How Will A Below Average School Profile Affect One's Chances?

Applying to College
1

Hi, before I get started, I want to say that I am planning on applying to MIT (EA; top choice), Stanford, Princeton, Caltech, and U Chicago. I have taken 11 AP exams and passed them all. My ACT Composite is currently 30 but am retaking this Saturday expecting a 32-34. I have primary concerns over the school profile, and I hope I get opinions who know more about the application process than I do!

About a month ago, I learned that High Schools must send school profiles to colleges that students are applying to along with their transcripts. So today, my guidance counselor handed me last year’s school profile (not updated with 2016 data), and it contained information that I fear might make me look like a less attractive applicant. Here are a few notable things I found.

Out of the Class of 2015, 52% enrolled in post-secondary education: 39% at two-year institutions and 13% at State Universities

SAT Averages: (258 students tested)
CR = 424; MA = 421; WR = 405

ACT Averages: (282 students tested)
E = 16.1; M = 17.5; R = 18.7; S = 16.98; C = 17.4

AP Test Results: (577 tests to 376 students)
84 students, or 22.3%, received score of 3 or higher

Other than that, my school profile has no mention of the school curriculum or other analysis of student performance (e.g. absence of GPA distribution). I’m afraid that such a school profile would weaken my credentials such as my class ranking, grades, or GPA. However, some people tell me that the school profile will strengthen my application since my test scores are so high in comparison to my school’s averages. A former college admission officer told me that it would show colleges some of the challenges I faced by achieving good test scores while attending a low-performing school. He also told me that I should mention this in my interview or essays.

One final thing I would like to add is that I am pursuing to improve my school’s AP scores this year through tutoring and test preparation strategies. Thank you for reading this, and I hope to get some comments over the significance and impact, if any, of my school profile on my applications to such top universities. Have a wonderful day! :slight_smile:

2

Your concern should not be your school profile. Your test scores are quite low for those schools. The best way to offset a low end school profile is with test scores that prove you are a top quality student, and ideally with ECs from outside school that make you stand out if you don’t have good opportunities at your school. I hope you have spent time finding matches and safeties that you really like, too.

3

You can’t be blamed for what your school is like. Make the best of your situation, but definitely raise your tests scores as much as you can!

4

Agree with above posters. It will be extremely important to have top notch ACT scores to demonstrate that you have the academic qualifications to do the work. Your current ACT is low for the schools on your list. Expand your horizons. There are tons of absolutely amazing colleges out there.

5

At 17, you can’t understand how an adcom views the school profile. Your energy can be used better elsewhere. Your competition is the top kids in your wider area who are applying to those colleges, what they did, what they offer.

There’s no assumption a mid-range score is somehow “better” because a lot of other kids in your hs won’t go off to college. You need to get your own stats up. And know what those targets really look for, in the rest of what you present. When a kid aims at some of the highest stakes colleges, he needs to be on his game.

6

Yes, if your school’s average score is a 16, your 30 will look extraordinary.
And yes, your school profile should include: GPA distribution, number of AP offered, how many AP’s students can take total (or junior-senior years), how many honors are offered and how many honors classes students can take each year.

You definitely have course rigor.

Are you applying through Posse or Questbridge?

If not, it may not be too late.

In any case, these colleges are lottery schools for everybody.
What are your regular reaches, matches, and safeties?

Actually, that’s not true. CONTEXT is essential when evaluating an application.
A 30 from PA or Exeter is not seen as the same as from a school where the average is 16.

7

That’s like saying a B is good because many kids in that hs get C grades. And some districts mandate every kid take the ACT/SAT, regardless of college plans or readiness.

OP mentioned some mighty tippy tops. His own readiness will be evaluated in the context of what works for those colleges, the competition in the app pool, not just what might put him at the top of his own hs. We don’t know all OP’s stats, nor all his rigor.

Where context changes the view is when a hs doesn’t offer AP or many opportunities for activities.

8

We know op took 11 APs at a lower performing school (where taking 2 or 3 is likely above and beyond).
Obviously OP needs to score as high as he can. But s/he has already scored at the level top schools would expect from a kid from a school that type.
And, no, test scores aren’t treated the same as grades. Students to top schools are expected to be top students within the context of their schools. They’re expected to have A’s. (although there’s a bit of leeway too, depending on the grade distribution, especially if a significant number of students have grades if C and below. But not at top schools, where straight A’s are expected from applicants attending lower performing schools.) When op is compared - at second read for example - it will be against all students from similar schools. That’s why the school profile is so important.
However, while students at lower performing schools aren’t expected to be top performers on standardized tests, they are held to a higher standard when it comes to weighted class rank. Whereas at high performing schools being top 10% is sufficient, for lower performing high schools the student needs to be top 10 if not among the top 3 students.
‘Context’ undergirds the type of ‘read’.
Grades and rigor are way more important than test scores - and test scores are only used in a relative sense, IE., as a benchmark for students in the same pool as you.
However, op needs to apply to a greater variety of colleges.
@ObitoSigma : where are you applying, Eddie 'dream schools '?

9

We know he took 11exams and “passed them.” What’s that mean? (This supposedly subpar hs offers that or he self studied? What scores?)

We disagree, based on our different experiences. This OP is talking Stanford. MIT, Caltech, Chi, not ordinary top schools. They need to see he’s ready to succeed on day one. That’s about what the college expects, how these schools will cherry pick. We don’t know enough about this OP, not GPA, rank, activities and perspective. He’s currently got a 30. We don’t even know sub scores. Not enough to call him a star.

10

Actually this is a good thing…you have an ACTof 30 but the average at your school is 17 or so. So this shows you are a top student. Your AP tests results will give you an idea of how prepared you are…if passing is a 3, not so much. If a 4 or 5, then great!

Also those are all wonderful schools…however make sure you have closer matches as well. There are many other very very good STEM schools that you need to investigate and apply to.

11

^ you’re right we don’t know a few other criteria such as first gen or urm, school location (under represented state or region? Rural/urban/ State with huge tax cuts?)
AP scores don’t matter much for admission in any case, and for this op his/her scores don’t matter. For this profile, all that matters is that this student sought to challenge him/herself academically.
I’m guessing you don’t work often with lower income kids applying to elite colleges. Context really matters to them.
However our back and forth doesn’t help op so I will stick to op’s question.

@ObitoSigma , what other colleges are you applying to?
Even if you’re competitive, NO ONE is a shoo in at the colleges you listed. You need regular reaches, matches, and safeties, and you need to determine whether their NPC shows them as affordable. Most 'meet need’colleges will be but you need to apply to a few because they’re so selective.

12

Myos, I do, on the college side.