<p>I feel like a total d*ck about post #22. Now that I read it, it makes me seem pretentious, but just to even it out with some humility:</p>
<p>Past SAT II scores:
630 Bio
630 Math 2 (Before I retook it lol.. sad I know)
650 Chem (I retook this one too.. I'm such a loser)
650 Physics (No I didn't retake this one)
*Is it bad that I've taken a total of 6 SAT IIs with 2 of them being retakes? lol..</p>
<p>Low SAT I scores:
510 C.R. (Very very close to the 400s..)
580 W (I actually didn't this was too bad, but my essay really killed me!)</p>
<p>How in the heck did I score lower on the Math Section WITH a calculator than withOUT a calculator?? Hahaha, this does not make any sense to me. The first time I tookthe SAT I(May 05), I took the test without a calculator (forgot it at home...how embarassing!), and I got a 750 on Math. The second time (the Nov SAT I test), I got a 740 on Math. What is this madness?</p>
<p>In general, I ended up with the same exact score as before, but my overall composite score went up 40 points...yay!</p>
<p>Just called College Board today, and they said that my scores will be available... on Monday. Argh. That's the day Penn starts going over applications!! It will never make it on time!!</p>
<p>krabble: don't feel that way. I haven't even taken the subjects i tested in, and I'm ticked about a 690/680/640. I EXPECT mid-700's, even if i haven't taken the subject before, or studied for the exam. So don't feel bad. Now, if u say..."aw, 780, i'm such an idiot", u really are, cuz that's intended to make people who worked their a** off for a 750 feel bad. But you have a right to be ticked. I think it's safe to say everyone here is damn smart. I personally think i am very, very intelligent (which doesn't necessarily mean i'm good at math/science ;)), but i have no way to prove it, which is maddening! so don't worry.....we know how u feel</p>
<p>astrid: yes, yes it does. but you won't sink that far....maybe to hill ;)</p>
<p>spazallan: talk to me, brother! oh, well....if we get into penn, we get a fresh start, and can let our performance surrounded by actual intelectual people and in front of ivy league profs determine how smart we are, instead of a silly MC test. (btw: lit...i got a 690....would prob get a high 4 or low 5 on the AP test....two months in the subject....damn! i'm happy, but i just hope they realize a 690 is an insanely good score - though i still expected higher)</p>
<p>even if not....wherever we go to university, it'll still be a fresh start for us</p>
<p>well, I can't do math to save my life. 670 on Math IC......kind of embarrasing.</p>
<p>I did really well on lit (760----don't know how this happened, generous curve?), but I can never break 700 in math.........thankfully, I plan on doing nothing involving math in college.</p>
<p>I just had a really ugly fight with my parents. Brutal, really...made me feel like crap. My dad told me that if I don't get into Penn, I'm not good enough, and I'll end up at some shi**y college close to home with the dumb kids in my grade. There is no middle ground. I basically get into Penn, or I'm a failure. My mom just yelled and yelled at me about how I don't work hard on my applications, and how I depend on her too much.......I just asked her if she was OK with me applying to Boston U, and she said No, and the whole fight started.........Needless to say, I feel less than inadequate, eventhough I work my ass off on researching schools and working on apps. Apparently, though, I'm just an ungrateful brat.</p>
<p>Good times.......good times.</p>
<p>hang in there 26e, you're not out of the game yet.</p>
<p>Helix, are you me? I swear I just had the same fight with my parents last night. In my parents' eyes, anything not Ivy League = failure in life. My mom basically told me that if I don't get into Penn, it's my fault, and I should've worked harder in school. AND I'm applying to Boston U, much to my dad's dismay, since obviously BU isn't up to his standards. My parents basically looked over my college list, didn't like what they saw, and told me I don't know jack squat about what I wanted out of life - that I was making all the wrong decisions. I cried for like two hours.</p>
<p>I think I just might be you........lol. Yeah, BU just isn't up there in the rankings, which means not good enough for my parents. I feel like if I don't get into a top 20 school, I'll just be looked at as a failure in my parents's eyes. It's more my dad that feels this way, but even though my mom tries to play it down, she still wants me to get into an Ivy League.</p>
<p>That's the worst part of this whole thing for me. I know I could be happy at several schools, but my parents just want an Ivy League, namely Penn, because it's close to home. </p>
<p>I just get this sick feeling in my stomach when I think about not being good enough in my dad's eyes. </p>
<p>I wish you the best.....wherever you decide to apply!</p>
<p>wow...you guys have it rough ><em>< my parents don't even know all the schools i'm applying to, lol. they just kind of leave everything to me. they don't really know much more than me about colleges and stuff. my dad is the only one that annoys me sometimes cuz he thinks i should apply to more UCs than just UCLA - he just doesn't get it that i wanna get outta here!! o well, wherever i go, there's like a 95% chance i'll be going to the east coast ^</em>^ i hope you both feel better and reconcile with your parents soon! try and remind them that it's your life and it's you who decided what you want to do with it (or not...lol, i dunno if that'll work, especially if you have asian parents >_<)</p>
<p>It is unfortunate that your parents have a twisted view of reality. There comes a time when you must realize that sometimes you are in the right. Ignore their illogical claims.</p>
<p>sephiroth, you're absolutely right about them being illogical claims. My father doesn't know jack about the college admissions process, or any college, for that matter, outside of what I've told him. Still, he refuses to believe that an amazing applicant CAN get rejected from an Ivy League school and still be an amazing applicant. To him, no Ivy League = failure. </p>
<p>Really, though, I'm going to college for my future, not to fulfill my father's misguided notions. I'm just scared that if I don't get into Penn, he'll just decide that I'm not worth a good school. </p>
<p>yep. just the opposite for me, my parents don't want me to go to any school without merit aid, cuz they don't want to pay for it. they really only accept state schools (which is lucky, cuz that's where i'll be going). </p>
<p>helix, astrid....that hurts so bad. i wish u guys could talk some sense into them. i feel for u guys</p>
<p>WOW HELIX "Still, he refuses to believe that an amazing applicant CAN get rejected from an Ivy League school and still be an amazing applicant."</p>
<p>I feel the same way with my dad. My dad didn't know much about the whole college thing and expected me to be a LOCK at any Ivy League I wanted.... "with your stats and everything, there's no reason why they wouldn't take you" was his mentality.</p>
<p>I've just spent a lot of time educating my parents and explaining the whole crap shoot game. They've definately chilled out with the whole Ivy league thing after I convinced them it was statistically unlikely I'd get in to any Ivy league that I liked. This made them realize that I had to apply to non top 10 schools, which allowed me the freedom to now apply to any school I want. You just gotta communicate with your parents. You could try something like "Look dad, I know you want the best for me and for me to be happy and successful, but let's be realistic; many applicants with stats like mine don't get into ivy league schools. [bull shtit a little here] I really want to get into an ivy league school to and I think its a huge step towards success, but I think I need to have some backup options in the chance that I don't get into the ivies. I mean, I should get in, but there's always the chance that I won't. So don't you want me to go to a good school? Assuming the event that I don't get into an ivy, let's make sure I go to the best possible backup school."</p>
<p>I dno, you just gotta talk a LOT with parents.</p>
<p>It is very frustrating to try to tell people who were aware of how the process worked years ago, about how much more difficult it is today. For example, ten years ago, overall acceptance to Penn was in the 40% range - ED was around 60%. It's HALF of that now. Getting into Penn today is as hard as getting into Harvard, Princeton or Yale was years ago. Getting rejected from Penn does NOT mean you are a failure.<br>
But a lot of families are choosing to save their hard earned money for grad school, and won't spend on anything less than an Ivy League education. Is this fair? IMO, no, but I know kids at the top of my class whose parents aren't even giving them the choice - it's Penn State and then a good grad school - and these are not poor families. I think the tension comes from the confusion of where you draw the line.</p>
<p>thanks 26e; I wish I was in the same position sometimes. Don't give up on Penn! you've got to hang in there until the 14th.</p>
<p>and astrid, it's good to know I'm not the only one having to deal with these problems.</p>
<p>skierdude, I completely agree with what you said. I've had to work really hard to educate my parents about the difficulties and unpredictables of the college admissions process. The concept of a safety school has proven to be especially hard to get across to them:)</p>
<p>i'm having way too much fun with my safeties. i'm snow dreaming. it is a really crappy idea to have to do college apps in winter, cuz i'm influenced by intense desire to return to a "real" christmas, as opposed to the 70 degree stuff i endure here in FL.</p>
<p>St. Johns, Columbia, and Manhattan all look really good right now...</p>