<p>SimpleLife has given you some excellent advice.</p>
<p>Do you feel like telling us which business/econ schools you have in mind? It might help us advise you. Also, what year are you in school?</p>
<p>I'm a junior. Not that it really matters, but latino. But I was looking at NYU (Stern), U Chicago, USC, Berkeley and if I got my SAT/ACT really really high, U Penn (Wharton).</p>
<p>I figured you were a junior. I think that part of your panic is that you just can't think of a Plan B that seems really satisfying and positive to you. If you could think of a realistic Plan B that you could really be content with, you might feel better. What's more, your testing anxiety might abate somewhat, because the SAT et al. might seem less like an all-or-nothing proposition. So, I'm not telling you to give up on your dream, but I am telling you to think hard about some other options, both because your dreams are reaches (Penn is a reach for nearly everybody, for instance) and because thinking of other options will make your dream more likely to come true.</p>
<p>If you really want a future in business or econ, you may want to get an MBA, right? And the good news is that even the top MBA programs don't care nearly as much about GMAT scores as the top undergrad programs care about SAT scores: MBA programs want to see a concrete track record of leadership and accomplishment. What's more, MBA programs don't care much about where you got your undergrad. It might seem disappointing now, but who knows? Maybe the best thing for you will be to go to a smaller and more supportive program that will give you lots of wonderful opportunities to develop business-related skills, so that you can go distinguish yourself in the workforce and then go get your MBA from one of the excellent schools you mention. How do you feel about that possibility? </p>
<p>What about UT Austin? Its business program is very highly ranked, and according to FairTest, it does not consider the SAT if your GPA and class rank are high enough: you might be a perfect candidate. You could do UT Austin and then enter the workforce and get an MBA from a dream school.</p>
<p>Or what about this program Academics</a> | The Bard Program in Economics and Finance followed by a few years in the real world and then an MBA from a great school? (Bard is another excellent, SAT-optional school.) </p>
<p>Be resourceful! Be patient!</p>
<p>Thanks everyone :)
This has really been a supportive group. So thank you. :)</p>
<p>I really hate to ask, mainly because i probably already know the answer, but my three dream schools are NYU (Stern), U Chicago, USC, is there anyway that if i studied every day for like 3 hours ( i would be willing to go to bed at like 3 in the morning every night if i could go there) do you think i would have a chance of getting my ACT up to par?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Trust me, people who get 2300+ DO practice. They practice A LOT
[/quote]
My friend's girlfriend took the SAT in her sophomore year with no practice at all and got a 2300.</p>
<p>a) Yes, your score will come up with hard work.</p>
<p>b) Sleeping 4 hours a night is never the answer. :)</p>
<p>PM me if you want more specific suggestions.</p>
<p>However, I should add that even a 4.0/2400 is no guarantee of acceptance to those schools. I think, as SimpleLife has suggested, that you may want to open your mind to other possibilities.</p>
<p>yo yo..
its pretty much up to how badly u want to go to good schools.
when i took my first SAT,i got a 1430(3 sections), ehh?? i studied like crazy because i was dtermined. i want to achieve what i dream.
so . after going thru the process( thousands of vocabs, stacks of books). i got a 2070 in one sitting.
it was a damn tough process(what i did this yr, was not even close to last yr's, though i had been overwhelmed by the apps, still)
it's really how bad and how determined u are.
i have another freind who got like 1440 first try, but he wasn't able to make it. he couldn't handle the studying. now guess what, i think he's going to comm college...~~</p>
<p>stay determined.</p>
<p>okay. well i'm determined to get a 31-33. How do you recommend that I get that score? Any books in particular or tapes? Thank you everyone.</p>
<p>Hi again, hopeful2b_yank3e.
I’ve been thinking about your predicament and wish I could provide a magic answer as to how to improve your scores. Somebody said that nobody gets a 2300 without lots of practice. That’s not really true. My son didn’t get a 2300, but he got just under 2200 and did not practice at all. No practice tests, no courses or books. His closest friends have similar experiences. Those are the kinds of kids you would be competing with day after day once in college, if you did get accepted. </p>
<p>And, silly, you need your sleep – especially in college!</p>
<p>I see that you have some expensive colleges on your dream list. If private schools are an option, there are two good ones that we have visited that immediately come to mind when thinking about your predicament. Neither are often discussed or heard of in our social circles, but both are really impressive in many ways. </p>
<p>One is Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX (just north of Austin), and the other is Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Both accept bright students with excellent work ethics and above average, though maybe not absolutely stellar, test scores like yours. Both offer good networking opportunities after college.</p>
<p>My son is not interested in business school, so I don't know anything about their business programs. But in general, their academics are great. Small classes, personal one-on-one relationships with professors, really nice, conscientious, hard-working, respectable student body. Lots of opportunities for ECs while in college. Lots of good stuff.</p>
<p>Both of these colleges happen to be featured in the book, Colleges That Change Lives. I don’t own the book, but as my son and I visited different colleges, I saw it lying around waiting rooms and I ended up reading most of it while waiting for him to finish interviewing, etc. I did not know that either of those colleges was in the book prior to visiting, but upon visiting, I can definitely see why they were featured.</p>
<p>Now, I know you may not be interested in either of these 2 particular colleges for one reason or another -- they may not even have the caliber business school you're looking for. BUT, I would venture to say there must be similarly excellent colleges scattered around the U.S.</p>
<p>Oh, and another college we visited just came to mind -- St. Olaf in Minnesota! An AMAZING, gorgeous, inspiring little college about 45 minutes south of Minneapolis. Oh my gosh. If it offered the languages my son was looking for, it would have been his first choice. And yet, statistically, their median 50% test scores and gpas were not "top tier" level. But if you visited and met the student body and the faculty, you'd think they were. It was a really impressive school. Like a little ivy league, kind of.</p>
<p>Both Southwestern and St Olaf offer pretty good scholarships, we were told. My son did not apply to either, because they lacked the languages he wanted, basically. But he loved them. And so did I.</p>
<p>Well, I thought I might be more specific in the type of school I was talking about when I suggested that you reevaluate your focus. If you check out these websites and think they're the TYPE of school you might like, then you might have a better chance of finding just the right school in the geographic area you want, with a great business program, and the other features you're looking for in a college.</p>
<p>You can keep a few of your dream schools on your final list, but add a few of these other types of "reach" schools to your list as well. They're not easy to get into. They're still selective -- just not as selective as the others that you've mentioned.</p>
<p>I'm impressed by your earnestness and willingness to work so hard for what it is you want. I wish you the best and hope you get the scores you want some day soon!</p>
<p>Oops. In my first paragraph, I meant once in college "at one of your dream schools," and if accepted "to one of your dream schools" -- not "in college" in general. You're clearly bright and could easily be at the top of your class in most colleges, maybe even your dream schools, even if your SATs and ACTs are not what you want them to be!</p>
<p>oooh no! i think you might have interpeted my last post a little differently than I meant. I mean to say that if I needed to stay up that late every night doing ACT Prep I would do it. I doubt it will end up being that EXTREME! but I am gonna keep practicing and look for strategies. Yesterday I took another English test and it said I was going to get around a 29. So I improved 4 points in two days? Weird. I bet something was either wrong when I took the test that projected 25 or something was wrong with this test. I dunno.</p>
<p>It's the same way with me. Sometimes I'll score good...sometimes not so good...</p>
<p>How can we get over that?</p>
<p>By the way... Did you know that there's a movement underway to eliminate or reduce the emphasis placed on standardized test scores in college admissions? </p>
<p>Many believe that gpa and class rank are better predictors of college success than standardized test scores.</p>
<p>Several of the colleges today who give the option to report standardized scores believe that the scores are less meaningful than other parts of the whole package.</p>
<p>I agree. Just because you're not good at the format and timing and the way the SATs make you think doesn't mean you're not smart. It doesn't mean that at all...I hate how so many people act like they're everything. >></p>
<p>Try not to get too discouraged. Although my D took a prep course she didnt study all that much; her practice teast scores were all over the place, yet she got a 2360. Her PSAT scores weren't anywhere near that good. Just focus and stay calm.</p>
<p>Try not to get discouraged. D took a prep course but didn't study all that much. Her practice test scores were all over the place yet she got 2360 which was way better than in practice. Just stay calm, focus, study and do your best.</p>
<p>Oops. Sorry for dup.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think that the SATs are fundamentally "wrong". No test can determine one's aptitude for learning. It's a test that is designed to test one's thinking. Obviousley people think differently and just because you don't think like what Collegeboard wants you to think doesn't make you not smart. So keep your head up and don't give up on your dreams. You can change your way of thinking so it matches with Collegeboard's expectations. But, this won't happen overnight and you should give it a 110%. Best of luck!</p>