<p>Hey guys, I'm a sophomore and I'm really worried about my gpa right now. I'm looking at schools like Rice, Cornell, Brown, etc. and I'm very worried about my first two years (gpa-wise). My freshman year I had a 3.46 gpa and my sophomore year (right now) I did really bad first marking period and so I'll probably end up with a 3.7 it seems. These are all unweighted by the way. My academic courseload is the most rigorous you can have in your first two years at my high school and I also participate in sports year round and I'm very passionate about my humanitarian work (I'm traveling to India this summer to help there). I also should be in the 2300 SAT range by the time I apply as well as 800's in my SAT II's. So I guess my main questions are: how much do freshman and sophomore year matter, and will getting all A's in a junior year filled with more leadership in sports, humanitarian work, and 6 AP courses save me?? Please be brutally honest.</p>
<p>It is too early for you to be fretting about which Ivies you want. Continue working hard, see if you reach the SAT level you hope, then return for an opinion. If you keep up the good work, you will be fine. Good luck.</p>
<p>freshman and sophomore years definitely matter, but freshman not too too much. junior year is important, and if you think you can really get all A’s in 6 AP courses, good luck! that would certainly help!</p>
<p>Like fauve said, its a little early for you to be fretting. Just do the best you can grades/SAT-wise and get involved in school! Worry about everything else junior and senior years.</p>
<p>Grades are only one factor considered by college admissions committees and your humanitarian work sounds very impressive to me. I would also add that I think Rice is considerably easier to get into than Cornell or Brown.</p>
<p>We don’t begin to know enough to comment. </p>
<p>Humanitarian work for instance will be seen very differently if you raised the money to go and have an impressive plan that will make a real impact then if you happen to be Indian, are going with family…</p>
<p>All you can do is get the grades up and see where you stand at the end of junior year. And remember, it’s about rank, not GPA. A 3.5 is top of class at some school. You will first be compared to your classmates so take the hardest classes and work for a top rank.</p>
<p>I’d work on maintaining an upward trend in grades. Colleges love that.</p>
<p>Our school doesn’t have class rank (it’s super competitive) and although my courseload is one of the most rigorous, I honestly just haven’t figured it out until pretty much now. 1st Marking Period I had All B’s and a C but now it’s all high A’s (in 4 HNS classes out of 4 max as a sophomore at my school). Also, I’m pretty young for my grade (I’m only 14) so would that be a good explanation (i guess?? lol). About the humanitarian work, India is only one example, the club is about fundrasing money and then sending people from the school overseas to experience life from the other side of the curtain (Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Mexico, South Africa, etc.) I assure you, I am NOT doing it just for the sake of college apps. Thanks for the input!</p>
<p>btw, Rice is also a very tough school to get into (22 percent acceptance rate).</p>
<p>Just get your grades up, you’re current ones will definitely hurt any chance of getting into one of your aforementioned schools.</p>
<p>So let’s say I get All A’s in 6 AP Classes next year, get a really high score in the SAT, and continue to do my humanitarian work as well as my athletics, would I still have a definite disadvantage? And if I do, then which colleges would be my “match” schools?</p>
<p>^Look, do it anyway. You got nothing to lose but everything to gain. Yes, you already have a disadvantage because of your past screw-ups, but colleges are forgiving of students who show significant improvements.</p>