<p>620 Verbal
740 Math
710 Writing
11 on the Essay</p>
<p>2070 Total</p>
<p>ACT:</p>
<p>32 Writing
29 Reading (abnormally low...)
35 Math
33 Science</p>
<p>32 Total</p>
<p>I am retaking both the SAT and ACT one more time, hopefullly that will do it. I am also in the top 1 percent of my class.</p>
<p>I also volunteer at a hospital in the summer and am extremely involved with my church.</p>
<p>I feel that I am underqualified to even bother applying to the Tier 1 schools. Should I feel that way? I just want to go to college and skip the whole admissions process! It causes way too many fights and arguements in my house.</p>
<p>With those scores, I’d stay aware from the HYPS breed, but lower T1 schools may be just right for you if you can get your scores a teensy bit higher. </p>
<p>Is volunteering in the summer your only EC? What do you do during the school year?</p>
<p>I am an avid swimmer. I have set 4 school records, but that was my freshman year. I used to be very “gun-ho” about swimming, but swimming started to become more of a chore and less of a passion over these past 3 years.</p>
<p>Currently I am on the vasity team and am shooting to be a Captain this coming year.</p>
<p>Also I am in this program called the “Congressional Youth Advisory Council,” which is a fancy name for a group that meets with Congressman Sam Johnson 4 times a year. I have been in this for 2 years.</p>
<p>My sophmore year I participated in a program called “Plano Youth Leadership,” which pretty much was a weekly meeting that taught you leadership skills.</p>
<p>Wait so if you’re top 1%, with a decent SAT, and decent EC’s, only lower tier 1 schools are a match? I can see this guy doing better than Case Western, which happens to be great school, but I can still see him doing better. HYPS is harvard, yale, princeton, and stanford.</p>
<p>You need to be specific, in order for us to help you.</p>
<p>What do you want to major in?
What kind of school setting do you want?
What is your price range? (Are you willing to contribute a little or a lot?)
In state or out of state?</p>
<p>School Setting: I do not know exactly yet… I guess that is what college visits are for? But so far I can tell you: medium size. I go to school with 2500 other kids from two grades, so maybe nothing bigger than that, ratio-wise. I want an active campus life, if that makes any sense, but then I guess most colleges have that. So actually, I don’t really know…</p>
<p>Price range: around 25,000 after financial aid and scholarships</p>
<p>In state/out of state: Doesn’t really matter</p>
<p>You have a chance at Vanderbilt, especially if you raise that ACT. (Mostly the Reading.) JHU is a bit iffier. Princeton will want a level of initiative and depth in the ECs I don’t think you have. Do you live in Texas?</p>
<p>You are competitive for the vast majority of colleges in the country. I would be looking at schools like (in addition to Vandy and JHU) Emory, Rice, Georgetown for reaches; Boston College, Lehigh, Rochester, and Case Western for matches; a notch below that for safeties. Plus, of course, the in-state safety.</p>
<p>ETA:
</p>
<p>Okay, first of all, in the college world 2500 kids is not medium-size. It’s small. Large LAC-small. My (future!) school has twice the undergrad population and it’s considered a mid-size university. Second of all, what does active campus life mean? Just that the school is not a commuter school? Or do you want frats? The big sports experience with everyone cheering for their team? A lively extracurricular scene?</p>
<p>Urban, suburban, or rural? Liberal or conservative? Is a religious school okay?</p>
<p>thanks! how would I increase my depth for my EC’s? I have been trying to work on those, because I know it will give me a bit more of an edge in the college admissions process.</p>
<p>Plus, I am in the IB program, if that helps…</p>
<p>Random, but does being in the IB program help me at all?</p>
<p>God you don’t know how much. About your ecs, if you actually like them, throw yourself into them. When you app, colleges will see that you loved what you did, and were willing to see it through.</p>
<p>Geography: Not really… I mean, I don’t really know yet. I havent visited any colleges really. I guess it really depends?</p>
<p>Fights: Well, my parents want me to go to a really really good college, so everyday there are lectures about increasing my SAT, ACT so I can get into all these colleges. And then there’s a difference in beliefs about colleges and etc.</p>
<p>Tell your parents that Marsden said to ease up a bit! </p>
<p>They want what’s best for you, I’m sure, but at some point the pressure becomes counter-productive. You’ll just have to reconcile it as best you can. </p>
<p>I think your prospects look good, and I recommend that you take as much enjoyment in the process as you can. It’s like shopping, really, and there are perhaps too many choices, but few ‘wrong’ ones.</p>
<p>Haha, I know my parents want what’s best for me and they really do have great intentions. I just am so overwhelmed already that the college process is becoming a drag and something I dread because I know it will bring up a lot of tension in the house.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the tension won’t last forever and soon you’ll be free of home life, probably forever! So enjoy the good and don’t let the bad irritate you too much. </p>
<p>College is tremendously fun, invigorating, and rewarding. Keep that in mind. I hate shopping too though ;)</p>
<p>Sorry, I don’t want to misinform you but I do not know much about engineering schools. But do a search on here and match up what you metioned with some of the schools. Also, take a look in the engineering major section on the board and see where some of the students applied to.</p>
<p>But, I recommend that you apply to schools for you. I know it sounds selfish but you are the one that has to attend class, not your parents. Try, flipping the scenario. Suppose you applyed to HYP or another IVY and got in. You attend one of them for the first semester and hate it. And then decide you want to transfer. You still think your parents will be arguing with you?</p>