Before everyone comes commenting at me saying I have a 0 percent chance of getting into any top school Please read this first.I live in the state of VA. I have a 86 ovr GPA(My school is on a 100 point scale)mainly because of some personal issues about my schooling but I am improving and getting higher grades now compared to freshman year. … I got a 20 on my ACT, im working on getting that score up.Also I forgot to mention I want to major in computer science. My most significant accomplishment I’ve done has been Scientific research on Meta Materials at NSU with a Cornell Student which was the summer before freshman year. (I plan to do more research this summer.) and I have to check but I think they published our research as well. I’m also a competitive swimmer… I’ve been swimming since I was eight years old. I placed 27 out of a lot of other swimmers at VISAA State Champs this year. VISAA means Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association. Next on my list is Ive done several Stem Camps a Test University of Virginia, I did a camp at Wakeforest University, and I did a Camp at the Naval Academy in MD. I’m also currently working on Building my own game which should be finished in the summer. Another personal accomplishment of mine is I built my first pc, which was also the same summer as my Scientific research. I have done some community service at several homeless shelters where I live at. I am volunteering at another one sometime soon. I am involved in a few clubs at my school.I played jv soccer freshman and sophmore year, this summer Im doing research on Sickle Cell Anemia, and doing more scientifc research at NSU. Those are just some of the few things I have done… I think I have listed most of them and their r a few more…
Your GPA and ACT put you out of the running.
It’s not about racking up multiple EC’s. Quality over quantity. It’s about being academically competitive.
thanks 
The one thing you can change is your ACT, that needs to go up to at least a 32 to get in the game.
Thanks. Im working on it, Do you reccomend a ACT Tutor, the next time i take my ACT is in October I believe? Also any suggestions on good websites or resources i can use to study for the ACT?
If you score high enough on the SAT and/or ACT you may have a shot and get the best grades you can here on out.
You might have a shot!!
I actually recommend get the real ACT book from the ACT website or amazon, and timing yourself on the practice tests they have. That will help you figure out timing issues and weak/strong areas.
Thanks sir!
your act is definitely much much too low to put you in the running for any top school for computer science. you should focus on a few ECs rather than just dipping your toes into a lot. if you bring your act up you might have a chance at some of these schools (still probably not mit or stan)
What grade are you, and do you know why your ACT score was 20?
32 is not necessary to put you in the running. I would suggest at least a 30
no, if he wants to get into mit/stanford he needs at least a 32
there is no exact amount you need to get into any college. Most of the test scores they give on admissions website are in the middle 50 percentile. that means 25% have scores higher than the scores listed and 25% have scores lower than scores listed. However, it is good to strive for those test scores.
“Im appying to Stanford, MIT, GA Tech,U of Illinois,UC Berkley,Syracuse, CNU”
I am confused. If you average up to now in high school is an 86, why do you want to go to a university that is at least twice as hard as your high school?
Also, do you know what happened when you took the ACT?
Agreed. I can only speak for UCB, but it’s very unlikely. Please don’t get too discouraged, always apply! It’s hard with your GPA on the lower side, most of these schools start admitting OVER a 4.0
@Kodak For the schools you’re interested in, I’d strongly suggest you google the name of the school combined with the words: Common Data Set. The common data set will give you most of the info you need on what your chances of admissions are at the schools. For example, the MIT common data set, available at: http://web.mit.edu/ir/cds/2016/c.html says that 0% of admits who submitted the ACT had composites of 23 or below, only 3.3% had 29 or below, and 96.7% had scores of 30 - 36 with a 33 being only 25th percentile.
My Highschool is like a college preparatory school. Plus I got to private school. The regular courses at my school tr almost like Honors courses at public school.
“My Highschool is like a college preparatory school. Plus I got to private school. The regular courses at my school tr almost like Honors courses at public school.”
Many students take a long list of AP classes at academically very challenging high schools, and get grades in the mid to upper 90’s, and still don’t get into most of the universities on your list.
Spend more time thinking about schools that are a good match for you. There are thousands of universities and colleges in the US, and hundreds that are VERY good. You can find a good match, but for a student with an average grade of 86 and 20 on the ACT (even without preparation), MIT and Stanford aren’t it.
Since Middle school, I have wanted to go to stanford. When i started high school, I was behind because of the little middle school I went to prior to applying to my high school. I honestly dont know what happpend. In middle school, I had a 3.8, 3.9 GPA and in the NJHS, and I had some other cool academic accomplisments as well. Im not going to sit here and cry about all personal stuff that has happened through my H.S. career, I will give you one example. I didnt find this out about myself until just a few months ago, but I took a learning test, and iq test at a learning center where I live, The results came back and It said my memory was horrible and my math comprehension is horrific. I wish i had done that while I was in elementary and middle school and I would have known how to work through H.S. better and im sure I would have a higher GPA than what i have now. Im trying not to seem like a “soar looser” but it is what is. My question to you, My thing with applying to MIT and Stanford is it doesnt hurt to try, I have seen RARE occasions where a student or two might get into a school like that with similar stats like me, but they also have sports, extra curriculars, and Leadership. I feel like I could have a CHANCE because I have all of those. Ive done scientific research, Im a competitive swimmer, built games, computers, im a lifeguard, the list goes on. What are some more things you recommend so I can improve to make my application stand out from other students who are applying that are in my “Same Boat”? Im also studying to get a higher ACT Score and Im working on writing a Well written personal statement. there is not much i can do concerning my GPA, However, i am taking pre-calc and Physics next year and that will hopefully show the admissions that i am pushing myself harder and harder each year.
Thanks for your response,
-Ken
OP, Are you a sophomore or a junior? And are you working with your parents and guidance counselor to find a mix of target, reach and safety schools that you should be considering? A reach doesn’t necessarily mean an Ivy, it means a school that would be a reach for you. As an earlier posting suggested, look at the Common Data Set for schools that are of interest, and if you are below the bottom 25% then it’s not going to be an achievable reach unless you have a hook - recruited athlete, URM, first-gen or legacy.