<p>I'm expecting a weighted GPA of around 4.1/unweighted 3.5 for my entire highschool career, which is just above 10% for my school. I know this isn't horrible, but not exactly Ivy League. I take 6 AP courses and still do a lot of extra curricular activities. However, I have been taking practice SATs and having scoring really high (2300+) and with more practice, I'm aiming for at least a near perfect score. Will this be good enough to get me into an Ivy League school such as Brown or Dartmouth?</p>
<p>im actually really interested in this thread… hopefully people reply… im in the same boat… i have 3.65 and a 2370</p>
<p>You are correct in saying that you GPA is below the Ivy standard. The Ivy’s value your performance in the classroom, and a 3.5 is an average between a B and and A, and most applicants to the Ivy’s average an A. Unless you have absolutely stellar E.C.'s with national recognition, the Ivy’s will be definite reaches. I am not saying don’t try; you should. You just need to know that admission to the Ivy’s will be incredibly competitive.</p>
<p>arent there a lot more people around the country with a 4.0 than people with a 2350+… so why do the ivies weight heavier on gpa, something that changes from school to school depending on the rigor of the institution… while the sat is common playing ground for every applicant.</p>
<p>They don’t necessarily weight GPA more so heavily, but they definitely take it into consideration. They want to see academic excellence. I never said it was impossible. Excellent SAT scores help a ton, but like I said, a low GPA will be an obstacle. With good essays, recs, E.C.'s etc, it can be overcome, but it is an obstacle nonetheless.</p>
<p>GPA demonstrates to schools an academic drive and ability to withstand tough class loads on a day to day basis, whereas they know the SAT is a test that can be studied/crammed for. The elite schools are looking for students who can withstand their extremely difficult class loads, and use GPA and class difficulty level to indicate if you can thrive in such a tough environment. For the ivies, the low GPA is something that will have to be overcome. However, if you have extremely good ECs, are nationally ranked in something (preferably something unusual), or have extenuating circumstances that may change things. Also, @rodrigo9, the SAT is not common playing ground, as it still favors wealthier kids who can afford expensive prep classes and don’t need a job to help support their families. The SAT demonstrates your ability to study for a test and/or be naturally gifted, it doesn’t demonstrate academic drive. Hope that helps! Chance back at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1508050-chances-science-undergrad-new-post.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1508050-chances-science-undergrad-new-post.html</a></p>
<p>This question has been asked many time. Does it look better to have GPA 4.0 or to have challenging course load? The answers from these schools’ admission offices are “Both”. You need to have challenging course load and get good grades on them.</p>
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<p>Well, you would certainly be the underdog in the application process – there may well be 10,000 applicants with better overall academic stats than you – but it’s certainly not impossible. A lot can depend on the type and quality of your ECs and community service work, your letters of recommendation, your essays and how you package the whole thing together into a unified whole as an individual (not a collection of stats) who shows focus, passion, and determination.</p>
<p>Brown really has its own special niche. Because the school offers the open curriculum with no course requirements outside your major, you get a lot more flexibility there than at most other schools. Brown thus values fit more than minor academic differences – students whose applications show that they are already established independent thinkers who know what they want and how to pursue it. Leadership in ECs and community service, and especially in ECs and community service off the beaten path of every-high-school-has-one, would help immensely.</p>