<p>My SAT I scores:</p>
<p>Math ---- 710 </p>
<p>Verbal ---- 550 </p>
<p>Any chances or commit suicide?</p>
<p>I'm sorry, dragon. Is it the first time you took the SAT? Hey, you still have some time to register for the Jan. test, rite?</p>
<p>Yes, I took it the first time, but I 've already registered for Jan. 22 on Writing and Math IIc</p>
<p>Stardragon,</p>
<p>Are you a senior ? In which case you dont have any more chance at SAT 1 I suppose. It must have come as a shock to you, but there is still time to make any new choices of college. </p>
<p>In any case, the colleges can see that you have taken the SAT only once and in December. Even if the wonder why you did not take any before they will weigh in this fact. As they say, if your app is extra strong in other areas, your chances at the colleges you have already chosen based on your other strengths will be affected only minimally. </p>
<p>Perhaps you would like to add a couple more 'safeties' to your college list given this stat.</p>
<p>Is English your primary language? If not, take the TOEFL. A good score on the TOEFL can help minimize that low verbal score.</p>
<p>Thaks a lot! My primary language is Russian, and I'm going to take TOEFL on Dec.27.</p>
<p>Does adcom forgive internationals their too low SAT verbal.</p>
<p>"Are you a senior ? In which case you dont have any more chance at SAT 1 I suppose"</p>
<p>Why not ? Can't he take a gap year ?</p>
<p>i wouldn't say they 'forgive'. if you get 300 for verbal you're quite in trouble. they just put that fact into consideration. and, like carolyn says, a high TOEFL (>250) will minimize it. if you can afford it, i suggest you send the scores even if the institution does not require it.</p>
<p>Of course, they cannot forgive it fully, but maybe consider it less severely.</p>
<p>yeap that's what i meant. don't mean to be demeaning or anything, but why didn't you take the SATs a little earlier?</p>
<p>I got SAT I prep only in mid-November, so I couldn't to take it earlier.</p>
<p>What other good colleges with 100% finaid can accept me with these scores?
I'm so sad to spend about 500$ just to play with admission. My parents have great need in money. Sigh.</p>
<p>Nobody seems to have noticed my comment, so I'll reiterate.</p>
<p>stardragon, I don't want you to get all worked up about this, but my personal opinion is that your current SAT scores are quite modest in the context of what you are trying to achieve: getting admitted, as an international, to a good college with 100% finaid. You could try to compensate for that with mega-brilliant essays, but if I were you, I would consider taking a gap year, i.e. not going to a college in your country, but instead staying at home for 1 year and retaking the SATs, etc. I'm sure you would do far better after practising intensely, and you would also have much more time to write your admission essays....</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I've no opportunity to take gap year. I'll regress at home. But why not try as a transfer?</p>
<p>hey dragon, now I think you still have a chance, even a decent one if you consider some liberal arts college. I know students from my country who had the same score and still got into Amherst or Lafayette.</p>
<p>Can these colleges give me 100% of finaid?</p>
<p>And can I later transfer from them to Harvard or some univ like that?
I heard that when you transfer from univ after e.g. one year, you must repay back all their scholarships, loans etc.</p>
<p>yes, they can meet your full need. But remember to check if the school is overwhelmed with Russians or not :D
I don't know about loans, but I believe you don't have to repay grants.</p>
<p>Excuse me, but I still can't understand why you can't take a gap year. What do you mean by 'regressing' ? Surely it can't be all that hard to keep math, physics, etc. fresh in your mind ! Give yourself some homework, you can find books with loads of problems to solve...</p>
<p>If you decide to apply as a transfer, your chances of success will be <em>significantly lower</em>. International transfer admissions are very very competitive, and most schools offer <em>no</em> financial aid to transfers whatsoever. Those that do are very stingy. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's the impression I got after researching many college websites....</p>
<p>I checked Harvard's and MIT's sites, they can give transfers the same finaid as other undergrads, so I think finaid is not problem.</p>
<p>After gap year I will not even study in the 1st class, and of course in something like Harvard.</p>
<p>Harvard and MIT may be friendly, but they're a minority. What if they don't accept you ?</p>
<p>Anyway, the choice is entirely yours, but frankly, I would be a bit worried if I couldn't retain my knowledge for just 1 year... And you really should do something about your verbal skills... I must confess I've had some difficulty in understanding what you were trying to say in your last post.</p>
<p>Well, I wish you good luck in your quest...</p>
<p>well, I think dragon is quite clear. He definitely wants to go to Harvard or MIT, freshman or transfer. and goc9000, pls, be a bit more understanding. everyone has his problem. I wouldn't take a gap year, either. It's a disaster in my country.</p>