Unsure of where to go...

College Search & Selection
1

<p>(I posted this in another forum but i think it's better suited here)</p>

<p>I'm confused as to where I want to/can go. I want a college with strong sciences (preferrably stong physics), not tiny (like liberal arts) and either suburban or urban.</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>White male, good public school in NY</p>

<p>Class Rank: Top 1%</p>

<p>GPA: 3.89 U, 4.02W</p>

<p>SAT (new and bombed): 710M 600CR 540W (1850)</p>

<p>ACT (w/ writing): 31 (34 Math, 32 Sci, 29, Reading, 29 Eng)</p>

<p>SAT II: BioM 700, Physics (N/A, expect 700-800), Math IIC (expect mid700)</p>

<p>AP's
Biology 5
PhysicsB 5
English Lang (at least a 4)
Englsih Lit (senior yr)
Calc BC (senior yr)
Chem (senior yr)
Economics (senior yr)</p>

<p>plus college credit for German (through Adelphi U)</p>

<p>EC's
Math Honor Society
40hr for tutoring math students</p>

<p>Member of the Symphonic Band
Section Leader of Bari Sax in 10th and 12th
Section Leader of Tenor Sax in 9th
Scored (NYSSMA) an excellent rating on tenor sax in 9th
Scored a 91 on alto sax in 10th</p>

<p>German Honor Society (vice president)
16hr for introducing German to elementary schools
Award for placing 4th in the region (Long Island) on the AATG test (German level 2)</p>

<p>Baseball (9th-11th JV, supposedly automatically on varsity in 12th)</p>

<p>60hr volunteer work at the local hospital</p>

<p>Umpiring/Cashier as a job (mostly in the summer)</p>

<p>Possible member of the Physics Quizbowl team (need test results back but likely candidate)</p>

<p>Please please list schools that I could make as of now (plus safeties and reaches) and things I can improve on to get into better schools.</p>

<p>(I'd also like to know if I could get into schools like Carnegie Mellon, or Case Western)</p>

<p>Thank you :)</p>

2

<p>Case and CMU are probably not going to be really difficult for you. What is too tiny? 2,000? 10,000? 20,000? Know that at CMU, you'll be surrounded by engineering and drama students.</p>

3

<p>Well for an example, my high school has about 2,500 students. I'd like to have at least 3,000 students</p>

4

<p>what's your range? Is Cornell too big? Is URochester too small?</p>

5

<p>thats a good range, URochester to Cornell size</p>

6

<p>Maybe Caltech is too small. (I know nothing of their size) MIT as always is a good pick. These are obvious reaches.</p>

7

<p>What about good match schools and safeties?</p>

8

<p>Safeties can almost always be found in your own state. You're stats are far too low for you to consider a lot of schools safeties. Why not the SUNY's?</p>

9

<p>Mainly I didn't consider SUNY because I want to go out of state.</p>

<p>What stats are too low?</p>

10

<p>You're SAT. For example, many people can consider Emory almost a safety, but you're SAT really needs to move up if you really want a chance at your reaches, and a better chance at CMU and case</p>

11

<p>What about my ACT scores?</p>

12

<p>You're ACT score is good, but you can't hide your SAT. I would highly suggest a retake. An 1850 isn't so horrendous, it's the individual scores which scream at me</p>

13

<p>Yeah but I though SAT's and ACT's were always weighted the same.</p>

<p>For example a 31 on the ACT (according to Collegeboard) is equal to a 1380 SAT on the old scale.</p>

<p>If you break down the subscores...
29 Eng/Read equals 1300, which is like getting a 650 on each.
34 Math=1540/2=770
32 Sci=1420/2=710 (if there was a Sci on the SAT)</p>

<p>I know it's kinda inaccurate as to dividing the suggested conversion by two but what I'm trying to say is if I did better on the ACT (conversion wise), why can't they just use the ACT score?</p>

<p>I'm not trying to argue, its just I was always under the impression they were weighted the same.</p>

14

<p>id say University of Chicago.</p>

<p>a little over 4000 students. great sciences, in Chicago, an amazing city, and a good matchy school if you can raise your SATs a little.</p>

15

<p>Yeah but that's assuming your scores are consistant more or less, which yours aren't. It looks pretty fishy as is...
You should be fine for CMU and Case. Though as a person in the CWRU physics department, I feel obligated to say we're better. ;)</p>

16

<p>I think the SAT score would not be suspicious. If you apply to schools that take the ACT in lieu of SAT I's & II's, you would be in good shape.</p>

<p>Schools where you'd be sending the ACT & SAT II's could pose a bit of a problem, but not too bad.</p>

17

<p>Well because I did well on the SATII's, I'm probably going to send them since most of the better schools require, SATI or ACT, in additon to 2-3 SATII's.</p>

<p>A question I would like to ask (along with my original question) is if the SAT score would be overlooked for a higher ACT score?</p>

<p>and stargirl what do mean by "fishy"? lol</p>

18

<p>you have to send all scores for sat/sat2 no choice in the matter</p>

19

<p>Your SAT score will look "fishy" because it doesn't correspond with your ACT score, which is significantly better. 1850's not THAT bad, IMO...but see if you can make 2000...that would be good.</p>

20

<p>It's not the actualy score I think is bad...it's that 540w. It sticks out like a sore thumb. So it it sticks out to a high schooler, I think the adcoms will take notice of it</p>