Chances for a 3.2 GPA?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Smith College
1

<p>Hi! I'm a full IB student who is going to get a 3.2 GPA by the end of the first semester. It's a pretty weak GPA in comparison to most Smithees. I have been seriously interested in Smith for a really long time but I couldn't apply EDII due to problems with my teacher's letters of recommendation, so I had to apply regular decision. I was just wondering, how badly will my transcript affect how the admissions people view me as a candidate?</p>

<p>I got a 27 on the ACT (which is the median, I think) - English was 32, math was 22. My weakest subject is math (I've had C's in the past and this semester, I took IB Calculus and received an F). I also am somewhat weak in the sciences, as I've gotten C's in the past and received a C in physics. Will this significantly harm my chances of entrance? I tried to explain why I did so poorly this year in my Common App - but I didn't include some outside factors (family problems, illnesses, etc.).</p>

<p>How much are grades a factor at Smith? I know they take the holistic approach but to be frank, this could mean just about anything. It would be nice to have some idea of how likely I could get in. Smith is my dream school and I just hope that they can see how much I really want to go there!</p>

<p>(Oh - I would like to major in English and Philosophy. It's not very relevant but I do have a particular love for English.)</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

2

<p>An F in any subject is going to be difficult to overcome. Did your parents write the optional letter? If so, did they explain the outside factors? Did you GC do this for you?</p>

<p>Your grades will indeed impact your application. The question is whether your strengths are so astounding as to make the weaknesses in math and science unimportant. </p>

<p>I do have to ask you: If you struggle academically in everything but English, why would you want to go to Smith? The academics are rigorous, and you're likely to feel overwhelmed. It might be better for you to go to a less competitive but still challenging college that will allow you to learn in a less stressful environment. I can understand why you love Smith, but you should ask yourself whether it's the best place for you.</p>

3

<p>I think you'll really need to explain why you failed IB Calculus. But I don't think that it will be impossible at all. It sounds like you really bit off more than you could chew, hoping to make the best showing possible for your college apps by taking a variety of challenging courses. Unfortunately, you have a big problem with math and it may have been wiser to just not take more than what was required.</p>

<p>A 32 in English is a fantastic ACT score!! You are obviously quite intelligent or you could not have gotten that score. A 22...not so great, but I've seen worse. Have you ever been tested for dyscalculia? With such a wide gap in your abilities with English and math, it is a possibility to at least consider. See the website <a href="http://www.dyscalculia.org%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.dyscalculia.org&lt;/a> for some info. My niece has dyscalculia and she is doing VERY well at a great school. You will too -- whether it is at Smith or elsewhere.</p>

<p>The good news for your situation is that if you are admitted to Smith, there are lots of majors that you could pursue that would not require you to take any math or science classes whatsoever. A lot of people (including parents on this board) don't like that, but it's reality. Many, many students graduate from Smith having never taken a math or science class since graduating from high school. </p>

<p>Yes, Smith is rigourous and challenging, but if you have very good grades and test scores in English and social sciences, and you are willing to work hard, you should be able to handle it.</p>

<p>I would suggest that you definitely set up an interview during the application process and be prepared to frankly discuss and explain your weaknesses and showcase your strengths. </p>

<p>Also, teacher recs could make or break the application in your case. My niece had consistently low math and science grades, but she also had recs from some of those teachers saying how hard she had worked to overcome her disability. She also had great recs from her school's Learning Specialist and Principal. She ended up being accepted at 7 of the 8 schools she applied to, including both of her two "reach" schools. </p>

<p>Good luck with your applications!!</p>

<p>If this is where you really want to be, I hope to see you here!</p>

4

<p>According to the admissions lit, Smith places greater emphasis on the grades than the test scores. But I don't think your grades (including F in IB calc) put you out of the running.</p>

<p>And, as Laureldj point out, Smith has no distrib reqs - - you won't have to take the hard-core math or sci classes to graduate. </p>

<p>If you haven't been interviewed, schedule one (with an alum, too late to interview on-campus now) - - ASAP.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

5

<p>You haven't provided a single reason why they should ACCEPT you.</p>

6

<p>I've got to agree with Mini. Your grades are so-so...so what do you have in the way of compensating factors that would make Smith think you're a good add to the Smith community, academic and otherwise?</p>

7

<p>Thank you for the responses! </p>

<p>I think after being in the IB program for 4 years, going to a school like Smith would be a refreshing change since there are no distribution requirements. But I'm not saying this because I want an "easy" curriculum - but it is nice to be able to go to a school that gives me more options. Since I go to a public high school (and especially being in the IB program), I've never gotten the ability to take classes that I want, such as PE (a lot of my friends hate it - and it's required if you're not in full IB) and AP Art History (which was canceled because the district thought it was worth not paying for because most kids didn't sign up for it). </p>

<p>And while I haven't done the greatest in the math and sciences region, I've always had a particular for English, philosophy, history, and Spanish (I actually want to pursue a third language - fourth, I guess, if you count my native language). I guess it's all based on perspective but everyone has weaknesses and I'd like to think that, sadly, math is my weakness (and science, to a lesser extent). But I suppose when a college wants a group of thriving intellectuals, I'm probably not their #1 candidate, yet I'm still willing to try. Granted this semester, I failed (quite literally) and I did plan to drop IB Calc because it was just difficult... but somehow, I managed to stick it out. I think I should give a reason why as to why it isn't an easy class (or the math program at my school in general) - which is mainly that we have only one math program available which teaches every aspect of math each year (i.e. instead of teaching Algebra 1, you learn Algebra, Trig, Calc all in the same year). So TECHNICALLY, I'm not really taking calculus - but a mixture of a lot of different things. While I managed an A back in seventh grade, I took some test and passed, which let me take the program one year early. And it just didn't help me learn math - instead of teaching straightforward step-by-step, the book forced me to learn myself. So when I was at home and trying to learn, it didn't work for me, especially since if I didn't know what to do, it didn't tell me... The program didn't work for a lot of different students and especially this year, there have been quite a few D's and F's in IB Calc - but I'm not trying to make it sound like it's entirely the teacher/book's fault.</p>

<p>Also, I really think I fit the idea of "heady, nervy, and intellectually exciting." I GENUINELY want to learn and I am always on my "epic quest for knowledge" (which sounds philosophically cliched and cheesy). But I love reading Camus and Shakespeare, I love learning about the Manhattan Project, and reading Spanish literature. If there is something that I am TRULY curious about, I'm not going to sit there and ignore it; I am going to figure it out and rationalize it. Also while I like talking about fashion like the next girl, I always find myself talking about philosophy or politics or literature for hours on end. Just today, my friend and I were philosophizing about death (not in a depressing matter) and the societal impact on how we are all just naturally conditioned to fear it. It's a bit of a random example, I'll admit. The IB program has taught me to appreciate the humanities more than I did back in middle school. It's also something that's beyond grades. I mean - grades can show an indication of how hard a student works or how hard he or she can excel in something, but it's not everything... or at least, the idealistic side of me wants to think that. I've seen my friend, who wants to be a mathematician, get straight A's in math and then this year she is struggling to get a C. In all honesty, I've never been the type of person who cared all that much about grades but I really love to learn. I think that's the point of an education - to learn - that it's not always about "going to college to make money."</p>

<p>There are more reasons...I promise...but I just realized how long this became.</p>

<p>My parents are most likely going to write the letter - I think they will also go further into the details as to what happened this semester.</p>

<p>Also, I had an interview with an alumni and I explained to her about the F. She said that while it's a big step downward, that I might have a chance... just this year in general has been a bit of a step downward (socially, academically, etc.) for me, as pathetic as it sounds. She was very understanding and ultimately thought that I would be a potentially good fit at Smith.</p>

<p>Thank you for reading this.</p>

8

<p>Brava! </p>

<p>I hope your enthusiasm comes out in your application.</p>

9

<p>Hey, I was sort of in the same situation as you last year. I outright failed two classes (Physics and Algebra II), and got less than stellar grades in regular-level math and science courses. I also have a wide gap in my English and Math ACT scores (33 and 24, respectively). They accepted me, and I think I made up for my weaknesses with 1) acing every AP humanities and social science-related course I could take during my senior year 2) showed how I could be a 'Smithie'--mostly through social activism work. I think you should describe your intellectual passions more fully in your essays, and how Smith can help you in your "epic quest for knowledge." You might also mention what you plan to do with your knowledge, what your goals and aspirations are, and how you plan to make a imprint on society/change the world for the better.</p>

<p>I know you probably won't do this, but don't place the blame on any one thing. Try to really take responsibility for your actions. Show them how you're going to make your education at Smith work--say, discuss the benefits of the open curriculum and how you can better work with math and science courses that you're truly interested in, rather than set IB requirements. Show them a plan, show them you'll follow through with it. Good luck.</p>