<p>Ok, so my parents are all about prestige and imo very "show offy".... they want my college choices to reflect that. They want me to apply to those schools that when people hear the name they are immediatly impressed. Yes, I agree the name of a school can be powerful, but its not everything. Problem is I can't get into the "name" schools such as Harvard Princeton Yale Notre Dame and any ivy league school for that matter.....
So, can you guys come on with a few schools that are less competitive, but still have a great legacy and prestige. I dont plan on making my college decision based on the name, but at the same time i do want to make my parents happy.
Just so you have an idea of what schools I can get into, here are some brief stats</p>
<p>1950 SATs
4.0 weighted GPA ( thats average according to my parents )
5 Varsity Letters
Tought course load 6 AP 6 Honor by graduation</p>
<p>If you have an EC that is somewhat remarkable, you might have a shot at more selective schools, if you can also pull together outstanding essays and recs, considering that most of these schools accept January SAT scores and you have until Jan 4 to sign up. How are your SAT IIs (you need three as a application requirement)? Also there's the whole "leadership" thing.</p>
<p>Also weighted GPA doesn't count for that much as everyone who applies to these schools takes AP/IB classes and all schools weight differently - some not all, some a little, some a lot. I'm not saying it isn't a great accomplishment, but pretty much all transcripts show your courses and the letter grades earned, and they want to see mostly As. They usually look at the UW from what I know. Because for example, in the same county here we have AP and IB schools. For IB, you can't take the classes as a 10th grader, but there are some AP courses available to 10th graders at AP schools, so they have the possibility of getting more weight. I hear a lot of parents up in arms about this, but the truth is, it doesn't matter. They will look at As tenth grade year probably better than someone who got a B+ plus .5 in an AP class. </p>
<p>Anyway, I think people will do better with more info, like geographic, size preferences. Is there a sport you might get recruited for, or even one you might walk on to (it can sometimes to help to show you'll continue an activity)? An unusual major you're considering? Without knowing any factors like this, I know Johns Hopkins in MD always talks about their "holistic" review process so someone with good grades, ECs, recs, and essays can overcome lower test scores supposedly.</p>
<p>I'm sorry that your parents are putting so much pressure on you. My advice would be to sit down with your guidance counselor and develop a realistic list of schools that others from your school with similar stats have been admitted to in the past. You may also want to talk to your coaches to see if you have the athletic skills to be recruited at some some schools (assuming, of course, you're interested in playing in college) Then, arrange a meeting between your parents and the guidance counselor and let them get a more realistic appraisal of your chances. I would also encourage your parents to come here to College Confidential and talk to other parents -- that may help them develop more realistic expectations and gain a greater understanding of the excellent education available at many schools, not just the more selective ones.</p>
<p>For yourself, I would focus on figuring out more about what you are looking for in a college besides just pleasing your parents with its prestige. I think if you can make a clear case for your parents as to why certain colleges are good fits for you, they may be more willing to consider other options. </p>
<p>I myself think it is fine to aim high as long as you have a solid foundation of schools in place first. I think if your parents talk to your guidance counselor, they will hear the same thing. :)</p>
<p>goblue: does your name imply that you are a U of MI fan? Did you apply there? </p>
<p>Let us know a bit about your interests, the type of school you think you might want, the sports you play (and if you would like to continue), what you like to do, what you think you might want to do when you grow up, etc. Maybe we can suggest a few places to look into as a starting point. Also, did you take the ACT?</p>
<p>Carolyn's advice is good, assuming you have a good guidance counselor. Unfortunately, there are many schools whose counselors leave much to be desired. You could give yours a chance, though!</p>
<p>Are you currently a senior? If so, you should work fast on this. The holiday break is a great time to do some research & get some apps going.</p>