Hi everyone,
I am planning on applying to HYPSM, UVA, and Virginia Tech next year. My main problem is that I did pretty poorly frosh and soph years( I go to a t-5 high school in the country, won’t reveal which one for anonymity’s sake), but did really well this year(junior) and have some really good awards. Anyways here’s my stuff:
GPA: 3.8/4.4
SAT: 1560 (800 math, 760 reading)
ACT: 36
Subject Tests: Math II(800), Chemistry(780), Physics(800)
AP’s : Chem(5), CS(5), BC Calculus(5), Physics C(5, both), APUSH(5), Spanish Lang(5), Bio(5);
Senior Year AP Classes: Gov, English Lit
Post AP’s: Orgo, Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, DNA Science, Nuerobio, Electrodynamics
EC’s:
Numerous clubs based around Chem and Bio, a few leadership positions but nothing super significant in terms of clubs.
Football(2 years)
Track and Field(2 years)
200 hours+ volunteer hours
Research at Local University
Internship at NIH
Awards:
Olympiad Camp( One of the sciences, won’t specify because only a few people at my school make camp)
Intel ISEF Third Award
Google Science Fair Regional Finalist
Be honest with me before I get my hopes up (;
You have some serious ECs there. That will certainly get attention. But whether or not they can look past your GPA? Not sure.
Doubtful that you will get in at HYPSM. They generally will only scoop up the top ranked kids. But you will certainly have a chance at many schools in the Top 20.
@sgopal2 “scoop up the top ranked kids”. Yes, but ranking includes a lot more than just GPA, and GPA of 3.8 is not out of the range from which they accept non-hooked kids, especially from their feeder high schools…
Moreover, they’re not “scooping up the top-ranked kids”. They’re slogging through tens of thousands of applications and, unless an applications stands out, they will likely put it in the “reject” pile.
I do not know how difficult it is to get into the Olympiad Camp, or if the Intel ISEF Third Award is one of the “Grand Awards”. Having a couple of national level awards is more impressive than being one of the 10,000 applicants who got 3.9 instead of 3.8.
@CurryTown Don’t get your hopes up. At very best, you have a 90% chance of rejection. Unless those awards are pretty serious, it is likely over 95%, and a GPA 3.9 would maybe move it down a couple of percent.
Assume that you are not going to be accepted to any of them, and get on with your life.
I agree with @MWolf. I’d go so far to say that it hinges on whAt weight these schools place on the level you win on those awards. On a grades and test scores basis, your chances are very small.
Get you finances set up as to what your parents will pay, and Fin aid eligibility. Get some sure thingvschools on your list and give the lottery ticket schools their apps to see what pans out.
“If the Intel ISEF Third Award is one of the “Grand Awards”.”
It looks like it is a grand award, so that could be significant.
The 3.8/4.4 is a little concerning though, what is the uw gpa, i.e. out of 4.0 with no weights given to APs, honors, +/- etc.?
Any hooks - urm, legacy, first gen?
If OP is from Virginia (since UVA and VaTech are on the list of schools) and attends a Top-5 high school, it’s pretty obvious which one-it’s the one that was named after one of the Founding Fathers.
Even the students from the school with slightly lower GPAs will get a Top-20 acceptance. It may not be HYPSM, but Rice, Vandy, and WashU take plenty of kids from the school.
Schools like Case Western, Emory, Rochester, Brandeis, and BU are academic matches for the OP and should be considered as well.
Two years of sports, unspecified volunteering, and stem research won’t round out OP’s picture. Intel can’t overcome a grade problem, the colleges are looking for proven academic focus, school involvement, and ‘depth and breadth.’
It’s not just where GPA ended up (is 3.8 the inweighted?) They look at the transcript and lower than A grades in classes related to the major can be a big issue. A 3.8 sounds better than it may be.
And TJ is not the only hs in the “top 5.”
Granted, TJ gets a huge number into UVa, but they’re fully qualified, they meet all the expectations. And even for top kids, it’s one of the colleges I consider upredictable, because they consciously look to serve all kids in the state, not just those at top high schools.
Everyone talking about GPA but I wouldn’t worry about it unless it puts you less than top 20% or so in your class. You just have to make sure you center your application towards a “passion” for science. IDK if you have one but make it seem like you do, and if you like sports talk about science in sports. Also consider adding schools like UPenn, Cornell, Carnegie, idk there’s a lot of other schools you’d have a better chance at. I know UVA is a great choice and cheap, but some other schools might be worth HYPSM money also.
GPA matters, and a “passion” won’t make up for a lowish GPA. How is faking a “passion” going to get OP into a selective school? That statement assumes that “passion” is something adcoms look for and that they aren’t astute enough to understand when a kid is faking it. I don’t believe either of those things are true.
@austinmshauri Yeah I know GPA matters… which is why I suggested aiming for top schools other than HYPSM, but also he has the ec’s and awards that suggest he is very committed to the biology/chemistry fields, and if he makes admissions officers see that, it might be able to counteract what he lost in GPA… I mean, if a student has a low GPA and their passion is horseback riding, that is likely not going to work, but I do think OP has a good chance if he does his application correctly.
Not sure you understand how holistic values each and every piece, @tchit87. We still don’t know if that’s unweighted gpa. And after the “dazzle” of 2 awards, he’s pretty unilateral, not a help.
None of this is about our gut reactions or guesses. It’s about what tippy top colleges want, the whole picture. I think it’s hard for some high school kids to grasp.
Adding, OP is another 1-poster and hasn’t been back since June 26.