<p>What if you have a GPA (cumulative) ranging between 3.20 - 3.40 out of 4? Too many well-ranked universities (UMich, Gatech, NYU, Berkely, and all other top-tier schools, ivies and public ivies) look for a GPA of 3.60 or above. Have any of you been accepted by such schools with a GPA lesser than 3.60?
How can a student make up for a GPA lesser than 3.50?</p>
<ul>
<li>Nervous High school senior with a 3.30 GPA</li>
</ul>
<p>
</p>
<p>By dunking a basketball with two hands. By paying for a new wing to be added onto the chemistry building. But unless you’re a recruited athlete or a development admit, it’s pretty darn difficult. These universities are called “selective” because they have so many applicants that they can select only those with the best academic and personal credentials.</p>
<p>Some students do get in with grades like that but not many. Here is UMich’s Common Data Set. <a href=“Office of Budget and Planning”>Office of Budget and Planning; Look at line C11. You have to figure a good number of the admits with grades in your range are recruited athletes. Also, you do realize that at least three of the schools on your list will cost your family near $50K/year (two are public OOS schools and NYU).</p>
<p>If you are not satisfied with the selection of colleges you may have with your high school academic stats, you can go to community college, work for a 4.0 or close to it there in courses for your major, then transfer as a junior to the desired university. This mainly works at the public universities, since they tend to accept lots of transfers.</p>
<p>Grades are also relative. If you have better test scores, it should say more about you, as grading styles vary from school to school and even teacher to teacher.</p>
<p>I agree with Sikorsky. You had 3-4 years to work on your GPA. Top schools are selective so your GPA and rank play an important part of selection process. Test scores can only help to a degree. A student with a high test score with low GPA is normally referred to as a “bright slacker”. But not all hope is lost. With over a 3.0 and a good test score you still should have plenty of opportunities but probably not at HPYSM.</p>
<p>I would recommend finding the cure for cancer. But I think Stanford might also admit you if you solved world hunger instead.</p>
<p>juniormascot, sorry you got some unhelpful replies here. Check out the “Class of 20XX” subforum in the Parents Forum. There are threads there for a range of GPAs. Most of the participants are parents, but there’s good info and people who will help.</p>
<p>Don’t worry, there are schools that would be glad to have you :)</p>
<p>
I had a 3.4/3.5 GPA in HS and was accepted at Stanford, MIT, Brown, and Cornell… every school I applied to except Princeton. You can get specific data about the % of freshman class in GPA ranges for various schools by looking at the CDS data. For example, you asked about NYU. The CDS mentions that 32% of the freshman class at NYU had below a 3.5, and the average HS GPA was a 3.58 . The others you asked about have significantly higher average GPAs, with the vast majority of the freshman class above a 3.5. HS grades are an important part of the application, but they are far from the only part. It’s possible to be accepted if something else on your app makes admissions overlook the weaker grades. I don’t mean just hooks or “curing cancer”, but more than the typical ECs/awards/experiences/personality traits that thousands of other applicants have.</p>
<p>Data, did you take crazy hard classes?</p>
<p>Well, the obvious answer is stellar ECs and a really high SAT score. And that’s true. If you have phenomenal activities and show admissions that you have potential, they might have leeway for your grades. </p>
<p>The school I go to, every year a couple of kids with low GPAs get accepted to really good schools. Sometimes it’s sports, other times just because. That being said, you still have to work extremely hard for the Ivies and UC Berkeley, etc. Good luck (:</p>
<p>Re: #10</p>
<p>In other posts, Data10 mentioned taking advanced (i.e. beyond the AP or college frosh level) courses at local universities while still in high school (with 4.0 GPA in the college courses, despite a lower GPA in high school).</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1517184-my-dad-thinks-still-80s-5.html#post16074873[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1517184-my-dad-thinks-still-80s-5.html#post16074873</a></p>
<p>I completely agree with ucbalumnus, try the community college route, it’s cheaper, you’ll get a GPA to a 4.0 if you really apply yourself and will be able to move on within a year from there, by transferring to a 4-year college.</p>
<p>I agree with vivendium. I got into ucla and Berkeley with a 3.45 unweighted and 3.95 weighted. I took AP/Honors classes and cc courses but I did receive a few c’s. What helped me get in despite a less than stellar academic record was a few things. I had a good sat score (2100), good ecs with leadership, strong dedication to a community service nonprofit, strong essays, and a personal story that explained my grades. If every other part of the app is stellar, I feel like there is a chance of acceptance.</p>
<p>Perhaps you’d need exemplary accomplishments in some area? Like published research, for example?</p>