My Chances / Please Respond

<p>I have a 3.1 GPA now at the end of my junior year; I will most likely graduate with a 3.2 GPA. I have a 1040 SAT/ 22 ACT. I am in the top 30% of my class. I have taken honors courses:
(H/AP): English I
Pre-Calculus
French III
French IV
I have a very strong extra-curricular background of over 1500 hours of volunteer work along with extra-curricular activities including:
French Club (4 Years)
Church Youth Group (10 Years)
Key Club Treasurer and Member (3 Years)
Natural Helper (2 Years)
Letterman's Club (2 Years)
Community Action Team (1 Year)
Coach of AYSO Youth Soccer (7 Years)
Coach of Youth Swim Team (3 Years)</p>

<p>I have also served on a Governor's Youth Advisory Council in Nevada for 2 Years and I am on the Youth Leadership Team at the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. That is also a two-year term.</p>

<p>I am Involved in sports including
4 Varsity Letters in High School Swim Team
1 Junior Varsity Letter for High School Golf Team
14 Years on the Club Swim Team for my city</p>

<p>My work experience consists of a part time job during the summer of my junior year (this year), and four years as the Marketing Manager to a major magazine in my community.</p>

<p>I have many recomendations from teachers and coaches as well as the principal of my school. I also have a part minority status (1/4 Asian).</p>

<p>Considering all of this, what are my chances (percentage wise) of getting into Texas. Is there anything I can work on or fix to have a better chance of being admitted? I would love to be admitted to this school!!</p>

<p>I would love it if someone or many people would reply to this and be honest please!!</p>

<p>I'm not sure if you meant to post this in the University of Texas forum (since you mentioned you'd love to go to Texas) either way I guess i'll share my thoughts on both schools!</p>

<p>For UT, i'd say that you have a decent chance at the summer program that they offer. It's for students that have stats that are a little bit lower than the Fall admits...other than that they're pretty much up to par. What the University looks at greatly IMO is GPA and test scores -- and yours are a little lower than the University's average. Those accepted into UT normally have test scores of 1200+ (for old SAT) and 27+ for ACT. I think a big reason a lot don't get into UT is because of the Top 10% rule for instate kids; they take over about 65% of the Fall Freshman class, so it doesn't leave much space for other applicants who have strong stats which really sucks. But all your extracurriculars are a definate strong point.</p>

<p>As for Texas A&M, i'd say your chances are a little better than your chances at UT. A&M really likes applicants who express interest in their University. So since you're in your senior year, communicate with them A LOT; visit the campus if you get a chance and take note of that in essays...they really like that. And the fact that you are part minority helps since they want to diversify campus. Your extracurricular activities are stellar and I think A&M really likes that. </p>

<p>The only thing that would be going against you for both UT and Texas A&M would be your GPA and test scores. I haven't met anyone in recent years that have gotten accepted with your GPA or test scores at UT. However, I have met some that have gotten in with those stats at A&M. You may get waitlisted at A&M, but they allow a lot to get off the list which is great. So my advice would be to try really hard to raise your GPA and retake the standardized tests to raise your scores. Wow...this is really long but I hope it helped some! Good luck!</p>

<p>Thank You for your help, it helped quite a bit! A&M is my first choice college, with UT following. Since it is my senior year and I will be applying before semester senior year, I don't know that I will be able to raise my GPA. As for test scores I will be taking them again one more time before I submit my ap. Is there anything else specifically (besides raising my scores) that I can do to impress A&M? That would be great if there was- I need all of the help I can get!</p>

<p>Also, what does waitlisted mean? If I get in elsewhere when do I need to accept the offer by? Is there anyway to keep other colleges on hold while I wait for the waitlist at A&M? What is your advice on that?</p>

<p>I don't know anything about waitlists, but I thought I'd join in recommending that you try to get those test results up. Have you taken an SAT test prep course yet? If you take a good one, you should be able to get your score up. Your GPA isn't bad, but that SAT is kind of on the low side.</p>

<p>Also, I don't know that this is true, but I remember hearing once that Asian isn't a "recruited" minority. There are so many academically strong Asians that they don't need to recruit any more of them. I heard they are considered the same as a Caucasian applicant.</p>

<p>See i'm not sure how I would go about raising it. I guess aside from books. I live in a city where I have to to travel two hours just to take the tests (ACT/SAT). Therefore, there is not help for them. My school also does not have any GC's, that is why I am having such a problem with my scores, and having information about admissions. Any other advice about how to get my scores up? Keeping in mind that I only have one more time to take the test!</p>

<p>About the waitlists...a lot of my friends were waitlisted. What that means is that you're pretty much qualified for the school, however, there isn't room for you because of all the people the University actually accepted. So they waitlist a number of people and wait and see who really will accept/attend the University. And if say you kno a ton of people decide not to go to A&M, they'll offer admission to some people on the waitlist. I believe A&M is very generous in giving admittance to those on waitlists since a lot of people got off the waitlist at my school.</p>

<p>As for dates this is how it rolls...most colleges will want to know if you've accepted their admittance by May 1st. This was what one of my waitlisted friends did...since she got into Baylor she accepted their admittance and paid the deposit (some colleges don't have deposits..like A&M) by May 1st, all the while waiting on A&M. She finally heard from A&M like around May 18th or something...she then accepted A&M's admittance and notified Baylor. So basically she signed up for a University anyways just in case she wasn't accepted to A&M. Yah she mite have lost her 200 dollar deposit but that's a small price to pay to going to the University you've always wanted to you know?</p>

<p>Uhh as for test...my SAT test scores sucked but I bought a book and raised my scores by 100 pts. Even then my SAT scores were mediocre, my ACT score was good enough to balance it out...so maybe a book? As for the Asian thing...yah what timely said is true esp at certain Universities (like UT). BUT! The thing about A&M is that honestly...it's diverse but not SUPER diverse...so for A&M it does help a little.</p>

<p>Feel free to ask any other questions! I know how stressful applying to colleges can be. ;)</p>

<p>Well you definately have your Extra curricular's down. Much more than I had going for me. </p>

<p>But definately take your tests over again, but you already plan on doing that.</p>

<p>I can't recommend any books for the SAT (never used any) or the ACT (the one I looked at actually lowered my score cause it told me to do all this stuff that was useless).</p>

<p>But definately take the SAT as many times as you need to. It took me three tries to get a 1290. (got an 1160, 1210, 1290). Got a 29 first time taking the ACT (then a 28 after I used that stupid book). </p>

<p>So re-take your tests, get a good score (1200s, give or take) and you should be fine.</p>

<p>Edit: Oh, and I don't know if you've looked at the application for A&M yet (it's just the standard Texas one, think you can get it off applytexas) but they wanna know everything you've done. Every how and everything. </p>

<p>That was the hardest part for me cause I did band for a bit, and a required part of it was the time we did for practice, games (to, from, and during) and it took a long time to figure that out.</p>

<p>So you might wanna start recording it/making guesses.</p>

<p>For raising your SAT scores, my best suggestion would be to get the KAPLAN SAT prep software (available in any computer/electronics store) and work through that. After that, use the book "10 Real SAT'S" and do EVERY ONE of the 10 tests in the book. </p>

<p>Just drilling away and practicing <em>will</em> raise your score. I am not sure if "10 Real SAT'S" has a new version for the new SAT, but even if they only have the old one, I'd still do it. It's mostly going to be the same.</p>

<p>For Texas A&M do I just fill out the Common Tex Ap? Is there any other part to it?</p>

<p>No, essays A, B, and C are part of it though but not required.</p>

<p>But the more you do, the better the chances. The more they know about you the better. They like character, not just the grades.</p>