Panicking!

<p>I got my October SAT result back and I was shocked with the score. I was expecting over a 2000, but ended up with a 1590 instead. Now I'm unsure about which colleges could be my safety. With a 3.5 gpa, I was hoping Penn State would be a good safety, but it seems like my SAT score wouldn't allow that. I would greatly appreciate if you guys had any suggestions for safety schools. I would like to go to a college in the east coast and I would need good financial aid. Thank you!</p>

<p>Take a deep breath. Exhale slowly. Repeat. Twice. </p>

<p>We need more info to help you. What state do you reside in? What do you want to major in? Are you thinking of large state schools with big sports programs or are you interested also in smaller, mid-size schools? Do you have significant extracurriculars? Do you have any hooks? Think thru what we need to know, and then write back.</p>

<p>^i second what jkeil911 says, but also - are you planning on retaking the SAT? Did you take a practice test beforehand?</p>

<p>I live in Virginia and I prefer a smaller school, but I wouldn’t mind a bigger school. I want to major in physics but unfortunately, I got C’s in math due to personal problems. I’m doing much better this year in calc though. I don’t have many extracurriculars. I was in a club 9-10 grade in which I was involved in, I interned for the governor election campaign this year, my most involved activity is dance with only 11 hours a week. I’ve won two state level dance awards though. I am also in NHS and I was in Spanish honor society if that helps at all. I don’t think I have any hooks, I can speak five languages fluently of that counts. I did practice for the SAT, but I did much better on the timed practice than the real thing. I plan to retake the December sat with A LOT more practice. I would like to apply to a school by the end of November though, just to ensure I have a safety.</p>

<p>radford, christopher newport, VCU</p>

<p>I would not consider going to Radford or VCU and Christopher Newport is too expensive.</p>

<p>You might try the ACT. 1 of my 3 loved the SAT but the other two preferred the ACT. You might find that you do better on that test as it tends to test what you’ve learned.</p>

<p>Virginia Tech would be good for a STEM major. A 1590 is bottom 25%, so you’d want to raise it to roughly a 1800-1900. </p>

<p>Old Dominion is within range with current scores. Apply there and get an acceptance letter.</p>

<p>In the next month before the SAT I suggest taking an actual practice test from the blue book every Saturday and Sunday morning. But I don’t think it’s realistic to get a 2000 with one month of studying, so just be prepared for that.</p>

<p>Maybe you should rethink your college list because your grades and SAT is about above average so you still have a good chance with some awesome essays. Don’t stress over the SAT; go in calm and relaxed and I promise it will feel easier. Don’t focus too much on SATs though because you can’t improve a lot in a month, so focus on writing good essays and supplements. </p>

<p>Good luck with your college search and SATs (:</p>

<p>There’s also Old Dominion University, University of Mary Washington, George Mason and James Madison. While none of them are exactly safeties (ODU is pretty close), your scores do fall within the middle 50% of accepted students at these schools - near the bottom, but still within.</p>

<p>Also, an OOS public school isn’t really a good safety anyway - even if you get in, they rarely offer financial aid. If Christopher Newport - a Virginia public college - is too expensive, Penn State is also likely too expensive.</p>

<p>How come in previous threads you stated that you have a 2200 SAT and a 750 Math II?</p>

<p>VA schools, particularly VA state schools, except for UVA, are your best bets for a sure thing quickly. There are plenty of small colleges in PA, good in the sciences who would like to have you if you can get a good ACT or get those SATs up. This list is based on old info, but it’s a place to start: Allegheny, Juniata, Grove City, Franklin & Marshall (no test required), Drexel, and Ursinus come to mind. Each is a little of a stretch for you right now but with good essays and an improved test score you should get into one or two of them.</p>

<p>@jibler That is what I was expecting but I guess life happens. </p>

<p>According to the net price calculator, CNU was a few roams more than Penn State.</p>

<p>Coming from a family who have members going to ivy leagues, I can’t apply to colleges like JMU, Mason, ODU, etc. because it would be frowned upon if I attend there.</p>

<p>I don’t know what to say to that. You have the qualifications you have. You’re going to end up disappointing some family members, but part of going off to college is about setting your own path with the resources you have. There aren’t today too many more seats in college classrooms than there were in your parents’ generation, yet the number of prospective students has increased dramatically. Until the elite universities grow more seats and classrooms, and they have NO strong incentive to do so, we’re going to have this kind of intense competition for elite colleges. Tell your family members to face facts, and then follow your own advice.</p>

<p>There’s always SAT optional/not required schools. Wake Forest is highly ranked and is SAT optional.</p>

<p>Thank you so much for the help. I could always work hard in college and try to transfer.</p>

<p>If your 2000-2200 was based on practice tests, it may be worth it to ask for a rescore. You never know - the discrepancy seems really enormous. If the 2000-2200 estimate was based on siblings, reassuring friends, and a personal hunch due to doing well in class, then you need to revise your list.
If your family won’t let you apply to JUM, ODU, etc, will they be willing to pay for a PG year at a boarding school?</p>

<p>Why would I go to boarding school after?</p>

<p>If your family thinks only top schools are worth it and won’t let you apply to colleges where you have a shot of getting in (for example they insist you apply only to W&M, UVA, Ivies, top LACs where you can’t get in with that SAT score), then either you attend community college (which I assume would be deemed far worse than attending ODU, CNU, etc) or they could pay for a PG year, the goal of which is to increase your scores and make you more attractive for top colleges. PG Years are like a structured gap year for good students who want to reach very high or a do-over year for students who encountered an unexpected problem. Some also enroll varsity athletes trying to get NCAA eligibility. So if your parents want prestige rather than a reasonable, not-top-ranking school, then are they willing to pay for a PG year? Otherwise it’d be really unfair to barr you from applying to schools you have a shot at, like JMU, CNU, etc.</p>

<p>Are they actually saying you can’t apply there? Or do you just don’t want to apply there because other people in your family go to better schools?</p>