<p>Hey guys,
After getting my 1830 back I have just about given up. I'm currently a junior and feel lost. I've put alot of effort into school and have taken all honors/ap classes and have a 4.15W gpa. However, do I have a couple questions about how to get into all my top choices (duke, unc, uva, usc, upenn)</p>
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<li><p>I come from a jesuit school which from what I'm told looks great towards colleges. At the school I have taken LATIN for all 4 years I've been attending. I've also taken spanish for both sophomore and junior year (was going to continue into senior year but school only allows 6 classes). My questions is does Latin actually make a difference on my APP. My guidence counclor went on and on about how much colleges love to see 4 years of Latin. </p></li>
<li><p>I have not done an insane amount of ec's. I'm the leader of the buisness club, do atleast 2 seasons of track every year. But most importantly I work. I have worked at the same job for 5years (by the time I graduate, I'm a junior). I work for 10hrs a week during the school week and 30hrs+ a week during the summer. I know that commitment is a huge part of applying to colleges. So huge that applicants who work with me have recieved letters from the colleges telling them how important it was that they worked. My main question is should I send my boss's letter of recommendation. I know it can be the best letter of recommendation the college has ever seen (my boss is basically allowing me to write the letter...) and it will absolutly own. However, my counclor told me that I should not send the letter.</p></li>
<li><p>I don't really have a hook. Well, maybe I do but I don't want to sound like a whinner. In 8th grade my parents got reported for abuse. For the next 6 months we would have 2 ladies pop in during the month and ask us if everything is alright. I don't want to sound like a baby to the colleges but this has definantly been a huge part of my life. Before my parents were reported I fought almost constantly with them. After they were called upon my parents thought it was me who reported them... They still up to this day bring up how I reported them whenever they are mad at me. Would this be a good thing to include in my app?</p></li>
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<p>I may also be taking testmasters SAT prep course. I got a 1820 on my first try on the SAT. Testmasters gaurentees a 300 point increase on SAT scores. Anyone have any feed back on them?</p>
<p>I hate to be negative, but I don’t think you have a chance at any of your schools with an 1830. Those schools were very popular schools among my son’s friends and I don’t think anyone below a 2100 was even waitlisted. Him and most of his friends are 4.3+ weighted. My son only applied to UVA from your group. He had a 2080, 4.5 weighted, very well rounded with a lot of sports, clubs and community service and got flat out denied at UVA. He was told in advance by the admissions office that it was going to be very difficult for out of state students as with the economy and with it being a public school there was a lot of push from the state government to give preference to in state students.</p>
<p>hmm alright well now after taking a practice act I will definantly get a 30+ by the time I app to college. I’m also going to be paying full tuition to any college that I apply to. Also for our weighting system we do .75=AP .5=Advanced Honors .25=Honors so my weighted would be around a 4.2 using the 1=ap .5=honors. Also I attend a somewhat prestigious school. It is definantly looked upon much differently by colleges than public schools.</p>
<p>My son attends a very prestigious private school too. Their college counseling office has 6 employees who travel the country developing relationships with college admissions offices. UVA comes to his school several times a year to recruit kids, along with just about every other college on the east coast and some from the west. He also got a 31 on his ACT, in addition to the 2080. He will graduate with 10 completed AP courses and every non-AP course taken will have been an Honors course. Captain of the football team, Captain of the Lacrosse team, Student Government, quite a few clubs, 400+ community service hours, etc… </p>
<p>All I am trying to say is that if you are in the “pack” of many of the students applying, as my son was, you have to try and find a way to stand out. I think my son could have spent more time on his essays, he could have taken them and reviewed them with teachers at his school before he submitted them, he could have joined a few other clubs, etc… Otherwise, I imagine his application looked similar to a lot of other kids, right in the 50% percentile of applications, and at that point, you are flipping a coin I believe.</p>
<p>hmm well flipping a coin sounds good enough for me. As long as I get into one of my top 6 (yea they’re all reaches) I will be more than excited.</p>