<p>size (LAC, mid-sized, large)
location (region of the country; rural/urban/suburban)
atmosphere (eg. Greek influence, activist, etc.)
any other important characteristics?</p>
<p>I don’t really have a size preference. I would like to stay in the east. I don’t care for the Greek Influence. Schools where the student body are uptodate with politics would be a plus.</p>
<p>That’s the wrong type of attitude to have when applying to a college such as Amherst. Although it’s good that you acknowledge how selective Amherst is, you should not allow that to discourage you from applying. You yourself said you could raise your grades and study for the SAT/ACT, and that’s all that matters: how much effort you put in.</p>
<p>Seeing by your background (Black + Hispanic, low income/first gen), your chances are already far above many of your peers. If you can bring your SAT above a 2000 or your ACT above a 30, I would say that you have a very good shot at Amherst, as well as a host of other top universities. </p>
<p>Do bring your average up, as it is the only thing that could hold you back assuming you take standardized test prep seriously. Good luck!</p>
<p>Study for the PSAT you will take junior year. You will have to bring your score a quite a lot, but if you do you could get NHRP. Then get the best grades possible as well. You will have more choices that way.</p>
<p>If you can bring your ACT/SAT range up to a 2200 and bring your GPA a bit, you can apply to any school you want. Just find your passion, see what schools fit you best, and don’t worry about “stats” in terms of test scores or grade point averages. A 2200 is entirely possible if you prepare rigorously, and assuming your schedule coincides with SAT Subject Tests, scoring 700+ on each of them will only help your cause. </p>
<p>I got a 32 ACT and a good (3.8-9ish) GPA and was recently accepted to Princeton and Columbia among others. Do your best to score high on the test results and boost the average, show passion in your essays, get good recommendations, and I guarantee you’ll be very, very happy two years from now. The most important thing is that you enjoy your time (as cliche as that sounds) in high school. The happier you are, the more involved you’ll be, and the better your profile will turn out. </p>
<p>Excellent, keep up the grades and hit the PSAT hard this year. A great PSAT will prepare you for a strong SAT and will hopefully qualify you for NHRP.</p>
<p>Also, be sure to research the Questbridge program, as I believe you apply during jr year (see the QB forum under the FA & Scholarships forum).</p>
<p>Thanks, I just have a question. Would attending a private shool harm my chances for QB?</p>
<p>Also, I have a few schools that I’m looking into. Currently they are: Amherst, Wesleyan, Colgate, and UChicago. What schools are frequently compared to these?</p>
<p>I’m not an expert on QB, so it would be best to ask this question of QB itself or on the QB forum. If you are on a scholarship to attend the private HS, I’d assume that this would be taken under consideration.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think it’s early to start thinking seriously about a list, you need SAT scores or at least a PSAT to do so realistically.</p>
<p>Those schools are similar in that they are all small/mid sized. However, Amherst is very different from UChicago in that A has an open curriculum while UChicago has the core. And although I don’t know them well, my impression is that the college vibe of Wesleyan and Colgate are pretty different. Because of this, it’s hard to say what schools are similar to them.</p>
<p>Also, even if I’m not interested in pursuing art as a major, can I still ad an Arts Supplement? I don’t see how it could harm one’s application.</p>