Hey, I’m the friend whose post was taken down a few minutes ago.
I am looking at Cornell and Dartmouth.
I am a URM
I have a 3.6 GPA (all A’s since sophomore year. I really messed up my GPA freshman year) excluding freshman year, i would have 4.0 GPA
Class rank is 2nd quintile (top 40%) again due to horrible grades from freshman year
My SAT is 750M 750RW
I have yet to take any SAT subject tests
I have not been involved in any ECs (unless church counts as an EC lol)
I am a junior btw. I plan on applying through questbridge.
I don’t know your chances (esp with Questbridge, bc that’s more random and selective than anything and depends on the school), but you won’t be compared to other kids with a 3.6 (By the end of the junior year, if u keep straight A’s ur GPA will also go up so that’s good) bc u show an upward trend BUT MAKE SURE TO EXPLAIN AND GIVE REASONS FOR BAD GRADES in 9th grade
Cornell and Dartmouth are possible but will be challenging to get into. Based on my experience knowing other URMs who applied to college, it’s more common for URMs with high class rank + low SAT scores to get admitted than a URM with high SAT scores + low class rank. Try to get involved in more ECs, write good essays, and apply to more than just those two reach schools (LACs like Middlebury would love your profile). My brother got into Amherst and Middlebury with only top 20% class rank but a 1490 SAT. A 3.6 unweighted GPA is very respectable (and about what my brother had), but a 3.6 weighted would be very low. You still have a chance so don’t give up!!!
was your brother an URM @allnighter21
@appcolleges7 I unfortunately do not have any reasons for by bad grade 9th grade. i was just lazy lol
@CollegeURM Yes, African-American more specifically
Race is “a factor,” but cannot be “the factor.” Try to raise your GPA this semester, and show them your strong upward trend.
Sure it does, if you did anything there other than sit in a pew.
ECs are just your activities, hobbies, work - whatever you do when you aren’t doing school. For some people their EC is watching TV and that won’t impress anyone, but most kids DO THINGS and those are ECs. What do you do when you aren’t in school?
PS: My D was accepted to Amherst and several other selective schools with a rank of top 15% and she is not URM (or athlete). She did have a 35 ACT and a somewhat higher GPA than yours, but still.
There are some very good schools that do not consider freshman year grades into your GPA. I know the University fo California system doesn’t, and neither does Stanford. I imagine there are others.
Without that freshman year, you have a 4.0. That an a 1500 SAT will put you in the running.
Many colleges will look for trends in grades having a positive trend with a high standardized test score, coupled with being a urm and taking hard courses could potentially look very strong.
If your Junior year grades are also 4.0 ish, I think you have a decent chance. URM isn’t everything but it may get a deeper look into your GPA, where they can see “the problem” was 9th grade.
3.6 is not “low” outside of CC:). Good luck!