Chance Me? LOVE Clark, but worried about my low GPA

Hi everyone! I came across Clark University in my college search and fell in love immediately. It is one of my top choices now. I know that it isn’t an extremely selective school, but I want to know if I have a good shot at acceptance, whether I would be a good fit and how much financial aid I might receive.


[QUOTE=""]

I’m a 15 year old junior at a suburban magnet school in North Jersey. I’m taking all Honors, AP and college credit classes. I have one of the heaviest course loads in my class and I’ve had to trade my lunch period to take extra classes.

GPA is TERRIBLE. Cumulative might be about a 3.3 by senior year. It’s due to extenuating circumstance (specifically, things were pretty bad at home and my mental health was a mess) I got (and am still getting) help and I’ve made an almost 180-degree change in my grades from first semester of junior to the second semester. I went from a 2.5 to 4.0 without dropping or changing any classes. But there are still Cs and a D on my transcript.

I’m black, Puerto Rican, Italian, and Cherokee. My parents make $60,000-$75,000 a year. I’ll be the first in my family to graduate from college and I have two younger siblings.

I’ve yet to take the real thing, but based on practice tests I’m counting on an SAT around 2200+. CR: 780, W: 750 M:730

I’ve got a ton of EC’s that I really care about. I’m on student leadership councils in my school and city, founded and run an animal rights club and started a recycling program at my school. I’m active in my school’s choir, do school musicals, perform for fundraising contests (I won second place this year!! lol) And I’m waiting to hear back on some writing contests that I’ve entered, but hopefully I’ll have a few awards by the time I apply.

I want to work in advertising or journalism. I’m interested in psychology, philosophy, media, media studies, social justice, politics and music.

Writing one of the few things I pride myself on, and I think my essays will be the best part of my application. I intend to touch on why my GPA is so low, but to not let that be the focus.

My recs will be pretty good too, I think.

[/QUOTE]

TL;DR:

Clark University? 3.3 GPA, 2200+ SAT, good ECs, good essays

Thank you if you even took the time to read this.

edit: forgot to mention I’ll have taken 4 APs: APUSH, Gov, English and Econ (Macro), probably 4s or 5s on each

My prediction: You will get in! You might get some merit money if you go over the 2200 SAT but your GPA etc is not high enough for the LEEP scholarship.

I’m 100% sure you’ll get in. I think you’ll get some merit money as well. Clark has a great admissions office. Good luck!

I got in with a 3.5 and 2060, plus they gave me 15,000 in merit, so you will undoubtedly get in. Good luck!