Because of family issues, my GPA is not good, I only have a 3.0… But, my sat scores are about average for the school and I have a lot of great extracurriculars. I really want to double major in business management & creative writing here. Can I get in??? I’m praying that I’ll be able to attend with POSSE, which can pay for my tuition.
Are there any things I can do to make my application stand out to the admission officers?
Hi @Kyllakylie. My daughter will be starting at Wheaton in the fall. In addition to taking your time to submit a strong Common Application, essay and letters of recommendation, the best thing you can do is set up an interview with Admissions, either at the college or near where you live if you’re not in the area and they are traveling near you. You can check the website for available times; generally, it’s in the fall. Everyone at Wheaton has been extremely friendly, so it’s not intimidating. They are genuinely interested in getting to know you and what you would bring to the Wheaton community. At the interview you can mention why your GPA is lower than you’d like (no need to go into a lot of detail, just keep it general and maybe talk about how you are overcoming the situation or learning from it). Also, on the Common App, there is a line for “Other Comments,” where you can explain your GPA.
Are you a senior next year? Can you take challenging classes and/or get your GPA up a little bit? If not, I think you still have a solid chance, with the above actions – and showing enthusiasm for the college. Their business program looks great - actually all their academics. Best of luck to you!
Thank you!!