It sounds like I come from a similar HS as you (affluent town, 85% of the grade gets NHS, etc). There are schools for everyone, my reach school is one that most students (in my school) would pass on as an average school, but everyone that attends loves it. Naviance is a tool based on just your school as well. The nationwide averages may be lower and you could still have a good shot at getting in (most of them are compared to my HS).</p>
<p>Regarding SAT’s, practice, practice, practice. The CB Blue Book helped me a lot, raised my scores by close to 200 points from my PSAT.</p>
<p>Dont forget to enjoy HS a little, feels like just yesterday I was starting sophomore year.</p>
<p>Do you really think that you won’t need critical reading skills for college (or your career for that matter)? IMO, CR is the most important and telling section of the SAT. Unlike the math portion you really can’t cram for it; students who have been good and avid readers since elementary school seem to do very well on it. I’d suggest you spend the next year reading a good newspaper every day and some serious novels. Practice tests should help you figure out your areas of weakness. Good Luck!</p>
<p>dmc. do you live in new york city? if yes, what h.s.? stuy? tech? </p>
<p>i do want to enjoy my h.s. time, and who doesn’t? but with all this stress, we just take it for granted and all we want to do, which is our #1 priority, is to get into a prestigious college. But when h.s. ends you felt like you could’ve enjoyed it more. pretty nostalgic isn’t it, but if you could travel back in time and u were a soph. again, you wouldn’t feel that way anymore… or at least that’s how i think it should feel. am i right?</p>
<p>I don’t think the college application process is inherently unenjoyable. (People sometimes push high school freshmen away from this site, as though using it is a horrible experience that should be put off as long as possible.)
I like to think about the future, and I don’t think the amount of happiness I got from high school lessened when I started caring about college. But the process is significantly less stressful if you allow yourself to be okay with the idea of not getting into a prestigious college. This didn’t become apparent to me until toward the end of junior year, though.</p>
<p>@halcyonheather… but with all this competition in society today… without graduating from a good college… isn’t it going to be harder for you to get a job? i mean, it does make sense… someone would hire one from, lets say, cornell, rather than some regular old folk from a state university (assuming they are recent college graduates)</p>
<p>MTEP: You overestimate the potential of a “good” college name. It’s mostly regional. Where I live, if you have a degree from UMich or Michigan State, you’re more likely to be favored than someone from Cornell.</p>
<p>Your view of the world is very false. Been there done that. Relax.</p>
<p>“if i apply for student aid or something, is there a good chance i might get it?”</p>
<p>Each college and university has a Net Price Calculator right on its website. Use the search function of the website to find it. If you still can’t, email the Financial Aid Office, and ask for the link. Sit down with your parents, their most recent income tax returns, and their current bank statements, and run several of the NPCs. That will help you and your parents understand just how different financial aid policies can be from one place to another.</p>
<p>“how many people usually apply for financial aid at big universities/colleges like nyu, cornell, UVA, uc berkely?”</p>
<p>Everyone except those few students whose families know up-front that they can cover the full Cost of Attendance each year. The COA at some institutions now exceeds $60,000. UC Berkeley has very little aid for out-of-state students. If you aren’t in CA, cross it off your list right now. It won’t be affordable unless you or your parents win big in your state lottery.</p>
<p>Most guidance counselors are useless for help with financial aid, so go make friends with the parents in the Financial Aid Forum. Since you are first generation and low income, take the time to read through the sub-forums on Questbridge and Gates.</p>
<p>YES. @happymomof1, my parents are immigrants. i just don’t like the fact that everyone assumes everyone is in the same situation. some people have parents who went to college. I had to be on my own to find out valuable info, but i 'm pretty sure if i had college parents then they’ll definitely be more helpful…</p>
<p>:( and… the fact that you tell me to cross out berkely really depresses me… i think its a great school, but it can’t be that expensive! for just a year? tuition exceeds 60,000$? DAMN. that is just over priced…</p>
<p>also, i read off some nyu statistics that people who graduate from stern are usually employed in less than 2 months? and their base pay salary is around 80,000-120,000, averaging out to be a 100,000 (i think).</p>