HYPSM will not like this

Applying to College
1

<p>i think i have a strong resume, except for one thing. standardized tests. i took the act and went in blind and got a 25.. how can i get this up to like a 32?! all of the practice tests ive taken for sats have been around 700 ish area, but when i took the psats i got a 180, which is probably not going to get me into princeton.. </p>

<p>any high scoring SAT or ACT people out there that might want to share tips? im desperate. i have like every sat study guide book and just keep doing problems..</p>

<p>--Academics--
GPA unweighted: 4.0
In the top 10% of my class
All honors and APs.
Total 6 AP Classes for the next two years</p>

<p>--Extra Curriculars--
Varsity tennis team freshman year
Record: 51 wins to 5 losses
Second singles freshman and sophomore
Player of the year Sophomore year
1st singles Junior year
Captain junior year</p>

<p>Show Jumper
Train horses
Qualified for Marshall and Sterling Finals
Unfortunately before going to finals, I had to get rid of my horse so that my family could afford to send my 10 year old brother to a special school for dyslexic children. I gave my him my winnings so that he could go.</p>

<p>My biggest thing at the moment is changing my state law for dyslexia and making it recognized as a learning difference. I have been working on this for two years with a learning specialist and a lawyer (graduates of Penn).</p>

<p>President and founder of the Operation Smile Club and County chapter. After fighting with the school to make it a club for the past two years, this year it has finally become a club. We have one of the largest clubs in the country with almost one hundred members. We have raised over $5000.00 just this year, with all of the proceeds benefitting operation smile.</p>

<p>I will be going on a Medical Mission to Henan, China for three weeks in April for Operation Smile. I have also been chosen to help lead an Operation Smile Student conference in Beijing in August.</p>

<p>Math League- competitively for the past two years.
National Honor Society Member
Tutor kids at the local elementary school in math, reading and spanish.</p>

<p>In the arts I have an extensive art portfolio that I have been building up for many years. It includes oil painting, watercolor, and sketch.</p>

<p><strong>randoms</strong>
-Grandfather went to MIT, did not graduate because of the war
-No one has ever gone to college in my family (aside from my grandfather)
-Manager of my mother's family-owned department store (40,000 sq ft) hire, fire, schedule, open, close, customer service, shipping, buying, and problems. 7 days a week in the summer. open seasonally.
-Great Grandfather was the fencing coach at Cornell and the Olympic fencing coach</p>

2

<p>the stakes are pretty high for you since your only weakness is standardized testing. I would really consider spending around $1,000 for 1-1 SAT prep.</p>

3

<p>the sats are in two weeks, ive gotten a ton of books but ive been so busy that i just really started studying… what scores should i be shooting for?</p>

4

<p>34+ ACT and a 2250+ SAT…</p>

<p>Prefer a 35-36 or a 2300+</p>

5

<p>would a 2100 cut it?</p>

6

<p>I think you’d be alright with a 2100. This might help:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/955109-silverturtles-guide-sat-admissions-success.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/955109-silverturtles-guide-sat-admissions-success.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

7

<p>thank you for the guide jgraider! :)</p>

8

<p>Why don’t you order your actual test from ACT and then you can see where you went wrong.</p>

9

<p>also another quick question, i have an auditory processing disorder, which really kills me when it comes to foreign languages… do you think it would be bad if i only took three years? can my 7 years of science and 6 years of math compensate for the lack of four?</p>

10

<p>Definitely invest in prep, everything else is very strong.</p>

<p>Three years of foreign language will be fine. It might be a good idea to mention that disorder under the additional information section.</p>

<p>@bleedblue: Someone who got a 25 blind is unlikely to ever get higher than a 32 ACT. A 25 will very rarely improve to a 34.</p>

<p>People who get 34-36 usually start in the 30s or at least at a 28/29. (And many even get 34-36 blind.)</p>

11

<p>Since you have a diagnosed auditory processing disorder, you need to go back for another evaluation. The processing issues inside your brain may be affecting your ability to take standardized tests. Good grades plus not-so-hot ACT/SAT scores in timed conditions is practically a diagnosis of processing issues (most often a dyslexia). You may be able to get better accommodations for your tests.</p>

<p>Ultimately, exam scores are not nearly as important as your transcript. Don’t panic about this just yet. And, take a long hard look at the list of exam optional colleges and universities at [The</a> National Center for Fair & Open Testing | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org%5DThe”>http://www.fairtest.org)</p>

12

<p>You sound like a great student and person. If you can get your SAT scores up, do so. However, be aware that you do not need to go to Princeton, MIT, or Cornell to get an excellent education. So don’t put too much pressure on yourself. It’s a better idea to find the school that fits your credentials, rather than trying to force your credentials to fit the school.</p>

13

<p>i actually am on a New England “college hunt” right now hahah. i stopped at boston college, i don’t know got an odd vibe there… went to BU and LOVED IT. Absolutely fell in love with Harvard, felt very comfortable there, and the curriculum reminded me of Brown’s in some odd way. Very open curriculum. I’m actually in Hanover right now and looking at Dartmouth tomorrow, so I’ll keep that updated. I hate being all high and mighty, but would you consider BU a safety for me? Their acceptance rate is around 50 percent, and I really liked the feel I got there. Any other schools you could recommend, either safety match or reach? I do not mind them being in the middle of nowhere or in a city, mainly because I don’t mind living anywhere, I just would like a school with some type of character, depth, intellect, and personality… sorry if I didn’t explain that well :slight_smile: thanks!</p>