<p>hi, I have been reading some of these "what are my chances" threads and they are starting to scare me. My teachers have always told me I can go anywhere I want, but I have never done much community service or started an organization or any of these fantastic accomplishments so many people here have on their threads! I am a junior so I am not about to apply yet but I have been working on my college list and my counselor, parents, teachers, are recommending schools I am beginning to think are a little out of my league. Here are some stats and I would really like some opinions about whether I really can go to a great school. I am not looking to get into Harvard, now guys- I just want to go somewhere better than the 2 state universities in Mississippi. Several people have told me to look at Washington and Lee, Sewanee, Texas A & M, and even Rice. Problem is I have no solid idea of what I want to major in--if i had to pick something in English, journalism, int'l affairs, etc. I am not so much looking to get into a particular college for now as for some help deciding if I even qualify. so here goes...</p>
<p>female, white, mississippi
gpa (unweighted)-3.8
rank- my school does not rank
act- 31 my sophomore year, plan to retake this year
sat- not taken yet
psat- 201 as a sophomore, also taking again this year
AP's- taking 4 this year; English IV; Physics; Euro Hist; US Hist</p>
<p>mu alpha theta (9-)
jr/sr beta (9-)
varsity basketball team (9-)
FCA (10-)
State science fair overall winner
Spelling Bee school winner 5 yrs, district winner 1, state 1
Academic Betterment Competition 2 yrs running, placed once
Mathcounts, local winner
TARS (10-)
First Priority (11-)
4-H cattlemens (7 yrs), horsemens (5 yrs), and modeling (2 yrs) clubs</p>
<p>I have participated but never really had any leadership roles in these organizations. Also my school is small and very young and does not offer a wide variety of classes. I will only have taken 5 AP classes when I graduate, but they are the only 5 available! I have taken correspondence courses to get ahead in English and History, but I don't really have a lot of advanced classes left to take. I will probobly be in art, chorus, etc. my senior year. Also my basketball team practice takes up one of my six class periods and has since 8th grade, so I really just do not have a chance to take every class.
Can I make it higher than the state university?</p>
<p>I will only have taken 5 AP classes </p>
<p>your lucky my school only offers 2 AP classes and it's like 50 years old.</p>
<p>how are you getting the other 3?</p>
<p>redbricks-he was quoting YOU. LOL.</p>
<p>You look good . My daughter had the same kind of early PSAT score but did much better on the real PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT. I would believe you would do the same. You may find yourself a National Merit Finalist . Mississippi usually takes a 202 or thereabouts to qualify.</p>
<p>Don't get discouraged.You are in really great shape. Where do you want to go? Your present track will make all but the top few schools reasonable shots for you. Not all matches but all reasonable.</p>
<p>For the tip of the top look into EPGY courses from Stanford (or other on-line courses). You'll find something to augment what looks like a slackard senior year. The top schools really want to see you continuing to strive for an education. My kid is taking two online courses her senior year-a sophomore Brit Lit and Calculus 2 and 3, plus a college economics course, and a college government course .Y'all have many similarities! She has also been a varsity bballer since freshman year.</p>
<p>As to the volunteer side, you are making it too hard. You don't have to cure cancer. Find a need in your community and fill it. That's all. Look at a problem in a new way and provide a solution. D stresssed forever and then one day while she was volunteering at the hospital she defined a need that could raise a few dollars, have a few meetings, write a few letters , and provide resources to help fix. You're in Mississippi. There's something you can do. It'll come to you if you are open to it.</p>
<p>Tell us what you want in a school, but my answer will probably be the same- if you take advantage of the opportunities in front of you, and make an extra effort to search out new opportunities, every school CAN BE a possible. Even then, lottery schools will still be lottery schools for an un-hooked BWRK, even one from Mississippi. JMO.</p>
<p>redbricks, there are additional AP classes available on-line from many programs like Northwestern U, Johns Hopkins, etc. You can get information about available on-line AP classes on collegeboard.com under the AP section. Don't forget that you will have a definite tip factor coming from Mississippi which doesn't send many students to top liberal arts colleges or universities. Keep your grades up and good luck!</p>
<p>thank you both SO MUCH!
I have never even heard of taking AP classes online and I will certainly look into that! Meanwhile I will go dig myself a hole for that "how are you getting the other 3" question. :)
I am really don't have a lot of requirements for the school I attend. Right now I am just trying to get an idea what is possible and start narrowing down a list. The main thing I am looking for is a real challenge. Most of the people with anything over a C average in my high school will be getting scholarships to Mississippi State, and some people I talk to that are already attending there or at Ole Miss are almost disappointed in the work load. I am MUCH more interested in getting a well-rounded, high quality education than partying all night. I don't want to drown myself studying but I want to go somewhere that will prepare me best for whatever field I choose. As far as any particular preferences:
not too urban (I am too used to the open spaces of Ms, I think I would suffocate in a city :) , and while I don't have to go to a conservative university I do want the atmosphere to be one that will tolerate my being conservative. Also since I have really no idea what I want to do I am thinking I should make sure it is not too small so that I can have flexibility and change majors easily if need be. Oh, and they have to love or at least REALLY like sports!</p>
<p>In addition to the schools that have already been suggested:</p>
<p>Matches:
Skidmore
Macalester College
George Washington University
Colby
Bryn Mawr</p>
<p>Reaches:
Georgetown University
Vasser
Smith
Bowdoin
Duke</p>
<p>Match at Michigan AA</p>
<p>Thanks, I will look into all of those. Never heard of Bryn Mawr, Vasser, or Bowdoin...all interesting names..</p>
<p>also, i dont think vasser and georgetown are reaches, but matches</p>
<p>Vasser and G'town are matches stat's-wise, but selective enough to be unpredictable - safer to think of them as reaches.</p>
<p>ohio-mom, remember that the stats she presents are for her sophomore year!! </p>
<p>redbricks, since you scored a 31 on the ACT as a sophomore, I would recommend that you take the ACT again and do NOT take the SAT at all. Only one or two schools in the entire country require the SAT (Cal Tech comes to mind) and all others accept the ACT. As a SOPHOMORE, your ACT is well above the 90%ile. It will only go up especially if you do a little prep. And the ACT has score choice. The colleges only see the scores you want them to see, unlike the SAT where they see all attempts. Many colleges don't even require any SAT IIs if you take the ACT with writing (which I know you will). You will need to check each college's websites. Some colleges will require 2 SAT IIs, and one or two 3. I would recommend that you take an SAT II or 2 next spring immediately after your courses finish...since you are taking 4 APs, take SAT IIs in two of those classes.</p>
<p>For top LACs in smaller towns, also look at Williams, Amherst, and Wellesley. Good luck!</p>
<p>Vasser and G'town are matches stat's-wise, but selective enough to be unpredictable - safer to think of them as reaches. </p>
<p>Likely Admit: Ohio University - Scripps School of Journalism</p>
<p>As quiltguru points out, don't be afraid to look at the very top schools - you are an excellent student with interesting EC's, and you offer geographic diversity to the North East. Plus, you've got to be resiliant if you are doing 4H Cattleman's ... no whimps in that group.</p>
<p>thanks. the cattlemen's association would be proud to hear that.
I mentioned in the original post that my teachers have been recommending Sewanee, Rice, and Washington and Lee- also Texas A & M (?). I don't really know much about any of them besides the stats US News provides. How might these schools fit with the list posted? </p>
<p>quiltguru: I had been planning on taking the SAT so thanks especially for the advice/info on not doing so. I didn't really know any of that..</p>
<p>also from the original question I am looking into these online AP courses that were suggested and there are a lot of choices. Are there certain classes that are better to take if I don't really have a preference?</p>
<p>When i visited Sewanee it scared me because i fell asleep on the way there and when i woke up I was completely isolated LOL. But I think its kinda low you can aim higher than that.</p>