<p>Many students find other schools to be a better fit than UW- that’s why other schools are not merely UW clones. Those who are successful UW students may not realize how their HS grades reflect a better knowledge base than those with lower HS grades. Those who learned less in HS will have often more to learn than those who come in with that knowledge. Students with lesser stats can, and do, succeed at UW, but they should be warned that the bar is higher in college than HS- those that struggle to get B’s in HS may find the workload overwhelming. Those with lower grades due to “slacking off” in some way will need to change how they approach the work. Students need to realize that more effort than they put into their HS work will be required and decide if it is worth it to them. </p>
<p>OP- You can prove your abilities by having a stellar senior first semester. A gpa is a cumulation of your entire HS record, not just “a few stats”. By asking strangers for opinions on getting in you are asking for a judgement. If not, don’t bother asking, just go ahead with your plans. When you ask for an opinion you can’t expect it to always be in your favor- reality checks are more valuable than misleading cheerleading. Now you have some pros and cons to weigh in on to supplement your own thoughts. Being challenged about your ability to succeed may be the motivation for you to change your approach and do the job.</p>
<p>Etherdome has a good reply- go for it, the worst thing that can happen is that you don’t get in as a freshman. By spring you will have a better idea of which school is the best fit- see how you do senior year and if you enjoy what it took to do it.</p>