Anyone with low GPA/high SAT?

Student Lounge African-American Students
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<p>So I was browsing through the 'Actual Results' thread and noticed that most people who posted in there had near-perfect GPAs, and average to high SAT scores. I am wondering if any of you have had experience with a lower GPA and higher SATs. I'm a junior and have no idea what kind of schools I'm qualified for, so any insight provided would be highly appreciated. </p>

<p>And just to clarify...when I say 'low' GPA, I mean 3.5 or less and when I say 'high' SAT, I mean 2200 or greater. Something like that...</p>

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<p>Well I’m relatively close to that, when I applied to colleges originally my G.P.A. was upper 3.4_ but after first semester it became 3.5_. My SAT was over 2200.</p>

<p>What you’re qualified for is greatly varied depending on the context of your life.
Do you have an upward trending gpa?
How challenging are the classes you have taken and will take?
Do you have leadership positions?
Hare you highly involved in your school & community - ec’s & community service?
Are you persuasive or highly engaging with words <em>for essays & interviews</em>?
Have you effectively utilized your summers?
Is their anything just really special or attractive about you - not <em>hook</em> persay but things that make you really unique from other canidates and also desireable.</p>

<p>Basically put your G.P.A. is a major weakpoint in your application, everything else about you & your application has to work in overdrive to overshadow this weakness.</p>

<p>So what schools do you personally desire? Don’t let your Gpa limit your choose.
Personally what I did was applied to many colleges, out of fear of rejection & Questbridge, probably too many 16? But still you can’t realistically apply to only the Top 10 colleges/universities because you could end up with a shut-out situation where you have no acceptances sadly.</p>

<p>What your applicantion should project along with hopefully an upward trending junior/senior gpa is that you have potential, that the mistakes of your past doesn’t define you. And most of all you have a wealth to offer whichever future college you attend.</p>

<p>If you like you can answer some of the questions I posed above and I can help provide you with a good range of colleges - reaches to safties?</p>

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<p>Yay! That would be really helpful!</p>

<p>Do you have an upward trending gpa?
YES! My ‘current’ GPA(only includes 9th and 10th grade) is a 2.9. I know, it sucks. BUT, I’ve worked ridiculously hard this year and thus my 11th grade GPA is a 4.0. I’m not sure yet what my cumulative GPA will look like once everything is factored in. I’m guessing around a 3.3ish…</p>

<p>How challenging are the classes you have taken and will take?
Most challenging offered at my prep school. This year (junior) is the first year we’re allowed to take APs so I took the only 2 that were offered. In addition, I self-studied 4 APs this year so hopefully my exam scores will be good. Next year, I will be enrolled in 4 APs at my school and might self-study one more. Most people from my school graduate with about 6 APs under their belt, but I’ll graduate with 10 or 11</p>

<p>Do you have leadership positions?
Yep, I’m an elected class officer and I also hold a pretty high up leadership position in a non-profit organization</p>

<p>Hare you highly involved in your school & community - ec’s & community service?
Definitely. I’m not involved in a <em>ton</em> of clubs, but the 3 or 4 I am involved with are really important to me and have big time commitments. I’ve also won a couple awards, two of which are at the state-level…but they’re not really a big deal. I have a TON of community service hours-I’m a volunteer camp counselor over the summer and I looove it. I also own a small business. It’s legit(as in, it’s registered), but, still, not really a huge deal.</p>

<p>Are you persuasive or highly engaging with words <em>for essays & interviews</em>?
Haven’t had any interviews yet, but I’m sure they’ll be a breeze. I think my essays will be good…once I figure out what to write about…Do you think I should kinda explain my weird GPA? I could maybe talk about how I’ve matured over the years and what motivated me to start doing well…but in less concrete terms. Kinda tell a story, I guess…?</p>

<p>Have you effectively utilized your summers?
Umm, not really. I had a part-time job last summer. This year, I’m participating in a pretty prestigious business program (LEAD) at Dartmouth…</p>

<p>Is their anything just really special or attractive about you?
Eh…I dunno. I think I show real passion for business in my ECs so that’s good. Beyond that, I’m one of 6 black kids in a school with 700+ students, so I feel like I’ve had a unique experience in high school. Umm, and I guess my SAT scores are pretty decent. In one sitting, I got a 1460/1600 aka 2230/2400. I got an 800 on CR, so that’s good…I guess? 770 on writing and…blegh…660 on math. Not sure if it’s worth re-taking.</p>

<p>So yeah, I’m pretty much lost! Where do you think I should be aiming for? I really like Vanderbilt and UVA, but I’m not sure if I even stand a chance at those schools. Should I shoot higher? Lower? I have nooo idea :-/</p>

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<p>I think Vandy and UVA would be just right. Vandy might have some flexibility about the GPA (but it’s “very important” there ) and the SAT seems in the top 25th for UVA (both GPA and SAT are only “importat” there).</p>

<p>Collegeboard UVA</p>

<p><a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board;

<p>Collegeboard Vanderbilt</p>

<p><a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board;

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<p>Well I believe you are alot like me in many ways.</p>

<p>I think it’s great that you are participating in LEAD this summer, is it related to business also what you’ll do.</p>

<p>I did MITEs last summer and I think it a very good advantage when you do the exceptional summer programs.</p>

<p>Don’t downplay your accomplishments, owning a business or being leader of non-profit. You want to up your display of these leadership positions and distinguishing characteristsics. I believe you have an awsome chance to display passion with you ec’s, business, etc…</p>

<p>As they say passion is key.</p>

<p>Also you should do the extra AP’s if you can, add them to your common app senior course load as independent-study. I did that. Plus you get the awards assuming you do well. Along with your courseload & summerprogram it’ll show you love/committment to learning.</p>

<p>You really are alot like me with some key differences I guess that could have an influence.</p>

<p>Positive Differences
Own your own business
Steeper Upward trend -as reflected by 4.0 this year
Previously undiagnosed learning disablity?</p>

<p>Negative Differences
I am low-income & go to a large public school, w/ low african-american graduation rate
Had a higher unweighted g.p.a.
Involved in more e.c., clubs, sports</p>

<p>So while there advantages and defecits in to relation to me and my application process I think it’s pretty much equal.</p>

<p>Honestly I think you have tons of potential. While you probably won’t get into to every school in terms of HPYSM and the other Top 20 of both Lacs&universities, I think you could get into many. With the holostic approach to admissions many top-tier colleges will be willing to overlook your relatively weak gpa for everything else you have to offer. </p>

<p>For me it worked out well.
I’m going to MIT- probably in the bottom 1% of hs gpa’s for my class but still.</p>

<p>So don’t limit yourself, shoot for the moon, miss and land upon a star.</p>

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<p>Thanks everyone!!</p>