Please help. Poorly ranked high school-- Will it affect my chances?

<p>How hard is the math for economics exactly?
I thnk i can deal with formulas.
I am just sort of bad at visualizing free body diagrams…which i have to do in AP physics</p>

<p>According to Cornell this is what you would need to be able to do to major in econ.
<a href=“http://www.arts.cornell.edu/econ/undergrad/math_page.pdf[/url]”>http://www.arts.cornell.edu/econ/undergrad/math_page.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>thanks for the liink.
that definitely doesnt look bad!
good. im going to start doing more research on economics.
right now i only know the general concepts.</p>

<p>Best of luck and congratulations on your accomplishments!
We are all rooting for you and I think Gtown and NYU will, too.
Relax about your HS–you can’t change it and colleges will give you credit for not having had the best prep for SATS.
If you like GTown and NYU, how about Penn and Columbia?
Note that many schools anxious to boost their URM enrollment will offer you substantial merit aid. If your GC is not that helpful (often the case at many highly ranked NJ high schools, too), PM CC people. </p>

<p>Your plans for Summer jobs and courses sound excellent</p>

<p>Regarding the original question - my two daughters got into Harvard from a low-rated public HS, and I’ve always felt that they were aided in that effort by their demonstration of how they went to extra lengths to overcome the low levels of resources they had at school. It may be helpful for you to keep a list of what you’ve done to supplement your HS’s limitations and plan to share that on your applications.</p>

<p>Re: your SATs, I don’t think you need above 2000 to get into NYU. My niece got in with a 93 and an 1820, and I know at least two kids who got in with 27 ACTs.</p>

<p>gadad, Is your family a URM? I hope you don’t mind me asking. (If you do, just ignore me.) the reason i’m asking is i’m from a hs that’s really not great but i’m not a minority. i’d appreciate some words. i hope to get in to Harvard or another ivy. i’m willing to make extra effort but…</p>

<p>Wahkimoocow, have you also visited the SAT Prep section of College Confidential? There, look up the “xiggi method” to see if that helps. Research the College Board website to take their practice tests. When you read other CC posts by students, try to ignore bragging, realizing it’s a confidential site so sometimes people, um, stretch the truth. Just look for the tips; ignore the attitudes if they rub you the wrong way. You might find others to share as you study for upcoming SAT and AP tests over there, a little cyber-study-group.</p>

<p>My older 2 kids, who attended a very low-ranked rural public high school offering only 1 AP, did fine on college admissions by distinguishing themselves as individuals within that environment. It sounds as though you are doing that, too.
Commendable! </p>

<p>When you write your application, carve out a lot of time to write good personal essays and short answer questions. You don’t have to write a bad word about your school environment. Admissions officers will look at a transcript the school sends with stats about itself, and they’ll see if you did the best possible within that environment. Where you attend school is an accident of birth; what you do with it is within your power. How you took advantage of available opportrunities to you (even if they were slim) interests college admissions officers, because that’s what you’ll do once at college where there are more offerings. When you develop your essays, “show don’t tell” that you have exhibited work ethic, initiative, pluck, and determination in your current environment. The readers of the apps will put it all together to get a whole picture of you and what you could do once on their campus. </p>

<p>Many students claim that this site helps them more than their guidance counselors. Often you end up bringing your direction to the GC and just look for GC to process the paperwork for you. </p>

<p>When it comes time, write a killer essay! You already have a direct writer’s voice that communicates well. But when you apply, carve out time to write and rewrite drafts; have someone at school check them for grammar/spelling/syntax.</p>

<p>wahkim,
You’ve gotten lots of great advice and encouragement. I have a question about the “proctored SAT” that you took. Was it given by a test prep company like Kaplan or Princeton Review, or was it an actual SAT? If the former, I would be careful about believing the results. Your level may be higher than those scores indicate, but they could be lower. An important “trick” to doing better on the test is becoming more and more familiar with the types of test questions. If you are going to practice for the SAT I and SAT II’s, be sure to buy the “Blue Books,” the test prep books which are put out by the College Board. They are the only books which have real SAT tests in them. Also, go onto the CollegeBoard web site and sign up for the “SAT Question of the Day.” Try this link for free practice. [SAT</a> Practice - Prepare with Official SAT Test Prep Questions](<a href=“The SAT – SAT Suite | College Board”>The SAT – SAT Suite | College Board) Please come back here to ask as many questions as you’d like. Many kids have the same problem that you do-a clueless GC.</p>

<p>Another question-did you take the PSAT in October of this year? If so, and you know your score, would you mind sharing it with us?</p>

<p>Finally, I think it would be a good idea if you took the SAT this spring in either May or June and two SAT II’s in the other month. You can retake the SAT’s in October, November or December of your senior year. You can also take one more SAT II during the fall, but as someone previously pointed out, there are only two colleges which still require 3 SAT II’s.</p>

<p>THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE WONDERFUL AND VERY HELPFUL RESPONSES!!!</p>

<p>I feel a bit better now about the whole process now.</p>

<p>The test was an actual SAT test that given in 2008.
I did take the PSATs but due to the disorganization of the incompetent guidance counselors in my school, the scores have been misplaced…really sad.</p>

<p>And thanks for the advice about the SATs and I surely will use this site A LOT more.</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

<p>Would the College Board have your PSAT results?</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I would take NYU off of the list (gotta dream a new dream). They do not meet 100% demonstrated need and even if you were to get their top scholarship, it will most likely still be finacially out of reach for your family.</p></li>
<li><p>Is your GPA weighted or unweighted? Learn to work in terms of unweighted GPAs because at highly selective schools there is already an expectation that you are taking the most rigerous courses that your school offers and that you are doing well.</p></li>
<li><p>go to [The</a> National Center for Fair & Open Testing | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org%5DThe”>http://www.fairtest.org) and also complie a list of SAT optional schools.</p></li>
<li><p>gotta be willing to spread your wings a little bit. This means have some schools outside of the northeast. (there will be a lot of URMs applying from NY & NJ).</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t sleep on the women’s colleges especially because they have a history of being committed to educating low income and minority women. Especially look at Smith and Mount Holyoke</p></li>
<li><p>in addition to questbridge, sign up for the venture scholars program [Ventures</a> Scholars Program - <a href=“http://www.venturescholar.org%5B/url%5D”>www.venturescholar.org](<a href=“http://www.venturescholar.org%5DVentures”>http://www.venturescholar.org)</a></p></li>
</ol>

<p>7 check out entomom’s & keillexandra’s thread on Diversity weekend opportunities</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/hispanic-students/645766-diversity-weekend-opportunities.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/hispanic-students/645766-diversity-weekend-opportunities.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<ol>
<li> Don’t eliminate Howard or Spelman from your list, because you in striking range of getting merit $$ from Howard (right now you are in the free tuition and fee range. raise scores a little more you could possibly swing a free ride)</li>
</ol>

<p>[Grants</a>, Scholarships & Fellowships - Howard University](<a href=“http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/grants_scholarships.htm#Freshman]Grants”>http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/grants_scholarships.htm#Freshman)</p>

<ol>
<li> you will find a lot of information on the Revival of Middle Class Black Posters thread</li>
</ol>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/468512-revival-middle-class-black-posters.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/468512-revival-middle-class-black-posters.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>hope this helps</p>

<p>Sybbie offers much excellent advice, but I would not take NYU off your list; instead just realize it may be a financial problem. I would add Bryn Mawr to the list of women’s colleges to consider, as it is beautiful, an excellent, caring school, and its being next to, and sharing classes with, Haverford, makes it seem coed.</p>

<p>Howard and Spellman are fine schools, but you are the best judge of whether you want to go to a school with a very high African American population, just as you are the best judge of whether a school with a very small number of African Americans would be comfortable. You may wish to visit one of each and compare.</p>