poor high school,chances at top colleges?

I wasn,t quite sure how to title this but i hope someone out there has some experience with this situation.

we live in a poor, rural district in central ny. my S is ranked 7/120,has strong gpa,sats, etc. ,i’m not really asking for his chances, but more like how a college(cornell in this case, my S first choice) anyway , how do colleges view kids coming from adistrict like this? GC said my S had the highest SAT scores since he’s worked there. it is a solid score but not stellar(2210). also in the past 6-8 years, i can only recall 1 student going to any ivy (princeton) 5yrs. ago and 1 student this year going to Uchicago.

would my s stand any chance at an upper tier school coming out of a district where 1/2 kids go on to work, 1/4+ to community college, and the remainding kida are scattered mostly into suny and a Very few into private colleges.

would adcoms even consider a kid from ascholl with such a poor history?

<p>2210 is a good score - good enough that he would not be laughed at applying anywhere. The poor nature of the school will likely not hurt but perhaps even HELP his chances of admissions - success in bad conditions means that the student might have even more potential if given a good environment. With a good GPA and decent EC's he might be able to even shoot higher then Cornell. I'd say he would be viewed favorably.</p>

<p>momof3 teens...my cousin grew up on a farm in a rural area of ny state and got into cornell. he's not brilliant but he's smart. i think colleges look for all kinds of diversity.. you just need to really identify your uniqueness in the essays and recommendations... being from a rural area can be a real plus.</p>

<p>thanks for your insight.we are kind of worried that although we are only 45 min. from cornell, they are busy admitting kids from great schools all over the country. our school offers only a couple of ap classes, but s is taking the most difficult courseload available including a science research 3-year course in conjunction with suny albany that will yeild him 12 college credits (already has 8 of them) upon graduation. bad luck though because all the schools that s is interested in will not accept these credits because they weren't earned at the actual college. still it is THE most challenging course at his school and he is the only rising senior in it. most kids can;t handle the workload and drop the course. currently, he is the senior in class, one junior, and my DD and 2 others will be joining the class as soph. this year.</p>

<p>I believe top colleges would look to see that your son has taken the hardest courses available to him at his high school. It's out of his control if your school doesn't offer lots of APs, or if the opportunities don't match those at LI high schools. If they offer APs, he should try to take them. Perhaps he could take a class or 2 at a local community college.</p>

<p>Just read your last post. Even though the credits might not be accepted, the program shows great initiative...I think he's got a good chance at Cornell or any comparable selective school.</p>

<p>good advice ..your son should also visit a couple of professors in the department hes interested in when hes visiting. try to get the prof to show him around the lab ..like that ...not in a group...no parents.... so they can put a face and personality to the application. send a nice thank you note. ...he could send the prof an excerpt of his research...just anything ... the professor may then go the admissions people and say he really wants your son for the program. id go with the really personal approach. they must see thousands of stats and numbers...my cousin lives in Franklin.</p>

<p>I think your son definitely has a chance at Cornell. His highschool sounds very similar to my own, although mine doesn't offer any AP's. Two years ago we had a girl get into Cornell who had around the same rank and lower SAT's so your son's chances look good. And I agree with the above posters who said your son's HS will actually make him a more desirable candidate.</p>

<p>thanks for opinions---anyone else?</p>

<p>Hello momof3teens. I just graduated from high school and I have to tell you that my high school was ranked CT"s most dangerous high school! We also lost our accreditation in 2001 and had numerous riots, and was riddled with gang violence. Basically, going to school each day was like putting your life in a lottery. It was BAD! Despite this, I managed to get accepted to both Yale and Princeton and I will be going to Princeton. Two years ago, a girl went to Cornell from there and her SATs were not stellar either. What I'm trying to show you is, despite the condition of your son's school, if he challenges himself, does well in interviews (if needed), does extracurriculars, and writes a good essay, he has a very very good chance of getting into a top school. I agree 100% percent with the comments about it being an advantage to your son. I always felt I wasn't IVY league "material" and that my school would brand me negatively. I did not believe people when they said it could be positive until I saw that it was true. I was accepted to all four of my schools, inlcuding Yale, Princeton, and Georgetown and I am positive that my numerous "disadvantages" were used as "advantages". Again, if you and your son learn how to use your "situation" to your advantage, he may very well find himself a student at Cornell. I hope this helps!!</p>