<p>breakdown of scores:
CR: 600,
Math: 780,
Writing: 590.
i know its very poor. i was expecting much higher.
is this in anyway good enough for uchicago-physics, university of michigan-engineering and university of illinois at urbana champaign-engineering?
i have applied to berkeley- college of letters and sciences(undeclared)</p>
<p>I think you are fine with U Mich. and Illinios. Your math score is higher than both their avg. accepted range! U Chicago and UCB will be tougher. I don’t like your username :(. You are obviously a smart kid and remember that they aren’t just looking at your scores. Your GPA, essays, recs, EC’s are all factored in too. Your scores are fine!</p>
<p>SAT accepted avg. for U Mich 2011:</p>
<p>CR 590-690
M 640-750
W610-710</p>
<p>accepted avg. for Illinios 2011:</p>
<p>CR 530-660
M 680-770</p>
<p>Thank you for the reply. i was and still am so disappointed with myself about everything. if it wasnt for my lack of effort in everything except soccer i would be in a much better position i think. this accounts for my user name. 
i had plans of applying in caltech! sadly i have to back off from that now. i have certain achievements in a global scale (like world highest in maths in o levels) but i dont think these matter much as others from outside will the same of not better achievements and great board exam results (o levels and a levels. highest grade possible i.e. 90%+ in every subject in both as level and o levels). my transcript is great compared to other students in my school (top 10%) but they are strict with grading so it might not appear too good to an outsider.
btw i am a U.S. citizen by birth but currently and have been living almost my whole life outside u.s.a.
and sadly the average sat score for engineering in illinois is higher.
i have given sat subject tests btw. yet to receive my scores though.</p>
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<p>UMich and UIUC are both public schools that need to take in a significant number of in-state students, thus limiting their capacity to gather the highest calibre of students nationwide. This supposedly lowers the mean/median SAT scores relative to peer institutions that are privates.</p>
<p>It’s generally understood that in order to be considered a competitive out-of-state applicant, one should score within the 75%-tile of admitted students (~the higher end of the posted averages).</p>
<p>I believe (not 100% sure though) that UChicago doesn’t look at writing scores, and since your CR + M scores are higher, that may help a bit! Good luck :)</p>