Deferred chances: importance of GPA?

<p>My GPA went down a couple points on the 100-scale from midterms to first term final marks. Are my chances really that much lower if at the same time I brought one of my SAT IIs up from a low-600s score to a mid-700s score and got a new 730 SAT II score for another subject, and also increased my SAT Is from a 2200 to somewhere in the 2300s (not sure yet but that's what I'm anticipating)?</p>

<p>For all selective colleges, your course rigor and GPA are far more important than your test scores. That’s because testing is a “one-day window” into your scholastic potential, whereas your transcript is a “three-year window.” </p>

<p>If you were deferred, I imagine Admissions thought your testing was just fine–otherwise you would have been rejected. So spending your efforts raising your SAT scores, while valiant, may not be worth the effort.</p>

<p>Will going down a couple of points hurt you? It’s difficult to say without knowing the specifics of your grades and your high school. Sliding from a 98 to a 96 is not as bad as going from a 94 to a 92. If your high school has Naviance or similar software, I would check the track record of your school against the colleges you applied to. If not, ask your guidance counselor: What was the lowest GPA Harvard accepted from your high school? If you’re still above that number, then I think you would still be a viable applicant.</p>