What is wrong with my standardized testing skills?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I am not your average applicant here. My test scores are above average but fairly low for what I am reaching for. I have typed up my entire student profile for your enjoyment, and at the bottom are the schools I will be applying to. I know most of you will say I have no shot, but I really believe that I do. Call me naive.</p>

<p>Stats
White female, lower middle class, ohio
ACT - 29 soph year, retaking in fall
SAT - 1250 (Math 640, Verbal 610) sophomore year; 1290 (Math 600, Verbal 690) junior year.
SAT II - Chemistry 670 after one year of honors junior year (Will take Lit and French)
GPA - Weighted 4.7, unweighted 4.0 (I have all As in every class so far)
Rank - 3/521
All honors except required 4.0 classes.
5 AP classes, 4 Senior year, 2 did not fit that are offered at my school
Great Recs, essay, and interview (trust me on this)</p>

<p>ECs
2 years Video Club, over 200 volunteer hours
Theatre 4 years, Thespian Secretary 2 years, over 100 thespian points, Acting and Crew work in 14 productions
French Club 3 years
VOFT Leader 3 years
National Honor Society 2 years
Concertmistress of Honors Orchestra 2 years, officer 3 years
Little work experience, babysitting and working at scheduling desk
Attended 6 week-long summer programs at universities for gifted students
One year Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra Second Violin
Plays Violin 9 years
One year in Brunswick Astronomy Club</p>

<p>Awards
Letter in Volunteer service
Academic Excellence Award 2003
America and the World History Award 2003
Honors Geometry Award 2003
Perfect Attendence 2003
1st (soph) 2nd (junior) place local Voice of Democracy Speech contest
Academic Excellence Letter 2004
Enriched English Award 2004
Perfect Attendence 2004
French II Award 2004
Chosen as Martin Essex School of the Gifted Candidate 2005
April 2005 Student of the Month (only junior chosen all year)
Acting Award 2005
Theatre Website Award 2005
Orchestra Award 2005
Honors Chemistry Award 2005
Honors Pre-Calculus Award 2005
Honors Physics Award 2005
Honors French III Award 2005
Academic Excellence Award 2005</p>

<p>Interests</p>

<p>Politics:
Volunteered for Presidential campaign - 25 hrs
Attended 2 National AntiWar Protests
Moderator at large political forum, 3 years
Attended 2 politics-related summer courses at Ashland University
Attended one AntiWar Film Studies summer course at Ashland Univ</p>

<p>Religious Studies and Spirituality:
Attended Religious Studies summer course at Ashland University
Attended alternative spirituality festival "Starwood" 18 years
Attended Pagan Spirit Gathering pagan festival 4 years
Attended Free Spirit Gathering pagan festival 1 year
Attended Sirius Rising alternative spirituality festival 5 years
Attended ConVention pagan festival 2 years</p>

<p>Literature and Theatre:
Attended Theatre Arts summer course at Younstown State Univ
Attended Literature and Staging of Shakespeare summer course at Bowling Green State Univ
A writer of prose since 2002 and an adamant reader</p>

<p>Harvard EA
Stanford</p>

<p>Columbia
Brown
Northwestern</p>

<p>Case
Oberlin</p>

<p>Possibly:
Princeton
Cornell
Dartmouth
UPenn
Yale
Amherst
Baldwin-Wallace</p>

2

<p>I feel alone.</p>

3

<p>You don't really have that great of a shot at any of those schools simply because of your low SAT I and SAT II. It seems to me that most of those colleges will notice the extremely high gpa ( 4.7) and the low SAT and assume that your high school seriously inflates grades. If you want a shot at any of those schools you'll have to get that SAT I up to 2100 and the SAT II average up to 720 or so. Maybe, if you really can't get the SAT up to harvard/stanford standards, you might want to consider applying to UCSD or UCLA.</p>

4

<p>Let's not be mean, But can you tell us why you think top schools will overlook low SATs and no unusual ECS?</p>

5

<p>I presently go to Cornell and I know that your rank is incredible. I think you have a decent shot at Cornell just because of your rank, definitely apply early if you want Cornell, and out of all of the ivies I do know Cornell is probalby the most grade intensive with admissions relative to GPA</p>

6

<p>i agree with sports684, go Cornell ED, but remember don't put cheesy awards on your apps. "perfect attendence?". who the f**k cares about that?
but you are a very strong applicant and you are very balanced, nothing is wrong with your testing skills.
have confidence :)</p>

7

<p>go for it. I really admire your confidence. If only we all had half as much belief in ourselves as you do............</p>

8

<p>Sorry I just went through everything I own and listed stuff for my own reference. </p>

<p>If I am just kidding myself on this whole Harvard thing or any other Ivy Leagues, I guess I'll find out in 6 months. </p>

<p>Thanks to some of you for your honestly, and others for your kindness.</p>

9

<p>don't be discouraged by anyone who says your stats disqualify you for anywhere. they are, quite simply, wrong. They may not gaurantee admission to your choice of schools (nothing does) but you'll definitely be considered.</p>

10

<p>are you seriously gonna put all those awards and festival attendances on your application?</p>

11

<p>ignore the uninformed people who say you won't get into a good school because of your SAT scores. Maybe when you take the standardized tests, you get into a panic? People have been known to completely blank out during the SATs. I know I did once. Don't worry, i'm sure you'll get great results. Keep your hopes up. Always be optimistic</p>

12

<p>Stick with it! I wish I was as confident as you... Just make sure you shine in your essays and interviews and people will love you.. (thats my plan too..)</p>

13

<p>Shaina, you could try just submitting an ACT. It's worked for some people I know. But focus on getting those SAT IIs up.</p>

<p>I don't think mediocre standardized test scores entirely disqualify you and it annoys me that some people say that they do. Colleges typically won't take an 1800 SAT but it happens if the person is unique and rises above many of the applicants in other ways.</p>

14

<p>shaina, your stats are almost exactly like mine, I know how you feel, I have a 29, 2030, and 3/453.</p>

<p>What I am going to do is try to play up my athletic edge due to recruitment for football. Maybe you could try to get acknowledged for one of your best activities. Like the counselors always say, diverse campuses equal diverse lives. I feel your pain, I, too feel inadeqaute about my scores with all the indian kids with 1600's or supergenius 36s on these boards but if they don't have the people skills then smarts don't matter.</p>

<p>I have a funny story about that when taking the SAT 3 weeks ago, anyone can PM to ask me about it.</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
ignore the uninformed people who say you won't get into a good school because of your SAT scores. Maybe when you take the standardized tests, you get into a panic? People have been known to completely blank out during the SATs. I know I did once. Don't worry, i'm sure you'll get great results. Keep your hopes up. Always be optimistic

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Which is why they might not finish it.</p>

16

<p>u'll get in...</p>

<p>don't worry. don't let ur parents worry either. if they start worrying, they make you worry 20x more</p>

17

<p>My parents are just glad I'm going to college.</p>

<p>I don't panic during tests. I usually think I did really good.</p>

<p>I don't know if I will put festival attendences or which awards on my application. I just made a list of everything about me.</p>

<p>I am just trying to remain optimistic. I really have faith in my interview and my essay, writing has always been my forte, and I have been working for this all my life.</p>

18

<p>You don't have a shot with a 1290. You'll need to get that to at least 1400. I know Princeton won't look at anyone with a 1290 unless they're an athlete. As well, if you take it a third time, colleges start to get leery. They don't like it when kids take more and more and more SATs. </p>

<p>Stick with your 1290, and look at a few good schools like University of Pittsburgh, Penn State, and also look in-state at University of Ohio. (You'll get a good scholarship.)</p>

<p>Oh, and if you still are going to apply to HYPS (I don't recommend it, it will hurt your chances at the above schools), don't mention anything about the pagan festivals. It will only hurt you there. The state schools might like it though.</p>

19

<p>Sorry, I'm more in line with bill_smear. I think the problem with your list is out of the 14, including maybes, you have 10 of the most selective schools in the country. I'm really not trying to be mean, I admire what you've done, but you don't have EC's that really stand out. You have to ask yourself why would Harvard or Stanford take someone #3 in their class and 1290 when they can find plenty of #3's with 1500 and an amazing talent of some sort. You should have no problem with Case, probably Oberlin, but even there, we have the poster andi whose son was waitlisted at Oberlin and I think he had 1550 or thereabout, and good grades.</p>

<p>With a killer essay you do have a chance anywhere; I just think you need more matches, like Case, or Vanderbilt, Emory, BC, Wake Forest, maybe Tufts.</p>

20

<p>2331clk, you're right on. shainaloves, why don't you look at some other good private schools, like Villanova, St. Joseph's (PA), Loyola College in Maryland, etc.</p>