<p>How is a 3.7 GPA if you're applying to schools such as Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, or anything with a higher acceptance rate? Relatively speaking, would that 3.7 be considered a weak suit? If it is considered low, how can a student salvage that, with regards to SAT scores (What score range would you say makes up for it), EC's, essays, etc. Please respond if you have appropriate or extensive knowledge on the admissions process.</p>
<p>Side Question: My school uses a 100-grade scale, so I'm not entirely sure on the conversion process. I've read online about scales where a 95-100 is a 4.0, and different scales where a 96-100 is a 4.0, and a formula where you divide by 20 and subtract by 1, so which is it? Or is that dependent entirely on my school?</p>
<p>Admissions people rarely see anything but your letter grade, unless your report cards/transcripts show them instead of the letter grade, </p>
<p>Students with 3.7 need to have some impressive “hooks” in order to impress top tier schools - play an unusual instrument, play well in a sport, overcome an incredible difficult life circumstance. These schools have way more 4.0 students than they can accept. </p>
<p>Go ahead and apply but be sure to also apply to schools that you have a better shot at, and can afford. The 3.7 and a good SAT/ACT score can get you some excellent scholarships. Check out the list of those schools in the financial aid threads.</p>
<p>Would a fantastic SAT score be considered a hook? Would a really good essay be considered one as well? I mean I hear all the time of kids who have relatively lower GPA’s or with insubstantial or subpar EC’s and maybe even a SAT score that falls in the 2200’s (which is probably the standard for such schools), and they’ve been acepted into these highly selective achools. </p>
<p>I’m definitely not holding my breath for Princeton or Columbia so I’m only talking about the lower half of the top 20</p>
<p>Hooks have more to do with the college than the student and are to fill slots that the college needs filled. Generally speaking, they are:
-Under-represented minorities(black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Native American)
-recruited athletes
-“development” admits (ones that have donated a lot of money to the school)</p>
<p>Minor hooks:
-first-generation to go to college
-legacy.</p>
<p>A fantastic SAT score and essay are big pluses, but not hooks.</p>
<p>So I’m basically screwed and out of luck for those schools considering I do not have any of the major hooks and even if I do get a fantastic SAT score and write an amazing essay I’m still a long shot at getting in? </p>
<p>Legacy boosts are usually from parents and grandparents only.
If you have a fantastic SAT score and amazing essay it’s more likely for you to get in, it just doesn’t count as hooks.</p>
<p>A 3.7GPA with a very high SAT/ACT is a great achievement and portends well for your future collegiate success. The issue is that a certain suite of schools is now commonly targeted by many students with accomplishments like yours and even more. It’s a crush of applicants that is your hurdle, not your ability or even “deservedness” to a slot in one of those colleges. Reality is just very difficult these days.</p>
<p>My S last year applied to a number of top 75/selective schools with around a 3.7 unweighted GPA. 33 ACT and strong athletic and non-athletic ECs. His HS’s weighting was pretty minimal. Took primarily APs and Honors. Participated in an almost year round, demanding sport. Basically, I think he was a very balanced candidate but didn’t have “perfect academics”. Based on that, I would say his results were pretty predictable:</p>
<p>Accepted: Lehigh, Lafayette, U of Illinois. Ohio St, Wheaton, Villanova (all for Engineering, some merit $$ at most)
Waitlist: Bucknell
No Go: Cornell, Vandy, Northwestern</p>
<p>S is very happy as a Freshman at Lehigh. </p>
<p>I would say with the last 3, his balanced app didn’t overcome his GPA shortcoming. The schools you mention are certainly possible with less than 4.0, but they receive many, many applicants with near “perfect” grades as well as great test scores. To get an acceptance with a 3.7 at one of the schools you mentioned, it likely would require a hook, extremely stellar ECs, or you attend a very highly regarded HS where a 3.7 is near the top of the class, or absolutely top notch essays.</p>
<p>Some depends on how you got the 3.7. Did you consistently have “B’s.” Did you have a bad Freshman or Sophomore year but have since turned it around and getting all “A’s” in challenging classes? Basically, a 3.7 isn’t low enough to not even try for those schools but it’s not an easy sell either. Do your best on your SAT or ACT. Write a great essay. Make positive connections with your teachers so as to have positive recommendations. Really dig into your interest-based activities.</p>
<p>I will say that my daughter has a 3.7 UW, 4.3 W. In her case, she had a bad Sophomore year in a poor schooling environment but we fixed it and she’s been straight “A’s” since. Still, it’s been a real fight to recover. At this point, we don’t know which, if any, of the highly selective schools she’ll be accepted to. However, she has gotten into 5 good selective schools with large merit aid offers and that is something. When that first acceptance came in from a quality but non name brand school, she was still jumping up and down with the realization that she IS going to college.</p>
<p>My best advice is to go ahead and apply to a couple dream, highly selective schools if you can afford it. However, really try stripping those schools from their name and finding out what about them you actually like. Look for those traits at other schools. If you open yourself to non-name brand schools then you will be excited to find MANY options that can give you an excellent education in an area you love. There is something to be said for being a “top dog” on campus… more opportunities to lead and shine. </p>