<p>Unlike most of the kids on this board, I don’t have a 4.0 GPA.
I’ve got a 3.7, and though I can say my courseload is about as rigorous as they come, I haven’t gotten straight As until this year (I’m a junior).</p>
<p>Brown is my dream. And although I know in my mind that it’s probably not going to happen, I don’t want to give up. I want to hold on to that tiny bit of hope that I have. Knowing that it IS possible to get in without a perfect GPA would make me a little less paranoid.</p>
<p>I know it happens-kids like me, without perfect grades, get in.
But does anyone on here who got in with a GPA like mine have a story they’d like to share? I could sure use some encouragement right now, and I’m sure others could, too.</p>
<p>I had a 3.7 cumulative and got in ED this year. I’ve seen a lot of people close to that number…Its just one factor of the application. Just try to finish this year off strong and present yourself in the best possibly way.</p>
<p>Thanks natew! Congratulations on getting in! What a huge accomplishment.</p>
<p>Holdingon, I wish I knew. Apparently, I’m not doomed, but there are just so many kids that have those perfect GPAs, and I feel like I just don’t have much of a shot. I can’t get it out of my mind that, if they’re between me and someone with a 4.0, I’m out of luck.</p>
<p>I applied ED this year…I have a 3.8 UW, 26 ACT, and ranked 10th in my class. So not typical stats. And I wasn’t outright rejected…I got deferred whereas some people with 33 ACT scores and a 4.0 got rejected. So test scores are not everything. Haha…that’s what I keep trying to tell myself…I am still really hoping for Brown even though I know its a huge shot in the dark. </p>
<p>But I really worked hard on my app to make myself stand out in other ways…I wrote about how I was different (from a small farm town in the midwest) and how these roots have made me the person I am today. Overall, I think my personality really came through in my essay and extracurriculars (i have some pretty strong ec’s, particularly community service). Anyway, since I was deferred - I submitted an updated letter to Brown with new accomplishments, got great grades on my mid year report, and had a very good and personal letter of recommendation sent in from one of the head coordinators from a community service group that I have been a part of for 7 years. </p>
<p>So I see whether it all pays off in about a month. Brown is my dream school, too, so I know what you are going through. Just don’t give up!</p>
<p>Your GPA is viewed the same in both regular decision and early decision.</p>
<p>As for the original post: Your GPA is viewed in context – Brown looks at your rank, the rigor of the classes you took, your standardized test scores, and lots of other variables.</p>
<p>I also didn’t get straight A’s until junior year, but I got in early decision. Don’t worry about your gpa. Brown really, truly considers all aspects of your application.</p>
<p>There are people with perfect GPAs and striking, really quite unique ECs. These people most always get in. But in most cases, people with perfect GPAs don’t have the most unique ECs. To get a truly perfect GPA you need to make a lot of sacrifices for academics. If you have a 3.7 and don’t have interesting ECs, passions, or essays then you won’t get in. But if you have a 3.7 because you founded a business or helped organize a political campaign then you are just as successful if not more successful than someone with a 4.0. Most people with 3.5’s and above will do just fine academically at Brown. People with 3.7’s will only get a few more B’s at Brown than people with 4.0’s - especially because they can avoid their weaknesses - so why not admit people that will make a significant contribution outside the classroom?</p>
<p>If most of your B’s come from English class then you can boycott that at Brown. Also, most 3.7 admits have an upward trend. They may have actually performed on the same level as the 4.0 admits, just in the last two years of high school.</p>
<p>Floatingriver, you make a good point. It’s not that I’m not capable of working at the 4.0 level - I have done it this year and will do it Senior year. It’s just that I stupidly chose not to work as hard as I could as an undersclassman, because I didn’t realize how much I cared. But don’t worry, I’m kicking myself now.</p>
<p>How on earth do you know this? Is this an educated guess, or has a Brown admissions officer actually given you this information? Because after 25+ years of interviewing and conversations with Brown admissions, I’ve never heard this theory before. I’ve heard other reasons why students with 3.7 GPAs have been accepted, but not that.</p>
<p>Since only 5% of Brown students don’t take a wide variety of disciplines, I’m not sure your theory works.</p>
<p>In the unspecified world of Admissions, we are all operating on guesswork. I do agree that I may not have the same level of authority as you or fireandrain, but I respectfully disagree. The notion that you have to be motivated all throughout high school clearly is not true. And I’m not just talking about extremely hooked applicants. Yes, you do need some type of hook to get in with a lower GPA, but you also need to convince Brown that you will succeed academically at their school. All other things equal, Brown will always take someone with a higher GPA. But slightly hooked candidates with 3.7’s can best convince Brown they can succeed academically by earning the best grades possible Junior and Senior year. This is when we take the most difficult courses. An A in AP Junior English tells Brown a lot more about a student than a B in Sophomore English. People mature at different times. Brown would really be missing out if it did not take this into account.</p>
<p>A 3.7 with a weighted rigourous schedule is worth more than a 4.0. So gpa without context is not so meaningful between either of these high scores, both which make you qualified, but neither which gain you admission without looking at the entire package: SAT
s, EC’s, LORs and everything else.</p>
<p>But for the OP, my daughter was admitted to Brown and other selective schools with a 3.7 . That was 5 years ago, admission was tough then, but tougher now. She is in grad school right now, which I mention to show that she performed well enough at Brown to be admitted to PhD track programs. Don’t get too hung up on just one part of your application, although good grades shouldn’t be underestimated, true.</p>