What should I do next?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I'm a sophomore at a relatively small school in southern Minnesota, and I would like to get into the absolute best university I can. However, admission rates seem extremely rough, and I don't know what to do. </p>

<p>I am doing all of the obvious things that I can. I have a 4.0, I'm getting an A in my AP US History class, and I have a rigorous schedule. I'm in extracurriculars constantly, like DECA, Key Club, the Speech team, tennis, alpine skiing, and other little clubs like that. I have taken the PSAT and the PLAN tests, and I am planning to take the ACT and SAT this spring. On the PSAT I had a 53 on the reading, 64 on the math, and 49 on the writing. I understand that these scores are definitely way less than phenomenal, and I am hoping to improve these by taking APLC next year. </p>

<p>This summer I plan to have two jobs, not including an internship at a local architecture firm and tutoring gifted and talented kids who want to skip a grade. </p>

<p>So far, it seems as if this will not be enough. My school has very limited experience sending students to prestigious schools, like any of the Ivys. Can anyone give me a little help? What can I be doing? I just need some guidance on what to do next.</p>

<p>Thanks everyone.</p>

2

<p>any ideas?</p>

3

<p>It is important for you to do the best you can with what you have available in your HS and your community. It looks like you are doing that, so stop worrying.</p>

<p>What you do need to do though, is sit your parents down and talk with them about how they expect you to pay for your education. Have them run the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculators at [College</a> Calculators - savings calculators - college costs, loans](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Calculate Your Cost – BigFuture | College Board) and at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) If they prefer, they can print out the actual FAFSA formula and work through it on paper <a href=“http://www.ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/101310EFCFormulaGuide1112.pdf[/url]”>http://www.ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/101310EFCFormulaGuide1112.pdf&lt;/a&gt; You can encourage them to read through some of the threads here in the Financial Aid Forum and the Parents Forum so that they can become educated about the issues that they will face.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>