<p>Now that junior year is half way over, I'm being told that it is appropriate for me to start looking at schools that I should consider applying to. </p>
<p>Also, I just got my SAT scores back today, the second time I took the test. I did well the first time, but I thought it was necessary to improve my reading score. Here are my scores from both tests:</p>
<p>December: M 770/ CR 640/ W 760 2170
January: M 740/ CR 680/ W 710 2130
Superscore: M 770/ CR 680/ W760 2210</p>
<p>I won't get into the specifics about my GPA (I don't know exactly what it is to be honest) but I'm taking full IB with 4 HLs and Science Research, and this is the first year I've gotten a few A-'s. I do Model UN and I play varsity tennis.</p>
<p>Based on those stats, what schools should I be looking at competitiveness wise? Also, will colleges be concerned about the 40 point drop from December to January?</p>
<p>Congrats on those test scores they are great. Now never ever admit to anyone again that you do not know your GPA. Ill give you a hint…its on your transcript. </p>
<p>Top tiered schools (Ivies/Ivy equivalents) are reaches for everyone, but with those stats (and depending on your EC’s and essays) you might be a competitive applicant. </p>
<p>mitchklong I know it’s on my transcript but I don’t know it for a couple of reasons. Primarily, my school scales to 4.5 instead of 4.0. Also, I haven’t even completed my junior year of high school, and my grades this year are a bit lower than they were as an underclassman due to the IB program and the sleep deprivation that comes along with it. In addition the guidance counselors at my school don’t meet with the students about college until half-way through junior year (about now), so I haven’t seen my unweighted GPA since sophomore year. I think then it was 4.31 out of 4.5.</p>
<p>Colleges won’t be concerned about the 40 point drop. They’ll just observe that it’s quite likely that you’re a 2150 student and not likely to be a 2300 student or a 1900 student. It is likely that unless there’s something you’re not telling us or your essays and recs are otherworldly that for matches you should be looking at Tier II schools. You’re not likely to be admitted to any one of the Top 20 schools. So, convert your 4.5 to a 4.0 scale (<a href=“http://www.wpcsd.k12.ny.us/Page/10368”>http://www.wpcsd.k12.ny.us/Page/10368</a> I couldn’t open this in Safari but it downloaded an excel file in firefox), take your scores and profile, of which you’ve given us very little, over to the SuperMatch and plug it in and see what kicks back. They will be very good schools, and chances are very good that you will be able to find a school among them and the safeties where you will do your very best work. Knowing which school that is or they are requires knowing yourself a whole lot better than we know you. Come up with a list of twenty in which you’re interested and for which you are a match or safety and then come back and see us. Do not ignore your family’s ability to pay the Expected Family Contribution indicated by the Net Price Calculators at several of the schools. It is most important.</p>
<p>I don’t think your matches would necessarily be Tier II* but probably in the Top 30 to 60 national U/LAC category, plus #1-5 in regional universities. Top 60-85 will be safeties where you’ll likely get merit aid (in addition to any financial aid if you qualify). Buy or borrow a Princeton review’ The Best Colleges or Insider’s Guide to the Colleges. Read them. As jkeil said, find two dozens you like where you’re near or above the top 25% mark. Once you’ve picked a couple safeties and a few matches you can add as many dream schools as you wish or can afford. Then, run the net price calculators at each school (since each school calculates differently) and write down how much they estimate you should pay. Bring those numbers to your parents and have the talk about college costs. See how much they’re able or willing to contribute.</p>
<p>You have a the basics to apply to all the dream schools (4HLs, excellent grades in those, test scores within range for these schools) but you’d need an additional “extraordinary” or “outstanding” element in order to consider them seriously (even “perfect” candidates get rejected to Top 10 schools). However, even if you’re not perfect, as long as you can bear being denied, you should go for any school of your choice… after running the Net Price Calculators AND after you have found your two safeties.</p>
<p>Remember: it’s only a safety if you like it, you can definitely afford it, and you are 100% sure you’ll get in. For students with your stats, one of the two safeties usually includes your flagship’s honors program.</p>
<ul>
<li>To me that means rank 45-85 for LACs and rank 30-60 for universities but jkeil may have other definitions :). I don’t distinguish between "most selective " and “highly selective” and consider they’re all “Tier I”. Rankings aren’t scientific, they just give a rough idea.</li>
</ul>
<p>Also it should be noted that my GPA is calculated with an A+ being worth more than an A. So far, under the traditional GPA metric that collegeboard uses, my GPA is 4.0 because I only have A’s and A+'s. However, I expect to have one or two A-'s this year, however I’m not sure how much of an impact that will have on my GPA because of the extreme quantity of classes I’m taking (HL: Math, Film, History, English; SL: Physics, Spanish; TOK, Science Research, Gym). Based on this, while giving equal weight to each year of high school (I know this isn’t true, but just to get an idea), my traditional unweighted GPA is 3.975 (4.0 freshman and sophomore years, 3.925 for junior year). </p>
<p>Will going to a school where A’s don’t translate to a perfect GPA hurt my chances? Or do colleges not care about GPA and instead just look at grades?</p>
<p>Many colleges recalculate anyway. Don’t worry about it… you are splitting hairs, your GPA is very strong regardless of the nuances you are talking about. Honestly, as long as your GPA is 3.7 or better, it is the rest of the app that drives your acceptance or not. The only comment I would make on the advice you have received so far is that I like the Fiske Guide to Colleges best for looking for colleges to consider.</p>
<p>3.9 unweighted GPA and high SAT scores means that your stats won’t stop you from being admitted anywhere, but the super-selective schools want to see more (e.g. high level awards or extracurricular achievements, or an otherwise very compelling story like having started from an extremely disadvantaged family background) and are considered a reach for everyone and you should not have high expectations of admission.</p>
<p>Start your application list with a safety that you are assured of admission and affordability, and which you like. Then you can build the rest of your application list from there. Note that you can eliminate any school which you would not choose over your safety under any circumstances.</p>
<p>Also, at this point would it be worth it for me to take the SAT again to try to further improve my reading score? Or will that just be seen as overkill even if I get it above 700?</p>
<p>Hae you taken SAT Subjects? If not, try to focus on those for May or June. You can retake the SAT depending on your SAT subject scores - if those are in the 700+ range, then it’s worth it retaking the SAT, if the SAT Subjects are in the 600 range, you don’t need to retake the SAT.</p>
<p>I got a 730 on Bio and a 700 on Chemistry, but I’m considering not sending my chemistry. Math is my best subject, so I think I’ll take the Math II which I think I can do well on. </p>
<p>Either way, is it really worth the extra 20 points on my reading just to get to 700? I feel that it wouldn’t be worth all of the effort.</p>
<p>no. start finding some safeties and matches.</p>
<p>is that what you wanted to hear? it’s good advice unless you get a bee in your bonnet later on that you should have applied to Harvard. if you’re not that silly, then no, don’t re-take the SAT if your goal is to increase the CR by 20 points.</p>
<p>So you’re academically in the range for the best schools out there and your parents can pay 60k/year… </p>
<p>…start searching for a list of schools that have higher early decision acceptance rates than regular decision acceptances rates. Pick out a few dream schools, research if you’d like to go to them, and look at your school’s naviance to figure out if you’re competitive for them within the context of your school. </p>
<p>I’m stuck between Brown, Columbia, and Penn ED. It may be worth noting that my mom got a scholarship at Penn Law and has given money, so I might be considered a legacy. Actually, that brings up the question; Is a parent going to the grad school make the child a legacy?</p>
<p>Don’t discount how much you’re competing for the ivies against your classmates. Schools will only take so many students per year from any one school, no matter what they say. What does naviance tell you about your competition at your high school? What do you know about the plans of your classmates and where you rank among those applying to these schools?</p>