did mostly freshman and soph year, but you didnt exactly do 'amazing'. You did fine, but MIT seems to be a place where people didnt get 84s and 81s in HS.</p>

7

<p>Hence the title... I mean, I know I could do well at MIT, because my grades are most deffinatly not representative of my intelligence, but yeah, I dont think I'm going to be going there</p>

8

<p>The problem is, you say you know you could, they likely dont care. They want people who DID. I'm sure you'll have no problem getting into a great school. MIT just doesnt seem like a fit.</p>

9

<p>If I may offer a blunt analysis: you seem to have substituted intelligence for hard work (ie, I have problem turning in homework). Kids that got into top school have high intel + hard work ethics. I would work on the latter.</p>