I’m Asian (no, I’m not smart at all), which I know will lower my chances of getting into a reach school and since my scores are so bad, my reach school is BU (SAT 1300 - 14whatever) and I also really love it. It’s almost ED deadline and I’m wondering if I should ED there.
SAT: 1280 (I know 
)
GPA: 3.6 (unweighted - last year, I’m doing better this year)
In return, I’ve been doing volunteer work, community work, ran a language event club-type and participated in sports… And maybe have a dope a$$ common app essay + working on the BU 250 words essay rn… Also, I heard not asking for financial aid increases chances so yah…
The results come out on Dec 15th and I might be hard broken for Christmas.
So what do you think? 
What I would normally say: You haven’t mentioned finances. Do you need aid/need to compare aid packages? If you are full pay or almost, and it’s really your number one choice, then ED is probably your best chance of getting in. If there is any doubt about it either being your number one, or if you need to compare aid packages, then ED is not a good idea.
What I feel compelled to add in your case: it doesn’t look like you’ve done enough research into BU. The middle 50 SAT is not “1300-14whatever”, it is 1420-1530. That makes your SAT look even lower on a relative basis than you think it is. So if it is your number one and finances are not an issue - then again, apply. But be very realistic that the chances are really not good, and make sure you have your other applications prepped and ready to go for the RD deadlines. (Putting in some other apps on rolling admissions or unrestricted EA to other colleges at the same time as you apply to BU is not a bad idea either.) What are your match and safety schools?
I think it depends somewhat on the strength of your high school and course rigor.
For our high school, Naviance shows acceptances with 1210, 1280, and 1310 SATs. However, all GPAs were above 92 (2 were above 96).
@kidzncatz Those with low test sores reported on Naviance often have a hook, which the OP does not have.
If you select the CGS option at BU your chances would be increased.
@SJ2727 Thanks for the reply 
I can work my way around financial stuff… My match (still a little reach) is NC State and my safeties are ones with high acceptance rates. If I can find somewhere I really like with lower standards, do you think I should ED there instead? I’m EA - ing to a bunch of other schools so I’m not worried about not going to college.
Also, my mom told me to retake the SATs but it’s the third time I took it and my schoolwork is piling up so I don’t think I’m going to take it again.
Echo @TomSrOfBoston ‘s comments about interpreting naviance.
Another caution with using naviance history is that schools like BU have been getting increasingly competitive, and what was ok just a few years ago looks too low now. I don’t remember the actual data, but I do know that when we attended a BU presentation on a college tour during spring last year, the numbers were noticeably lower than what the data for class of 2023 have turned out to be (SAT scores above, and ACT 32-35).
(Edit: just checked CDS. As a comparator, the fall 2015 class’s middle 50 ACT was 27-31. )
@someonehelp “If I can find somewhere I really like with lower standards, do you think I should ED there instead?”
People have different opinions on the use and value of ED. Some people use it strategically. I am personally in the camp that believes you should only apply ED if you absolutely love the school and won’t have any second or ‘what if” thoughts about going there.
Before you ED anywhere, you need to run the NPC (Net Price Calculator) and make sure that you and your parents are okay with the results. If the NPC shows a cost that you cannot afford, then I would not ED. It would be best to avoid debt if you possibly can, and only take on debt if (i) you are in an employable major without any graduate school needed; and (ii) you have a very realistic plan to pay it back.
At least for us, BU was tied with NEU as by far the most expensive university that either daughter was accepted to. Everything else was at least $100,000 less over four years. That is a lot of money. Since both daughters ended up with coop or work opportunities that required a car, it was good that we had saved the $100,000. In the end the coop or part time work opportunities were far more valuable than the difference between any two good universities.
IMHO taking the SAT three times is plenty. I don’t see any reason that you would expect to do better the fourth time.
By the way, when I look at prepscholar it shows the SAT range for BU as being 1300 to 1480. You are not very far below their 25th percentile. It does seem likely however that students that get in with a 1300 or less have some “hook” or a high GPA.
There are a lot of very good universities. When I was at a highly ranked graduate school, the other students there had done their undergrad at a VERY wide range of other universities. In my career, I have worked with colleagues from a VERY wide range of universities. You should not be set on any one university – you can do well wherever you end up and wherever you can afford to attend.
@DadTwoGirls prepscholar is out of date…we noticed that last year already during application season. The stats I posted above (1420-1530) were taken directly off the BU website for class of 2023. It seems to me the schools in the approx 30-60 range in the rankings have seen competitiveness increasing by leaps and bounds in recent years.
@DadTwoGirls Thanks for your suggestion, I just want my college experience to be enjoyable but I guess the experience is what I make of it.
I am aware that the tuition fee is skyrocketing high so it’s probably a good idea to rethink. I’ve spent the summer in my home country (no native speakers around) which is probably why the second and third time taking it my scores flopped crazily.
@SJ2727 Thanks,
I actually think I fall in love with a lot of schools, currently, there’s 2, NC State and BU. NC State only has EA so I’m doing ED for BU.
Because the acceptance rate has dropped to 18% and SAT score range 1420-1530, as an ED applicant, you still have a slim chance of getting in. Definately ED to BU if there is not another option you prefer over NC State. You definately cannot ED to a school you have not visited, which is why I am not considering many schools for ED as well. You could absolutely be happy at NC State as well. I do think that working hard at a state school can be just as lucrative as being bottom of the class at BU.
NC state is definitely a reach for you – your academic stats put you below the 25th percentile for both SAT and unweighted GPA.
https://admissions.ncsu.edu/2019/03/21/fall-2019-admission-statistics/
https://admissions.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2019/09/2019-UGA-FYF-FINAL.pdf
You should focus on finding some colleges that are match/safeties for your academic stats.