<p>I agree that you should take a prep class. They are not cheap but it will be an investment that will pay off big time. I find it hard to believe that you have bad test taking skills considering your GPA – I think you just need to figure out the test, because there are tips and techniques that will help maximize your score.</p>
<p>My daughter took the SAT (and PSAT twice) and each time her CR and writing scores were good but her math score was mediocre. She worked with a tutor for just a few sessions with the aim of bringing up her math score, and when she took the SAT again her math score was even higher than her previous CR and writing scores! She was actually worried that now she looks like a potential STEM major and colleges would assume that was where her interests lie! So yes, some intensive tutoring or test prepping really can make all the difference.</p>
<p>If it makes you feel better, your problem is the easy one to fix – a good test prep class should definitely be able to bring up the ACT score of someone with your academic ability, whereas if you nailed the ACT but your GPA was poor, you would not be able to bring it up before next fall.</p>
<p>You really need to get that ACT up… If you can get in the 20’s you’ll have a lot of options in Minnesota.</p>
<p>Saint Cloud State is probably the best 4 year school you can get into with a 17.</p>
<p>Get it to about 21 and you’ll automatically get accepted at Minnesota State, and you’ll be competitive at a bunch of others. Apply to the University of St Thomas, they have a free application and have a good business school. Others would be Gustavus, UMD, UM Morris, UM Crookston, SJU (All in Minnesota).</p>
<p>Trust me, you can definitely get into a college, but the higher your ACT the more options you’ll have.</p>
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<p>Minnesota - Morris and UMD are both better schools than St. Cloud State and are test optional, the OP would be better of focusing on them instead.</p>
<p>^I second UMN-Morris and UMN-Duluth, plus Gustavus and the test-optional schools listed before. Add in Hamline or Augsburg if you want the Cities, St Kate’s if you’re a girl; there’s a tuition exchange with WI and UWi-Superior is a low match/safety if you can increase your ACT a little. Luther, Augustana, Dubuque, UNebraska-Lincoln are all possibilities too.
With a 3.7, you could look at even better schools if you could get your ACT up. Have you tried taking a sample SAT test (there’s one on the Princeton Review’s website, but I think other websites have them too). I also second the idea of a prep class - once you’ve taken the free online SAT test and checked whether you did better at it than on the ACT, take the prep class or hire a tutor for the test where you did best.) Work with number2.com, an online site that tracks your mistakes and presents you with problems you have trouble with until you can solve them; sparksnotes online and free for review.</p>
<p>Of course you will get into a college if you are smart about where you apply. Not only are there universities where your scores would suffice but there is also community college.</p>
<p>As for tests, I agree to try the SAT. Not all brains work the same way and some kids do a lot better on one test than they do on the other. If you could get above 1310 you will have beaten your ACT score. Test optional schools are good. We know kids who got into Bowdoin, Sarah Lawerence and Hampshire without submitting scores. I’d also check out this site that lists some schools where your ACT scores would be in range</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.collegesimply.com/guides/17-on-the-act/”>http://www.collegesimply.com/guides/17-on-the-act/</a></p>
<p>Thank you everyone for being supportive I really appreciate it! </p>