Click here to go to the NEW College Discussion Forum

Tell me the truth, please.

1070 SAT I (will retake)
3.8 GPA
Student Council
National Honor Society
Academic Games National Winner
Science Olympiad
Marching Band

AP courses taken:
US History
Physics
Calculus
Chemistry
English Lit.

What are my chances at these schools?

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Friday, October 10, 2003 - 01:12 pm: Edit

Can you get your SATs up 300-400 points? That's asking a lot and may not be realistic. You really need SATs in the 1400 and above range to even be in the running for schools like Princeton, Swarthmore, and Penn. You also didn't list SAT II's - you will need scores above 700 on several SAT II's for those schools. Even getting up your SAT's, however, will not guarantee you could get into these schools -they'd just bring them within reach.

For Vassar, you would still need to get your SAT's up around 200 points minimum and it would still probably be something of a reach even then. Kenyon is becomming more competitive these days so if you're looking at it you'd need at least a score in the mid to high 1200's. At that point it would still be something of a reach but it would be a realistic reach so it would be worth setting your sights on.

Take the SAT again but keep looking for some better match schools and some more reaches like Kenyon that are realistic if you boost your SATs. Possibilities: Skidmore, Goucher, the College of Wooster, Denison, etc.

By Arcadia (Arcadia) on Friday, October 10, 2003 - 03:18 pm: Edit

I agree with Carolyn. Unless you are a nationally ranked athlete or the son/daughter of a multi-millionaire who has or will donate over $1 million to any of these schools, you stand little chance of gaining acceptance. Princeton, Swat, and Penn are out of the question. Vassar is unlikely, and Kenyon is a reach.

you will stand a much better chance if you can raise those SAT I scores 200-400 points.

which is certainly not to say that no one with scores like that has been admitted to these schools--they have. But you need a really outstanding hook.

Good luck...

By Confusedinpa (Confusedinpa) on Saturday, November 01, 2003 - 02:05 pm: Edit

Ok... I now have an 1130 SAT I (i'm a junior - will retake several more times) and I just took math Ic and writing SAT IIs (no scores yet)... do you think i have a better chance now?