What caliber schools should I be looking at?

Applying to College
1

<p>I feel like I have decent stats, just don't know if I want to be looking at good schools, or REALLY good schools... Mainly, my SAT scores are not on par with my GPA and AP scores and I want to know if that will stop me from getting accepted into top tier schools (Ivies, Stanford, etc.) I will be graduating high school June 2013</p>

<p>GPA 4.0/4.0 7classes/yr
Weighted ~ 4.5/4.0
Class Rank: Definitely top 10%, maybe top 5%.</p>

<p>Sophomore year:
AP World Hist, AP Stats, Honors PreCalc, Honors English, 3 other classes.</p>

<p>Junior Year:
AP Psych, AP Calc AB, AP Micro/Macro Economics, AP Bio, English, US History, Marketing</p>

<p>Senior Year:
AP Physics B, AP Calc BC, AP Env Sci, AP American Gov, Adv Marketing, PE, English</p>

<p>AP Scores: 5's in everything except: Biology & Psych - 4. (and senior classes, obviously)
SAT - 2010 (600R, 680W, 730M)
SATII - Bio-M: 670 Math II: 730</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
4 Year Varsity Swim
DECA
100+ Hours Comm Service
Key Club
Swim Instructor Job at YMCA 12hr/wk
Swim Captain
Business Club Co-Founder</p>

<p>I expect an average/slightly above average letter of rec from my teachers.</p>

<p>Given a decent college essay and my GPA/APscores/extracurriculars should that balance out my less than stellar SAT scores?</p>

2

<p>I am also taking the ACT this weekend… Hoping for at least a 33. And I’m in Honor Society as well.</p>

3

<p>Unfortunately, for top-tier schools (Ivies, for example) test scores are just as important as GPA. Academics is always given preference over everything else. The problem at top-tier schools is that there are still too many people for too little space after everyone with less than acceptable academics is eliminated, so that is why you have to have the entire package if you are trying to be competitive in top-tier school admissions. I recommend you sign up for the soonest SAT/ACT plus Writing and break 2200 superscored on the SAT or 33 for the ACT plus Writing. You will probably need the scores sent to your early decision college without being able to see them.</p>

<p>I noticed you wrote “English” and “U.S. History.” If you meant to write AP before them then you are fine, but if you took regulars classes that will mark you down hard at top schools. They do expect you to take the most difficult classes available, especially for your core classes, if you want to be competitive in their admissions.</p>

<p>Your extracurriculars are adequate but not “impressive” to top college admissions. If you had the whole package though, grades/test scores/EC’s/good rec letters/good essay, you would at least have a 15% chance or so instead of a 8% chance at Harvard, for example. It’s still very likely though that they will choose someone else who has done something more “impressive” than you such as started a business, interned at some super elite place, cured a disease, built houses for Africans, won an Intel contest or some other giant contest, etc. But if you are a first generation college student, hispanic or black or native american, impoverished, or wealthy enough to pay all of your tuition upfront without financial aid, then you are in luck because any of those things dramatically increase your admissions chances.</p>

<p>By the way, I would not advise that you submit any SAT II scores lower than 700. You may have enough time to both retake the SAT and retake/take new SAT IIs a month later by the due date of RD applications. </p>

<p>Keep in mind your application is acceptable for schools with acceptance rates of around 50% (probably) but if you want to get any more “elite” than that, you need a better college admissions test score. If you can’t improve your test score, I would recommend applying early decision to a college like BU. </p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

4

<p>Got a 33 on my ACT.</p>

5

<p>You should apply to some schools from each level of competitiveness. No one is a shoe-in for Stanford. You need some “match” schools and some safeties. Your SAT scores are not top 25% for Stanford. Are you being actively recruited by any swimming coaches? Sometimes that can get you a tip at some schools.</p>

6

<p>600 CR is a killer for Ivies, Stanford, and similar super-selectives. If you have a 33 ACT, I would suggest that you submit that instead.</p>

<p>I echo Haletonford’s comments and advice.</p>