Princeton Chances, Please?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Princeton University
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<p>Let me give a little background before I list my stats. When my mother came to American 18 years ago she moved to New Jersey and saw Princeton University, she's been pushing me that way ever since I was little. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd love to go to Princeton. However, I'm well aware that my numbers aren't as high as the average applicant.</p>

<p>That being said, I'd like some advice on what I can do to improve my chances and what my chances are with my current stats.</p>

<p>Thank you so much.</p>

<p>My stats:
Female, NJ, Caucasian.
First generation student.
Attended a very well-known private online high school, it sends students to Ivy League schools and top universities regularly.
UW GPA: 3.86
ALL Honors and AP courses
National Honor Society, and Distinguished Scholar (School Award)
I didn't take the PSAT, because I was in online schooling and that test is sponsored by a school.
SAT: 1960; M: 580; CR: 680; W:700
SAT Subject Tests: M1: 510; Lit: 590</p>

<p>Extracurricular:
School Newspaper, 9-12, News Editor
Literary Magazine, 11-12, Editor-In-Chief, Created the Website
Student Government Founding Member</p>

<p>Volunteer:
Daycare Classroom Assistant, 10-11
Women's Health Organization Office Assistant, 12</p>

<p>Job:
Assistant/Secretary at Bookmaking company, 9-Present</p>

<p>Other:
Started an online magazine, 10-Present</p>

<p>I'm also currently on my gap year. Right now I'm working full time, in February or March I'll begin a 3-6 month volunteer period at a Buddhist retreat in Colorado, and after that I'll be backpacking through Europe. </p>

<p>I think my SAT Math and Subject Tests are my big negatives.</p>

<p>Also, I plan on double majoring in English and Philosophy.</p>

<p>Thanks again.</p>

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<p>how do i make a thread?</p>

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<p>Go to the Forum you want to post the thread in. At the top it should say Forum tools. Click there and a drop down menu comes up. Click post a new thread.</p>

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<p>thank you!!!</p>

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<p>Your EC’s are fine…but those standardized test scores DEFINITELY need to be brought up to par. Good luck</p>

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<p>No chance with those SATs. Those SAT 1s are well below the range, and the SAT IIs are atrocious.</p>

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<p>One question. How do you go to such a highly ranked private school if you’re a first generation college student? Like how do your parents afford it if they didn’t go to college?</p>

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<p>I said they didn’t go to college, I never said they were unintelligent or didn’t work hard. My father is an investor and independent stocks/commodities trader. My mother owns and operates a successful international business. There is a very big difference between going to college to get a good job and making your own way in the world when you have very few opportunities (which was what my parents, as refugees, did).</p>

<p>Also, Nosike, no offense but you haven’t even taken the SATs and my CR and Writing SAT scores are actually in Princeton’s range. Please don’t insult me and say things about my scores being atrocious and me having no chance. I’m well aware that with my test scores my chances are low, but I don’t appreciate the pessimism and your sense of self importance when replying to my thread. Especially when you aren’t a college student yourself, but only someone who is, as I am, vying for admission to top schools.</p>

<p>That being said, thank you for taking the time to reply to my thread but, in the future, try not to sound like such a passive-aggressive snob, for lack of a better word.</p>

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<p>I think Nosike was just being realisitic, despite his lack of college credentials. “In range” would be the middle 50th percentile, which is 695-790 for Princeton. Neither your CR or Math hit those numbers. And yes, they really want SAT IIs in the 700s. Can you retake?</p>

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<p>OP, if you think you already have a gauge of your chances and aren’t willing to listen to other’s suggestions why even create this thread?</p>

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<p>Oy vey…how’d you do on APs?</p>

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<p>Your test scores are horribly abyssmal and your extracurriculars are sparse and lack depth.</p>

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<p>give him a break :slight_smile:
dude, get those SATS up. without that, no chance, dude, no chance. Make full use of the gap year!</p>

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<p>I’m going to ask that no one else reply to this thread.</p>

<p>I don’t have a gauge of my chances. I was asking for help on how to make my application better, as this is my mother’s dream school for me and I wanted to make her proud and give it my best shot. As I don’t know anyone who goes to Princeton, I was hoping to get some help from people on CC.</p>

<p>Unfortunately the only thing I learned was that I have to retake my SATs.</p>

<p>Also, my extracurricular activities, volunteering commitments, and full-time job have been and are very important to me. Please don’t judge me because I don’t have many of them, but decided to select a few and put a serious amount of time and energy into them.</p>

<p>Thank you everyone for your advice, I do appreciate you taking the time to reply to my thread.</p>

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<p>Sorry OP but I have to say something</p>

<p>Give the girl a break. </p>

<p>You guys “omg your EC sucks” when you don’t see ISEF or Science Olympiads…Seriously ECs are about passion and I can clearly see OP’s passion here. As long as she elaborate well in her essays, it can become the highlight of her application.</p>

<p>Bump up the SAT, that’s a given though. Bump up your CR and Writing score to cover your weakness in math. Or rather, try the ACT and see how you fare.
Also try some SAT2s in other subjects…language perhaps, or history?</p>

<p>And use your gap year well: plan it well, execute and add some spark to your app.</p>

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<p>SAT scores are not really that important.
I believe that you still have a good chance. </p>

<p>math scores are the easiest to improve, so just take 20 practice tests straight for 2 weeks.
Princeton offers score choice for each section, so the score you have now really don’t matter. You could probably take it as many times as you can before admissions.</p>

<p>I know many friends who were accepted into princeton and their SAT scores were not exceptional, but as long as you stand out with everything else, you should be fine. Good luck.</p>

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<p>Your tests scores are definitely low, but even so, it’s not impossible. A person from my school got in with a 1800 and 3.5 GPA.</p>

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<p>as for improving your stats, work on your scores and do something unique. Try to find an internship at princeton.</p>

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<p>

Yeah SATs/standardized tests are usually only the second most heavily weighted criterion behind transcript/GPA so they definitely aren’t that important.</p>

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<p>Thank you so much for all of the advice everyone, I really appreciate it :slight_smile:
Based on all of your advice I’ve decided to retake the SATs and try to get my CR score up at least 20pts and my Math score up as much as I can.
Should I retake SATII exams? I’m afraid I won’t have the time to prepare for them.</p>