Multiple questions will be posted, don’t feel inclined to answer all of them.
First of all, how realistic is it for someone with a 3.55ish GPA to be accepted to places such as Rice, Emory, WashU, Notre Dame, Vandy, etc., w/ extremely average EC’s(the kind more like those getting accepted to an average state school, maybe a little bit better). GPA as a freshman was 3.05(disastrous, ik), soph 3.85, junior 3.94, senior year most likely will be around there.
Course rigor was what you’d expect from a smart student; balanced mix of AP’s and honors courses. Some things worth noting: I’m mixed(white mother,black father), oldest child of 5, live with my mother and stepfather but income is less than 65k a year(I don’t honestly know how much but we’re below middle class).
Something I forgot to add at the start was that I had a 34 on the ACT, was really close to a 35. I also forgot what I had on the SAT, I’ll try to post it soon if necessary.
So basically, how high should one in this situation be aiming, what is realistic, any recs, etc. Thanks
I think academically you are fine - your good GPAs as a sophomore and junior clean that freshman year nicely - and your test scores are in the range for the schools you listed.
Two pieces of advice:
You need to write a good application to make up for the mediocre ECs. Show a side of yourself that makes you stand out - lots of advice on here and elsewhere on how to do that.
You need to pay close attention to the financial aid side of the equation - there will be schools you can get into, but won’t be able to afford. You need to check each school before you apply to make sure they really are going to meet your full need.
Good luck!
Thanks, that’s somewhat settling. I have tons of confidence in me being able to do to well on applications and essays, really hope its enough to overcome the EC’s. And yeah, I’m really aiming for places that will meet essentially all of the tution, or fairly close; my family’s EFC is a legitimate 0.
On a side note, Rice and Emory are my top two targets, but living in Missouri, WashU isn’t too far behind.
How was your PSAT? What are these average ECs? What do you want to study?
Google colleges that meet full need but you might already know this info based on your schools. I think you have a very good shot at these schools. If you are female look at some of the women’s colleges that meet full need. Truman State could be a financial safety for you. Also UA will give you full tuition scholarship.
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com
WRT to your two favorites, I took a quick look on College Navigator:
Rice - From a Net Price standpoint, and looking over their Financial Aid profile and noting the relatively low loan numbers, they look like they do a good job meeting need. Your ACT hits their 75th percentile, so you will be attractive to them.
Emory - They don’t look like they are as good as Rice in terms of meeting need (check Net Price data and loan stats), but they look like they hand out substantial merit money. Your ACT exceeds their 75th by two points, so you might have a shot at stacking merit / need aid to reach what you need.
You really do need to go over their Financial Aid policies with a fine tooth comb - see what the merit awards available are, what you need to qualify, etc…no guarantees of course, but they look at first glance like the type of schools that might be affordable for a student with your stats and circumstances.
I’m more of a Northeast / Mid-Atlantic guy, so I don’t know all the particular details of these two schools.
Yeah nearly every school I’m applying to is on that list; not too sure about chances of acceptance to most of them but if not I can settle for Mizzou. I’ve seen(and know) a few people who got full rides there, can only hope for the best.
Look at Stanford. I don’t think S counts frosh grades.
You can look up GPA distributions for enrolled freshmen in a school’s Common Data Set, section C11. Although many selective private schools don’t show this information, Vanderbilt does. The other colleges you mention probably have similar distributions.
For Vanderbilt, only about 1/3 of entering freshmen had HS GPAs below 3.75.
That’s 1/3 of enrolled students, but only about 13% of all applicants are accepted. So your percentage chances of being accepted with a GPA below 3.75 might be in the low single digits (esp. without exceptional ECs), before adjusting for your upward trend and good scores. However, the only way to know for sure is to apply.
Your GPA is a little low for those schools. But mixed with your ACT and a strong senior GPA and interest on your part, you could have a good shot.
Does it possibly list how many people w/ sub-3.75 GPA’s applied? Perhaps the acceptance rate may be somewhat higher than 4-5%(8-10% maybe)? Lower # of applicants could of course result in a lower # of ppl being accepted. Highly unlikely but possible.I get what you’re saying though.
Edit: Also Vandy is one of, if not the, most selective places I’ll be applying to. Although a lower than average chance of acceptance is to be expected w/ my situation, can’t get my hopes up on any of them
@bdnation5 It wouldn’t be a bad idea to add a few just below the selectivity of those like Boston College, Wake Forest, Case Western and University of Rochester.
Yeah Boston College and Wake Forest I’m applying to, already been on a campus tour at WF.