<p>Right off the bat, I'll just say that I'm a dreadful test-taker. I don't know what it is. I'm just bad. Ever since I was little, I could never really get above average. In middle school, we took standardized tests to place us into courses for high school, and I was placed in all regular level courses. My mom called the school and talked to my future High School counselor and explained that I had never gotten a B in middle school. I received straight A's all throughout middle school, and I was known as being a hard-worker. I would always be on the honor roll and I received many student of the month awards and received student of the year for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. My parents decided to place me in honors English, History, and Language courses, but I stuck with regular math and sciences. I have done very well in high school. Freshman and Sophomore year I got straight A's, and currently I'm in my junior year and for the first semester I earned 5 A's and 2 B's (The B's were in AP classes). Currently, my cumulative weighted GPA is a 4.37 and my unweighted GPA is 3.90. My teachers love me and always comment on my strong work ethic. I always come in for help and put 100% into all of my classes. </p>
<p>I'm a varsity soccer player and captain of the team (I do not plan on playing soccer in college)
I also actively volunteer for the American Cancer Society through relay for life.
On top of that, I'm a member of the national honors society and I volunteer avidly around town.
I also hold a job working about 15 hours a week in the school year and around 40 a week in the summer as a lifeguard and swim teacher. </p>
<p>Clearly, I have great grades and extra curricular activites. There's just one problem: my test scores.</p>
<p>I got a 1470 on my SAT (out of 2400), and a 21 composite on my ACT. I always knew I wouldn't be in the 30's or even high 20's for the ACT because it's just not my strong suit, but when I saw the 21 I just wanted to die. A 21 is the national average! That's not good! I was expecting around a 24-27ish... so when I saw the 21 I was mortified. The good majority of my friends are all in the high 20's and 30's... and I barely made it into the 20's.
I understand that the ACT is not the ONLY thing schools look at, but when it's THIS LOW, it's pretty pathetic. I am freaking out that I won't get into the schools I want. </p>
<p>I plan on majoring in Education to be a high school teacher. I'd also like o major in US History so I can teach that. So far, these are my top schools:</p>
<p>Marquette University, Milwaukee
Indiana University-Bloomington
Purdue University- West Lafayette
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Saint Louis University- St. Louis</p>
<p>I'm afraid that my test scores are just way too low to go to any of these schools! I'm taking the ACT again soon so hopefully I can raise my score 4 or 5 points. Do I have any chance going to these schools?!</p>
<p>Any thoughts or opinions?! I'm in freak out mode right now!</p>