Should I aim way lower (maybe even community college)?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi guys: I am getting more and more worried about just getting into any decent college (yet alone my reach schools which right now seem like every school). Would any schools be considered a safe bet or is everything (except community college and stat based schools such as cal states) a reach? My grades are mediocre, test scores are awful, and ECs aren't great.
Note: I am taking the January SAT but that will only reach certain schools so that will probably not make much of a difference. I will try very hard to at least get a decent score (2250+).
School type: Top 300 public in Southern CA.
Ethnicity: 25% Mexican 75% European. I will check the hispanic/latino box.
Gender: male
Income level: high</p>

<p>STATS: </p>

<p>9-12 weighted GPA: 4.578 (5.0 scale)
10-12 weighted GPA: 4.71 (5.0 scale)
9-12 unweighted: 3.94 (4.0 scale)
10-12 unweighted: 3.96 (4.0 scale)
School doesn't rank and my counselor said our GPAs aren't that reliable because we weight easy courses like marine bio honors as much as hard ones like AP Physics C</p>

<p>Condensed Course Description: </p>

<p>Strong Aspects of my schedule: </p>

<ol>
<li>Consistent GPA improvement (4.3 freshman year, 4.7 sophomore year, 4.7 junior year but I took an AP test without taking the course and scored a five and I took part in the science fair which is normally a class and honors weighted but I entered it too late; my counselor will mention these things). </li>
<li>My schedule has become more rigorous by the year especially in regards to mathematics courses. I did not take honors math the first two years of high school, moved up to Pre-calc honors junior year and am now in both Calc BC and Physics C AP (traditionally the hardest science course) </li>
</ol>

<p>Weak Aspects of my schedule: </p>

<ol>
<li>I received two B's in high school and one was junior year (pre calc Honors). I was sick a lot second semester and my math teacher wasn't that accommodating and I couldn't keep up with the material </li>
<li>I have taken no honors of ap foreign language classes. I have taken four years of spanish and have gotten straight A's but foreign language is the only honors/ap course offered in which I have no courses that are honors or ap level. My counselor will still check most rigorous though for my schedule. </li>
</ol>

<p>Senior Year
AP Physics C
AP Calculus BC
AP English Lit.
AP Environmental Science (I hate chemistry and thats the only intense science course I haven't taken. How much will that hurt me?)
AP Government/AP Economics (1 class)</p>

<p>TEST SCORES: </p>

<p>ACT: 32 (34 E, 29 M, 33 R, 31 S, 11 Essay)
SAT: 2090 (670 CR, 710 M, 710 W) retaking in January
SAT Subject:
770-US Hist.
710-Bio E
650-math 2
AP:
5-AP Biology
5-AP European History
5-AP US History
5-AP Comparative Government and Politics (self-study)
4-AP English Language
4-AP Human Geography</p>

<p>Activities and awards: </p>

<p>AWARDS (lacking, I know):
Ap Scholar with Distinction
National Honor Society (12th grade only)
CSF member since freshman year
Model UN outstanding at a small conference
high honor roll freshman through junior year (except 2nd semester)
maybe some speech and debate awards?
Speech and Debate (12th grade only; new club my friend started) : Certificate for SPAR at a really big regional competition. I know, its SPAR, so not that important, but its something I guess? </p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
Golf (3 Year Varsity Co-Captain, 2007 Co-MVP; I have made the league individual tournament every year but have not advanced. My team has made the playoffs the last two years but has not advanced) I do not know if I will be co-captain this year but I have been since freshman year. (Golf is a spring sport)
SCPGA jr. tour (small jr. golf tournaments)-I have played 4 tournaments. Best finish t-16th.
Key club district-(10-12)-Junior year I was recording secretary, as a senior I hold the #5 position in Key Club International
spanish honors society (10-12)
Mu Alpha Theta (11-12)
Science Club (treasurer) (11-12)-I was on the Ocean Bowl team last year and we got fifth at LA surf bowl. I also participated in the science bowl B team (non-competitive). This year I will still only do ocean bowl because science olympiad is the same day so the advisor wants me to stick with the event I have experience in. I may be captain though and I will still be doing science bowl (non-competitive team).
Model UN-(11-12)-Outstanding award at a small novice conference. no big deal
Students Organized for America's Homeless (VP) (11-12)
Academic Decathalon (12; new club)-appointed Co-president and expecting some pretty big awards since I am really good at the category and our school is Div 3 (new school)
High school science fair and science fair that sent students to the intel regional one. I didn't advance. My project stunk. LOL
Speech and Debate (12)
Camp Escapades volunteer (summer program in which I helped autistic children at a summer camp)
I also participated in a golf camp the summer before junior year
probably NHS
about 280 hours of community service</p>

<p>Essay: very, very unique topic. Should be pretty good
Counselor Rec: Hard to say. she writes a lot.
Teacher Rec A: very, very good (i.e. one of the top students in history of his class)
teacher rec B: pretty good. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>ow your fine, 3.94 is not a medicore gpa and a 32 is great, so stop ■■■■■■■■</p>

3

<p>im not. my stats stink for my high school. its uber competitive. The SAT/ACT class average in some AP classes is over 2200. (not joking). last year, the people with low top 10% rankings were heading to ivys. trust me im not. my classmates just make me feel stupid cause I don’t have a 2200, top awards, and straight As</p>

4

<p>Note: they don’t make me feel stupid on purpose. its actually a relatively supportive environment. However, my stats are still awful compared to most of them.</p>

5

<p>Are you being serious here? Hard to tell. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Don’t aim low. From what you have given here you are more than qualified to attend a good university. Give yourself some safety options, sure, but don’t sell yourself short by not applying where you want to go.</p>

6

<p>I go to an uber competive school too and I know someone who is not in the top 10% who already got into yale. You have to keep in mind that a school that rigerous is very unusual and your stats are better then 80% of people apply to colleges, you should be proud of yourself and your state school could probelly be a safety for you.</p>

<p>I’m sure you’ll be fine :)</p>

7

<p>Yes I am serious. I don’t believe colleges really don’t have “quotes” so thats why I am so worried. Here’s how the test scores break down at my school: (
SAT/ACT:
less than 2000/30-you got to be kidding me.
2000-2100-decent
2100-2200-nothing to be proud of but I guess okay?
2200-2300-somewhat good but not great
2300+want to get in an ivy, than history says you almost always must be in this range or very close. There have been a few exceptions but they were like 2270s so they were pretty close or if they were lower they had killer SAT IIs</p>

8

<p>Seriously; Community college? I think its somewhat insulting to say your SAT’s and Act scores are “awful”, if only because of what that says about the 95 percent of test takers you did better than. Surely a mid tier UC, Santa Clara, Occidental, etc should be “safe”.</p>

9

<p>I would much rather go to a community college and transfer to a good UC than go to a really bad school that costs way more money. I don’t want to do either but its the best of the worst.</p>

10

<p>schools can’t see see how other people at your schools scored so it does matter. just out of curiosity what is your top choice</p>

11

<p>What are the schools that you want to go to?</p>

12

<p>I can’t even decide anymore. I thought I had a decent shot at some good/top schools but I am now thinking more and more that I am that every good school period may be a reach. Originally it was Dartmouth (app. donation I know) but I don’t think I am going to waste the app fee applying there. Maybe USC (almost have no chance but why not)?</p>

13

<p>note: USC is University of Southern California not south carolina</p>

14

<p>Oh. My. God. Get off CC…NOW! Your stats are great. You’re either ■■■■■■■■ or sadly insecure and either way, the best thing you can do would be to get off this website and focus on your studies, your friends, or anything else. The only way you will end up at community college is if you allow yourself to have a nervous breakdown regarding your supposed incompetence (Oh my gosh! Only AP With Distinction! HOW WILL I COMPETE!)</p>

<p>In all seriousness though…you’re fine. Relax. Work hard on essays and keeping your grades up. You will do fine.</p>

15

<p>golfer you could probelly get into dartmouth and if you don’t than there is a whole spew of great colleges inbetween that and community college, no need to worry if you want I could come up with good schools that would be back ups for you</p>

<p>and I know this is ■■■■■■■■ but could you chance me too, I haven’t gottten one response yet and it’s making me nervous
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/823908-do-i-hava-chance-lehigh-university.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/823908-do-i-hava-chance-lehigh-university.html&lt;/a&gt;
thanks</p>

16

<p>and yes back-ups would help. I could use a few. Thanks!</p>

17

<p>university of miami
DePauw university
indiana univeristy
just to name schools that pop into my mind
Middlebury college seems like a target for you
edit: I’ll add more in the morning when my brian starts to function again</p>

18

<p>OMG. RELAX. BREATHE. YOU’RE FINE.
APPLY WHERE YOU WANT. Your grades are great, your scores spectacular.
And your extracurriculars are amazing.
YOU HAVE A CHANCE ANYWHERE. CALM DOWN.
If you end up at community college, I’ll pay your tuition.</p>

19

<p>I’m sorry to post again, but your thread is seriously angering me. Honestly, if you think your grades are crap and your SAT scores suck, what about the rest of us whose stats are lower than yours? Your grades are better than most people’s on this forum…and I’m sure you know that. So what’s up with the self-flagellation? GET A GRIP. Honestly, it’s insulting to people who have worked hard for you to call a 2250 “decent.” Are you kidding me? You’re OBVIOUSLY exaggerating your high school…my high school is intense as hell and yet, people still recognize that a 2200 is a good score. Honestly, if you want my opinion, if you ACTUALLY think your stats suck and you’re too insecure to apply where you want, maybe you SHOULD be aiming lower. It seems like the stress and pressure might be too much for you to handle.</p>

20

<p>To Raelah: I know my stats on a national percentile level aren’t that bad but as any adcom will say I will be first and foremost compared to my high school. Case study of a class at my school:
Class: Calc BC AP
Year: 2008-2009
College Acceptances: Out of approximately 30 students, 6 students were accepted into ivies+stanford. 1 student (not of the 6) almost got into cal tech and the rest went to “mediocre (sarcasm)” schools such as UCLA, northwestern, USC. Classes such as AP chemistry or AP Physics C also have the same type of stats. I should also note that my school is heavily weighted towards math/science people. the programs are just way better. As a humanities person, this has also been somewhat of a problem.</p>