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nhsharvard
Banned
| Joined: | Thu Aug 9th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 8 |
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Posted: Thu Aug 9th, 2007 09:25 am |
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What else should I be doing to get into the UCs, Stanford, Harvard, etc.
I know that I need to improve my test scores.
Sorry for the long post.
Academics:
GPA - Unweighted: 4.00
GPA - Weighted: 4.527
Class Rank: 1
Class Size: 504
Scores:
Bad SAT score: 1640(Writing: 490)
Practice ACT: Composite-27
English: 20
Math: 28
Reading: 31
Science:28
Practice ACT 2: Composite-26
English: 23
Math: 27
Reading: 27
Science: 25
SAT II U.S. History: 720
SAT II Math Level 2 (IIC): 640
Extracurriculars:
Significant Extracurriculars: Debate Club, Speech Club, Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band(possibly, All state honor band next year), Honor Band, Nature Club, CSF, APUSH Club, GATE, Boys State, NSHSS, Junior Statesmen, Academic Decathlon, Model UN, NHS, Young Legislators Program(also, possible writer for a youth newspaper).
Leadership positions: School Site Council Member, ASB Sophomore Class Treasurer, Band Council Treasurer, CSF Honorary Officer, Founder and possible President of 3 or more clubs for next year
Volunteer/Service Work: Library, 2 years, Teacher's Office(21 hours), Conference(7 hours), Tutoring (2 days/wk); Next Year: help improve math tutoring program and start language arts tutoring program(expecting ~3-5 hrs/wk)
Honors and Awards: 9th grade: 3 Band awards, Renaissance program award 11th place, honor band award
10th grade: 5 band Awards, Renaissance program award 2nd place, honor band award
11th grade: band awards, Renaissance program, honor band award
College programs: Concurrent Enrollment(at Fall), Bridge, ACE Program(Spring and Fall), and Special Admit Program. all of them allow me to take college classes at various colleges.
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Pye
Member
| Joined: | Mon Mar 6th, 2006 |
| Location: | Germany |
| Posts: | 114 |
| Mana: |   |
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Posted: Thu Aug 9th, 2007 09:58 am |
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You might benefit from taking one of the commercial test prep courses: Kaplan or Princeton Review.
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WestrnMom
Super Moderator
| Joined: | Fri May 26th, 2006 |
| Location: | West Coast, USA |
| Posts: | 1216 |
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Posted: Thu Aug 9th, 2007 03:36 pm |
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Your GPA would make you competitive for UCDavis, UCSD and UCSB. If you are looking at UCLA or Berkeley, you would want to improve your test scores if possible. Another suggestion is to look at a different set of schools. There are many other excellent colleges that would be delighted to have a student with your stats
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CarolynLawrence
Administrator
| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 3319 |
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Posted: Thu Aug 9th, 2007 06:04 pm |
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Aside from bringing up your test scores if at all possible, the other things that you can be doing right now to strengthen your chances are:
(1) Making sure your college list includes a reasonable mix of safety and match schools as well as reachier schools. EVERYONE needs this mix of schools, including strong and accomplished students.
(2) Thinking about how you can best convey the unique and special person you are in your essays and beginning to work on them
(3) for non-UC schools, thinking about which teachers might best be able to talk about how you contribute in the classroom and the type of person you are. You might also want to give them a summary that explains exactly why you have chosen each of the schools on your list and why you feel they are good fits for you. It also doesn't hurt to make their jobs easy by reminding them of specific contributions you made in their class, projects/papers that they were enthusiastic about, and some information about your activities outside of the class (but really, you want the teacher recommendations to focus mainly on your academic potential -- have your guidance counselor be the one to focus on your EC"s)
Finally, one of the *most* important things you can do to help yourself over the next few months is to keep things in perspective. You are a great student who has a lot to offer any college --- don't let yourself get too caught up in worry and fear. It's normal, of course, to experience some anxiety, but don't let it consume you. Do the best you can to improve your test scores, make sure your list has a reasonable mix of schools, and BELIEVE that things will work out just fine in the end. They almost alwaysdo, although not necessarily the way you may expect at this point.
Good luck!
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CarolynLawrence
Administrator
| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 3319 |
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Posted: Thu Aug 9th, 2007 06:08 pm |
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By the way, not sure if this applies to you, but if English was not your first language, or is not the language spoken in your home, you may also want to consider taking the TOEFL. At some schools, admissions offices will consider it, even if you have attended English-speaking schools.
Also, since you are in the Bridge program and other academic enrichment programs, those will also be taken into account by the UC's when they look at your test scores. The fact that you will be eligible in the local context also will help with the UC's as well.
So, try not too worry too much. There are often factors that may help overcome some weak spots in an application.
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nhsharvard
Banned
| Joined: | Thu Aug 9th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 8 |
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Posted: Fri Aug 10th, 2007 04:13 am |
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I was born in California, so the TOEFL doesn't apply to me.
I just forget some grammar rules sometimes, so I didn't do well on the SAT CR and practice ACT English.
I did fairly well on the practice ACT Reading.
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CarolynLawrence
Administrator
| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 3319 |
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Posted: Fri Aug 10th, 2007 06:43 pm |
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nhsharvard wrote: I was born in California, so the TOEFL doesn't apply to me.
It doesn't matter if you were born in California. If the first language you learned was not English, and English is not spoken at home, many (But not all) colleges will look at the TOEFL. I have this direct from admissions people at top schools like MIT.
Of course, if you grew up speaking English at home, the TOEFL doesn't apply. 
Last edited on Fri Aug 10th, 2007 06:44 pm by CarolynLawrence
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leftcoast
Member
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Posted: Fri Aug 10th, 2007 08:50 pm |
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Are you now a California resident? (I'm asking because that impacts admission to the UC's -- your GPA and class standing probably gives you ELC status which would give you guaranteed admission even with poor test scores).
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nhsharvard
Banned
| Joined: | Thu Aug 9th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 8 |
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Posted: Fri Aug 10th, 2007 11:27 pm |
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I'm a California resident. I was born and rasied in CA.
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leftcoast
Member
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Posted: Sat Aug 11th, 2007 02:38 am |
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OK, your grades and test scores (even the bad SAT) are good enough for the UC-s -- you should just make sure to include at least one "safety" campus when you apply (example: Santa Cruz, Riverside, Merced) -- and then you can see how it goes for the others. GPA is more important than tests scores -- though if you are applying to Berkeley you should be aware that they accept some applicants as spring admits, and the rumor is that those with lower SATs may be given the spring option so as to keep the numbers reported on the common data set for the fall entering class a little higher. (I personally think a spring admit is a pretty cool option, though).
Stanford & Harvard are huge reaches with those test scores -- so if you really want to attend a private college you should widen your search. Because Stanford & Harvard are very, very different colleges in terms of atmosphere and environment, I'm wondering if you are focusing on prestige rather than fit? If so.... you need to start all over again at the beginning.
On the other hand, I realize that a lot of Californians feel that it simply is not worth paying private tuition unless the college is a prestige school -- and even if you don't feel that way, its possible that your parents do - so I can see why you may be structuring your college search to simply include UC's and your reaches or dream schools. That's fine, too -- as I noted, you are sure to get into a UC campus with your GPA -- just keep in mind that Harvard & Stanford and similar schools turn away far more highly qualified students than they have room to accept.
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