<p>Thanks for the motivating advice ClassicRockerDad. I actually really like Reed and Oberlin-- I just thought they were too much of a reach for me, so I wasn’t sure I would apply. I’m going to do a little more research and do as CountingDown suggested: look through the 3.3-3.6 thread. Thanks for the help.</p>
<p>OP, what is your unweighted GPA?</p>
<p>Well, even with a weak fresh/soph year…you have a seemingly “picture perfect” upward trend that would really help. With average EC’s, good essays, and those phenomenal test scores, I would apply to top tier schools!</p>
<p>Those college mailings based on SAT’s cause more trouble! I told my kids not to check the box that says they would like to receive info from colleges, and so they did not get those brochures and letters inviting them to apply.</p>
<p>Your parents need to realize that these mailings are just marketing tools, and don’t mean anything other than that your SAT scores fell in a certain range. Many receive these mailings who do not have a real chance at admission, and then again, many do have a great chance and never get a mailing at all. The schools cast a wide net (possibly to get their application numbers up and therefore their admission percentage down) and know nothing at all about the students they send mailings to, other than SAT scores.</p>
<p>That said, you may in fact have a chance at schools that are quite selective, if you can show how much you have changed, and emphasize the upward trend.</p>
<p>I think you should look into a variety of schools, perhaps including a state university with honors college. Maybe go to the library and look up Loren Pope’s “Colleges that Change Lives” (there is also a website) or his book “Beyond the Ivies.” </p>
<p>There are many many excellent schools that would love to have you.</p>
<p>Do you prefer small or large, urban or rural, liberal/alternative or conservative, lots of distribution requirements or a free curriculum, etc? What are your interests and which schools have good programs and teachers in those areas? Do you want to stay near Va. or go far away?</p>
<p>These are the factors that should guide your choices, not arbitrary prestige. Perhaps your parents could read Pope’s books as well. Do you have siblings or are your parents putting all their aspirations on you?</p>
<p>By all means, apply to Cornell and another “reach.” Then a couple of matches and a couple of safeties. With more information, if you want to give it, people here could probably suggest more schools.</p>
<p>Honestly, in the long run, kids like you often do better than the kids who have performed well all these years. Many of the apparently perfect students suffer burnout, or feel empty once on campus because they have been resume building rather than operating on genuine motivation from within.</p>
<p>Failure is a good teacher- corny but true. I have a feeling you are going to do fine wherever you go.</p>
<p>OP, here are some of the 3.3-3.6 threads I mentioned –</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/767118-under-3-6-gpa-applying-top-20-parents-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/767118-under-3-6-gpa-applying-top-20-parents-thread.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/869995-3-3-3-6-gpa-parents-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/869995-3-3-3-6-gpa-parents-thread.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/767486-where-did-your-3-3-3-6-gpa-child-get.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/767486-where-did-your-3-3-3-6-gpa-child-get.html</a></p>
<p>Lots of good advice here. Just wishing your luck, OP.</p>