<p>It is obvious that schools such as Columbia or Harvard do admit people with ACT scores under 27 or SAT scores under 1800, and I want to be one of those people. I am curious what I can do over the summer to make me seem more impressive. Although I plan to retake the ACT and the SAT, for I have only taken them one time, I am curious what I can do over the summer to really make me stand out amongst the other candidates. Don't mention anything about standardized test or grades because I am looking to add more extracurriculars and outside activities to my resume. What can I do to increase. </p>
<p>I live in North Carolina and I am an African-American. I go to a school based on engineering and biotechnology and have taken four engineering classes (Digital Electronics, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Principles of Engineering) and they are all AP weighted and I got B's in all of them if this means anything. I am interested in getting a master's in Business Administration and a JD in law </p>
<p>Currently a Junior
Played 2 years of Varsity football
Member of the key club (Community Service Club)
Taking dual enrollment (community college) course in high school (Junior & Senior Year)
I will be the SGA Senior Class President
Taken 2 AP classes, but I plan to take 3 more my senior year </p>
<p>Overall how could I improve my college resume over the summer, so my extracurricular and outside activities can make up for my low GPA and standardized test scores.</p>
<p>This is a tough one because, well, you can’t. I don’t think you can really “make up” for anything - you just are what you are. If you have very low test scores, they will consider that as part of your “package deal,” and if you don’t have something else that they feel that they need or something that you could bring to the school that they need, they probably won’t take you.</p>
<p>The hard part about this is that nobody knows why anybody gets accepted. Somebody with a 2400 could have written an essay that deeply moved an admissions officer and that is the biggest reason why they accepted them, but onlookers can claim is was mostly because of the 2400. Historically, African Americans with lower test scores have a higher chance of being admitted than those of other races with lower test scores (minus Native Americans). </p>
<p>So it’s not completely off the table, but you have to pretty much step back and realize that this is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge reach. You are nowhere near the “target range,” but scores are NOT everything. I know someone who is going to Columbia who never broke 2000 on the SAT. Got very close to breaking it, but never did. That said, 1570 and 24 is very low. You really have to bring those up. </p>
<p>So long story short, as far as I am concerned, nothing you can do to your resume at this point will be meaningful enough to really matter THAT much. They want to see dedication and tenacity and that you have been at something for more than just this summer before senior year. At this point it probably looks like resume padding.</p>
<p>I’ll be frank: even when stretching to reach kids with lesser scores/GPA – you need to be having a 29 or so, unless you’re going to be a recruited athlete. Your GPA and ACT combo really put you at in a position to be really struggling in the Columbia environment. The fact is there are MANY African American students who will apply with a much better demonstrated academic potential that you’ve been able to portray. Columbia will be turning down many with better stats than you. Your best route is to spk frankly w/your guid counselor for a list of competitve/tough programs to target. You’ll certainly have some good options. Grasping at straws to be among the last percentile of admitted students to a college is not a wise plan, IMHO. Good luck.</p>
<p>Agree with T26E4. Unless you are a recruited football player and I’m not sure even under those circumstances do you have much of a chance for admission to Columbia. You need to focus on schools that fit your academic profile. There are a lot of great schools especially in your state that should fit your needs. </p>
<p>Yeah, I’d honestly go as far as saying that a 1570/24 is a score considerably lower than that of the lowest scoring student at either Columbia or Harvard. </p>
<p>there’s nothing you can do. Honestly I wouldn’t bother applying with those stats. Those with lower scores (which are still significantly higher than yours) are hooked applicants, meaning they’ve done something to get them national recognition usually.</p>
<p>Recently I got an internship line up with Wake Forest Baptist Health and I will probably have over 200 community service hours by the end of the summer and about 250 by the time I start applying to schools. Can any of this stuff increase my chances into getting into an ivy league because besides this all I have going for me is taking AP and dual enrollment at the same time.</p>
<p>They can increase your chances, but they probably will not offset scores that low. That doesn’t mean that there is no reason for you to apply - in my personal opinion, there is NEVER a reason to not even bother trying. You just need to be very aware of the fact that you are EXTREMELY unlikely to get in. Try to calm the dreams of going to an ivy, because no matter who you are, that’s a slim chance.</p>
<p>logan: If you’re intent on applying to schools like this, I would spend the time to ACT prep. Really. Usually I don’t focus on scores much w/people asking advice. But you need to understand in no uncertain terms, your 25 will end your application without a second’s hesitation.</p>
<p>You could probably improve that ACT score easily. A 24 ACT is ~1650-1700 on the SAT, thus you did marginally better on the ACT. Take practice tests over the summer or take an ACT prep class and you could probably improve to a 28-29, which is low but still possible that you could get in. Good luck! </p>