<p>Alright so I'm doing the full IB diploma and I only have a 3.43 average GPA, and I've heard about full diploma kids not getting in with 3.5's. However, I have pretty good SAT scores. How safe am I to get in? </p>
<p>I got 800 crit reading, 740 writing, 610 math. and if you didn't know, IB diploma means basically 6 AP level classes a year with 150 hours of mandatory extra curricular stuff, intensive testing, and an extended essay.</p>
<p>So yeah, am I in the clear? Or should I be seriously considering going to a lesser school? UW's average GPA is a 3.75, and I know thats not taking into account the IB stuff I have, but it still scares me quite a bit. </p>
<p>Second question, I've heard about kids with 3.5's and 2000 SAT's getting in to the honors program, and I was wondering if there's any truth to this? I have an excellent life story and could come up with some pretty interesting things in my application essay, but I'm thinking that my GPA kills my chances.</p>
<p>I think we need some more specs about you. Got any extracurricular activities etc? Your SAT score is pretty high and even though your GPA is low, I think they’ll look a little more positively considering the amount of AP Classes you have taken. Then again I’m not 100% sure.</p>
<p>As for Honors I think having a high GPA is important but it is also dependent on the essays hence why applying for honors has 3 extra essays (I think). Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I’ve run Cross Country since 6th grade, and I’ll be on varsity this year. For the CAS community service hours I watered trees at my school 5 days a week last summer, and I also do lots of “invasive species removal” (i.e. getting rid of blackberry bushes and weeds at parks) with earth corps and stuff. Thats pretty much it.</p>
<p>Classes if you needed to know:
This year: IB Calculus, IB History, IB English, IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK), IB Japanese 400, IB Physics II, and a 7th period non-IB class (Personal finance first semester, health second semester). I’m taking a film class right now at a community college.</p>
<p>Last year: pretty much the same classes, one level down (Japanese 300, Physics I, etc). Took IB philosophy rather than TOK, and I didn’t have a 7th period. Last summer I also took a math course at a community college and got a 3.9</p>
<p>Year before that: IB Bio/Chem (hardest class on campus) rather than physics, normal (non-IB) math, non-IB electives (PE and Microsoft Applications rather than philosophy), everything else the same but a level down.</p>
<p>This isn’t to scare you or anything, more like something that shows how random UW admissions CAN be.</p>
<p>You’re going to have to work on essay very carefully. My friend was waitlisted last year with a 3.9 unweighted with a full IB Diploma COMPLETED JUNIOR YEAR and a 2200 SAT. He has very good extra curriculars, including capt. varsity basketball, church functions, key club, robotics, and volunteering at a hospital for four years.</p>
<p>I thought that my friend had pretty well written essay, but something was obviously missing in his application for UW to waitlist him. He wrote an appeal and even showed me his application (you can request a hard copy from UW if you are wait listed or rejected for reference for appeals). In the end, he was accepted off the wait list. However, everyone, even the counselors at his high school (well known Western Washington) were astounded that he was not initially accepted.</p>
<p>Don’t go into the application process assuming your SAT and IB Diploma will be a shoe in. Reread everything carefully and don’t just write your essays the night before!</p>
<p>In the topic of Honors, GPA and tests scores are important, BUT the most important aspects are TEACHER RECOMMENDATION and ESSAYS. There were two essays last year, and you are required to submit one teacher recommendation. Make sure your teacher doesn’t give you a generic recommendation… that’s what knocks out most of the competition. Even 4.0/2400 students are rejected based on teacher recs and essays, according to the admissions office. Make sure your teacher writes why you will be a good fit for Honors. That’s what Honors what to hear. They can rave about your fantastic abilities and how you cured cancer (an outrageous example that seems to be a shoe in) but if they don’t say how you’ll be a good fit for Honors and bring something to that community, it’s rather worthless.</p>
<p>Thanks speedsolver. I’ll be sure to beat up a few people for some real good recommendations ;). And I always work on essays in stages long before their due, I’ll be starting my UW essays any day now. </p>
<p>Also, was that kid you talked about in-state? Thats pretty incredible and scary. I mean, he was way off the charts for every single admission requirement. That was pretty much a statistic anomaly, but idk. Crazy stuff happens. Its a good wake up call though, I should probably take my back-up applications more seriously.</p>
<p>To the OP, i think you have a good chance at UW. I’m pretty scared myself since i have a 3.4 UW gpa with just a few honors, crappy SATs working to bring them up to 1800+ and some good ECs, awards. I’d say really focus on your essays and recomendations! I started my essay a month ago and i am glad i did! The more time, the better so get started! Also, do you absolute best to avoid generic essay answers. Example, I went to africa to help out one summer and the poor starving children made me realize we take thinks for granted, blah blah blah. lol If you will use cliches, make sure it works well in the end to make a charming essay. </p>
<p>Also, i am not trying to scare you too but i know 3 guys who were rejected from UW. They all had around 3.9-4.0 gpa with 2000+ SATs and IB students BUT their essay(i have to admit) weren’t the most amazing things ever. They did it all last minute carelessly and honestly, it backfired. You may not be the most academically excellent student, but just because you don’t get a certain marking in a class it doesn’t make you stupid. Show that in your essay and just make yourself stand out and give them a reason why they should admit you. Good Luck!</p>
<p>@OP: Glad to help! Yes, the student was an in state, King County public high school student. Since I personally thought the essay wasn’t too flawed, SOMETHING in his application must have not been done ‘right,’ in such a way that the admissions office would waitlist, then reject him. He didn’t have any disciplinary history either.</p>
<p>At the moment, just make your essays incredibly strong, and as grigg02 said, make yourself STAND OUT. Either topic of choice, structure of essay, or anything else you can think of, make it so that at the end of a long day of reading essays, the admissions officer can tell his/her coworkers that ‘WOW! That essay this morning was incredible! I really learned a lot about this applicant’ :)</p>