<p>I am so confused, i had a crappy 9th grade year which is going to bring down my GPA and will make it likely the low 3's, if they don't count it then it will be higher since 10th, 11th and 12th (not here yet but will be sure its great) were all strong.</p>
<p>I have a high SAT score, will be between 2000-2140. I don't want to apply to a school whose median SAT score is a 1200 combined reading/math when mine is like a 1400+. How do I decide if its worth it to apply to the caliber of schools where a 1400 is the median though I won't have the GPA they are looking for? And vice versa I don't belong or think I will feel challenged in schools where the average gpa is a low 3, I hope I am not making this too confusing but I think you get what I am saying. My best friend says shoot for the moon and just apply to a wide range of schools and be sure my essay reflects my rise over the last three years and maybe even to explain what happened in 9th grade,etc..............any advice?</p>
<p>Any advice particularly as to what kind of schools you think I should apply to? I am really confused and getting nervous because this is around the corner. Thank you!!</p>
<p>Yeah, definitely strive for the best! Ultimately, you've got the school in a trap with the essay; they gotta read it. Make the most out of it, show off who you are, why you're awesome....anything! i wrote about losing 95 pounds in tenth grade and how i'm writing a book on it, my travels overseas as a military brat....i think it won some of the colleges over seeing as my SAT score wasn't amazing and niehter was my GPA. just...average? 1200 SAT, 31 ACT, 3.8 GPA...But yeah, trap em with that essay, its your ticket to a great college.</p>
<p>My GPA was quite below avg (3.6 UW + 32 ACT) for many of the schools I got into (NYU Stern (7.5k scholarship), Case Western (17k scholarship), UMich, Emory), so don't let it get you down. Just make sure you write good essays, and present your EC's and yourself well in your applications/interviews</p>
<p>i rolled into middlebury and some other really good schools with 3.63, 2270. you can mitigate the disparity with recs. i got one from an english teacher who basically called me a lazy genius, and then one from a teacher i got all A's in to sort of attest to my work ethic. you should be able to get into a very good school with those numbers if you choose your teachers well and write great essays like the other poster said.</p>
<p>Look at the common data sets for the schools you're interested in. They will tell you what % of those admitted have your GPA. Your rank. Your scores.</p>
<p>High SAT, low GPA is VERY common. SATs don't make up for GPA at highly selective schools, it can at lower ranked schools. Class rank is the number one most important factor. If you go to a normal HS and do not have a hook, you're likely to be number 1 or 2 in your class if admitted to any ivy. Next year will be the hardest in history.</p>
<p>I thought last year was going to be easier than this year. What about the high school class of 2009 (my younger brother is already thinking about colleges ;))?</p>
<p>Apply to schools that don't look at 9th grade grades (Stanford being the most prominent example, but also super-hard to get into). </p>
<p>Also apply to schools that do not value GPA as much (Some LACs, UChicago, Brown, etc.). Of course, either way you'd have to...</p>
<p>REALLY work hard on the essays and recs. In my small experience, higher SAT scores than yours with a similar progression of GPA (even in elite high schools) have been rejected from many SAT "matches" and "safeties". Definitely try to explain what happened in 9th grade, through recs and, if possible, through the essay.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>"I don't want to apply to a school whose median SAT score is a 1200 combined reading/math when mine is like a 1400+"</p>
<p>Wow....</p>