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Hello everyone. I am new to CC so I just want to say hi first. Let me know some of the college choices I should be looking at. Below are my stats

*Junior in Bad Performing HS
*Lower Middle Class Black
*Urban Environment aka Ghetto
* Sophomore PSAT 1140 (680 Verbal 460 Math)
*SAT: 1050 (I know they are low but I will do much better next time)
*GPA: 3.0( Slacked off in Sophomore year)
*Member of Princeton University Preparatory Program
*Was member of Collegebound Program at College of NJ
*Intern at local Assemblyman office
*Very Involved in local Democratic politics
*Work in damn near everybody's campaign
*Could get damn good recomendations for some really prominent people
*Really good in history looking to major in political science or history
*Princeton Model Congress (PMC) award winner
*Think I will be a cabinet member for Princeton Model Congress 2003
*Will be on local Trenton board of education as a senior
*Could write good essay

(Hoping politics could be my major hook)


If you have any suggestions for colleges please reply.

By Northstarmom (Northstarmom) on Wednesday, October 15, 2003 - 05:36 pm: Edit

Politics is a major hook for you.

Your soph verbal score in particular is impressive. With studying, reading extensively and taking AP English, you probably could raise it to a 750 -- with lots of effort! For all students except for those applying to things like engineering schools, the verbal score is the most important.

Assuming you're taking college prep math, you should be able to get that to 550 at least. While that's low, that is acceptable for someone who's not going into sciences/math, including for people at top colleges (though that's the very low end of admissions for such colleges and not too many folks get in with such a score).

I can not answer your question about appropriate colleges because I need to know what you want out of your college experience.

Do you want a small, highly intellectual environment such as Swarthmore? Do you want to be in a large state university with major sports activities like Rutgers? Do you want to be able to do school year internships at a state capitol or in Washington, D.C.? Would you want to have professors who actually work in government?

How far away from home are you willing to go?

And what courses are you taking? Any APs or IBs? Those are extremely important, and also would help raise your scores.

It also would be important to raise your gpa. You have top 25 college potential -- but your gpa is low for top colleges. Since you are a junior, however, you have time to raise your gpa.

Also some colleges don't calculate freshmen year gpa when they recalculate your gpa to use for admissions (each college has different ways of recalculating gpas. Some include courses like health and art. Some do not. Some add weight for AP and IB courses, some do not). If you have been on an upward swing, your record may look better to colleges than you have been anticipating.

If you are the first person in your family to go to college, that is a big plus. Many colleges -- public colleges as well as Ivies -- want to attract first generation college students.

By Urbansocrates (Urbansocrates) on Wednesday, October 15, 2003 - 07:14 pm: Edit

I would be the first person to go to college in my family. My grandmother went to college but that was when she was an adult. Does that count? I really like the Washington D.C. area alot. How are my chances with Georgetown? How about George Washington? I really want to go to a school with a strong political bent. How strongly should I focus on recomendations? I could get some very strong recomendations from some very important public officals and their staff. I will do very well on the US history and world History SAT II tests. Please answer especially Northstarmom. I learned a lot from your previous comments.

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Wednesday, October 15, 2003 - 10:23 pm: Edit

You'd have a good chance at George Washington. You might also consider Howard, American and Goucher (in Baltimore). You'd be a good candidate for all of those schools, even without bringing up your SATs. If you do bring up your SATs, I'd recommend you look at places like Wesleyan, Tufts, NYU.

By Northstarmom (Northstarmom) on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 12:05 am: Edit

Because your grandmom went to college, you are not a first generation college student. First generation college student means one is the first person in one's family to go to college.

Using a recommendation from a public official who knows you well could be a boost to your application. You would not want to have tons of such recommendations, though, because there's an adcom saying, "The thicker the file, the thicker the candidate."

Usually colleges also will want a recommendation from a guidance counselor and at least one teacher.

Also consider University of Maryland. It is close to both DC and Annapolis, and students have internships in and professors from government agencies in both places. Check out, too, their "Burns Academy of Leadership."

Also consider the University of Richmond and colleges in Boston.

Georgetown is much harder to get into than are the other DC colleges. Check their web site to get info.

Check out the web sites of colleges. They will include info about courses, internships as well as the profile of the freshman class -- which would give you a good idea about whether you're likely to be a good candidate.

By Urbansocrates (Urbansocrates) on Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 04:54 pm: Edit

Anybody else have any more suggestions. I really need all the help I can get. Any other schools outside of the metro DC area that I should look at.

By Cmaher (Cmaher) on Friday, October 17, 2003 - 01:10 am: Edit

Look at non-Ivy level private schools.

Maybe something like Duke, though I think it would be a reach. Apply to Georgetown. If you want, apply to some historically black colleges, though I don't see why anyone would want to be known as a "self-segregator". I think it would probably be helpful to be in a social environment representative of America.

By Urbansocrates (Urbansocrates) on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 06:18 pm: Edit

Does anyone have any other ideas of colleges for me.