Should I still apply test optional as a potential Biology major?Answered
I'm currently completely lost in what majors I really want to pursue but the ones that have remained constant over the past few years have been Psychology, Biology and Neuroscience. I initially wanted to pursue Neuroscience but I'm not confident my stats would grant me admission into the bigger VA schools like Virginia Tech, James Madison, UMD (not VA) and VCU due to their competitiveness. I currently have a 3.67 GPA (transfer to new school last year messed up my gpa) and an SAT score lower than 1100. I don't think it's worth it to apply with such a low score to their Neuro major so I considered majoring in Bio with a minor in Neuro. I haven't taken many classes that really correlate with the Biology major but I am planning to take AP Biology and AP Psychology next year as a senior. Am I completely screwed or is there a slight chance, I think I'm psyching myself out.
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1 answer
SAT SUBMITION
The general rule I like to use when determining if I should or should not submit an SAT/ACT score to a college is the 25th percentile mark. If my score is above that range then I will submit it, if not I will not. The range for test optional schools will inflate how good these results look because those who do not have good scores will not submit it. For example 1140-1310 is James Madison. If my score is below that 1140 mark, I would not recommend submitting it. Remember you can always take these tests more than once, but a large change may not be seen in your results.
YOUR MAJOR
When selecting your major colleges will look into what you have taken and if they align with what you are applying for. Some universities will look for specific classes like AP Calculus on your transcript and if you do not have that then your chances getting in suffer. It is dependent on what university/college you apply to. Schools may be wary of the fact you have not taken classes for your major until this year, although others completely understand that students may not know what they want to be. If you visit schools you can get a sense if they are like this. Additionally, some schools do not offer courses close to students majors and that is not unheard of.
In conclusion, you are not completely "screwed" although some colleges may slightly lower you because of this. It is completely normal for this to occur (students not knowing which field they would like to major in). As long as you have tried a variety of things and mention why the school and program is good for you, you will have success. Most schools probably will focus more on your GPA and your activities.
Hope this helps!
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