Assuming everything on your app is “ivy-level”, and assuming you’re not a URM/first gen/legacy/etc could you get in with a GPA between 3.8 and 3.85? I know that’s pretty low.
The short answer is “It depends.” You are making a lot of assumptions. All Ivy League colleges evaluate holistically, so yes, it’s possible. For example, if you attend a top performing HS where a 3.8 is in the top 10%, then perhaps. But at the end of the day, these schools also routinely reject applicants with 1600/36/4.0 stats, so it is far from transparent.
You could get in with a 2.0, anything is possible.
This is what I was wondering too- just form my observations (so it might not be 100% accurate), you may be able to get in with a 3.8-3.85 if:
- You are an URM
- You have a strong upward trend in your grades (so maybe you have a couple B's in 9th or 10th grade, but then you have pretty much solid A's through junior and for sure through senior year) + your course rigor is very difficult
- What @skieurope said: You go to an extremely rigorous and well-known high school (like Philips Exeter) and a 3.8 is within the top decile of the class
- You are absolutely amazing at something (e.g. winning Nationals for Debate, Speech, DECA, Robotics, etc.)
- You have extreme extenuating circumstances that caused your performance during a period of high school to drop (sudden illness, etc.)
Basically, unless you have one (or more) of the things I listed above, it’s going to be very difficult to get in with a 3.8-3.85 UW GPA. Then again, you could always be rejected even if you had #1-5, but the chances of that happening is very, very low.
While people say that “anything could happen”, you have to understand that while it is possible that there is a person who is an ultra URM + all A’s in junior and senior year + 20 AP’s + is a Grand Chess Master + also suffered through severe illness was accepted with a 2.0 or something, the majority of people that were accepted had near perfect GPA’s + Test Scores + were able to do extremely well in their EC’s.
Don’t look at the outliers, but look at your own situation and realize that in order to even be considered for acceptance at those top schools, you pretty much have to have an UW GPA close to a 4.0 (I would say anything above a 3.9-3.95 will generally make you a decently competitive candidate if you don’t have any hooks/ #1-5).
Sorry- I’m just a high school senior so I’m not as knowledgeable as others here, so take my advice with a grain of salt! There have been people with 3.85-3.9 UW GPA’s that I’ve seen get in without hooks + without being a National Champion debater, but from what I have seen is that it is very, very rare (and they usually go to a very intense high school).
That being said- even if you do have a 3.8 GPA (like me, haha!) and you are a senior, don’t be discouraged! While what college you attend does have an impact, you can still find a path to being successful even though you don’t attend an Ivy/Stanford/MIT. There are so many success stories of people who go to their state school and work extremely hard and end up being more successful than their Ivy counterparts.
America is awesome in that even if you miss one opportunity, there will be several more that will open themselves for you. You just have to work smart, work hard, and be proactive.
- Sorry if I stressed you out at all! To be honest, I think the number one factor in determining success if yourself, so I would recommend really developing and growing yourself as a person (academically + morally) during these years of high school. Learn how you can turn a subject that you struggle with into one that you can excel at, and also practice the ability to be a flexible problem-solver and to think critically.
From what I’ve seen, you are a very hard worker, so I think you will be able to have a bright future with or without an Ivy.
If you mean UW GPA from a competitive suburban HS, it is doable without hooks. However, you generally need to be in almost all AP classes, have strong test scores, including APs and subject tests, ECs, recommendations etc. Getting a few Bs makes it more difficult, but it doesn’t exclude you. They look at the whole application. I really wouldn’t bother applying though unless you are strong in other areas.
I realized that I came across as a bit harsh in my post- just like @sattut said- getting a 3.8 doesn’t exclude you! You should definitely apply to as many competitive schools as you would like to, but keep in mind a strong list of safeties that you would be happy to apply to.
i did, so yes, you can
Not by applying blind. And it’s tough(er) when the one or two B grades are in courses related to your major. Or close.
It takes work and savvy to present what a tippy top wants to see. It’s not always obvious.