I'm going to be a senior in high school this fall, should i apply to a college before or after i take my SAT?

Question

My grades haven't been their best for the past 3 years and i really want to go to either Penn State or NYU. I would love to bring up my GPA and wait to apply at the end of my senior year,but by that time i have a 1-0% chance of ever getting in. I am really worried. I know its my fault for procrastinating these past years but i really want to go to either of the two. Princeton is the best school for me but with my Previous GPA ranging from 2.1 to a 2.5 I doubt that they would ever accept me even if i scored high on my SAT and got 4.0 s throughout my senior year. I really need good advice

Answer 1

Apply. Take your SAT, and have the scores sent to the schools you are applying at. If you don't get accepted this year, go to a community college/junior college, bring up your grades, and then get in. It also helps get your general ed classes out of the way, which can be difficult to get into at a large 4-year like Penn State or NYU.

Answer 2

You need to apply before you take the SATs and then have your score sent to those schools.

With that GPA, unless there are some really good extenuating circumstances, you're not getting into Princeton. Penn State is a good possibility, though. Each school says in its admissions information what the average GPA and SAT score is for incoming students. Check that out to get an idea of where you stand. And obviously, work hard your senior year. If you do well, you may be able to appeal a rejection later on. Good luck.

Answer 3

Most universities will require an ACT or SAT score during the application process, so you should do that first. Take the test as soon as possible. This will give you time to meet the college application deadlines and time to retest if you're not satisfied with your score. If you apply early and fail to get in to a choice school but you've significantly improved your GPA during your senior year, you can always reapply to your choice schools next year and spend the interim bolstering your candidacy by excelling in another school and augmenting your record with co-curriculars and community service.

Answer 4

Hi Kierra: Since your GPA isn't great, how about trying a community college for 2 years and then transfer to the college of your dreams? The likelihood of getting in as a Junior will be much higher due to the number of dropouts, and you will already have an AA degree in something by then that should look pretty impressive on anybody's transcripts.

Answer 5

Send in the application after the SAT because in college applications they ask for your SAT scores. You said that your grades haven't been that good for the past three years but if you do really well in the SATs then the college might consider to accept you in their university.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 6

Definitely take the SAT first. If you don't the application process can be more annoying because you'll probably have to send your scores in later if you wait. Plus schools tend to require some sort of standardized test scores whether it be the SAT or ACT.

Answer 7

After...colleges want to see ur sat/act score when u apply