<p>From W&M's website as well as from hearing from past students I get the impression of William and Mary what this college has been looking for are students with academic drive. For 4 years of high school, I was never complacent with flaking out and taking easy classes. I consistently challenged myself - next year I will be graduating having only taken 3 on-level classes. My SAT score is a 2380. The only caveat - the GPA and class rank.</p>
<p>How do I explain this disparity between my GPA (3.5 UW) and my standardized testing scores? Does the COWM frown on a disparity as showing a student to be an underachiever or slacker, but just a good test taker? </p>
<p>I've started writing my application essays. I'm just having trouble trying to find the words to communicate this effectively.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help!</p>
<p>You use the word slacker - are you being facetious, or do you think that’s accurate? A 2380 is very impressive, so the 3.5, while a good GPA, does make the reader wonder. Is the 3.5 weighted or unweighted? Is W&M likely to be familiar with your school - is it in VA, or has it sent a number of students to W&M over the years? Your GC will include a school profile, which also might put your GPA in perspective. (Maybe your school just doesn’t grade-inflate to the extent many high schools do?) What is your approximate class rank? If many students took an equally demanding curriculum and posted better GPAs, that could be a problem; but if yours was a uniquely demanding curriculum, W&M will take that into consideration.</p>
<p>Where do you intend to address this issue? Your essay should be a well-written snapshot of who you are; it might be hard to write that kind of essay if you also have to include an explanation of the disconnect between your GPA and your standardized test scores. For example, my kids’ essays were about a bad haircut, the tribulations of working the popcorn machine at the local cineplex, and being squashed at a standing room only Shakespearean performance. They showed who they were without writing a strictly literal “why I’d fit in at W&M” essay. I don’t know which approach might be best for you; I’m just suggesting that you allow yourself to think big about your essay topics and not make them about explaining the disparity. </p>
<p>Ideally, your GC and teacher recommendations will address the disconnect, too. Your GC should be able to show you how students with similar stats have fared at W&M. If you’re instate, I think your chances are strong.</p>
<p>I don’t want to come across as disingenuous. My school is known for being incredibly academically competitive (but more focused on getting the grade than learning) and students here are very haughty and pretentious about their GPAs. I’m a bit more abashed about revealing my academic standing to my peers - the term is accurate insofar as the context of my high school. That’s why I have to resort to anonymous online forums -_-. I know my SAT is good - I don’t want to wave it in everybody’s face - it just confuses me why there is such a disconnect between <em>it</em> and my GPA.</p>
<p>My essay at this point probably won’t resemble my essay in a few months. Right now it’s not written pedantically but I’m trying to get rid of this weird tone that I use in most of my essays at school (overly academic, formal, scholarly - basically something a college professor would write in his blog.) It’s about why I quit Beta my junior year and started my own community service organization which doesn’t involve rigorous hours and forms and all but rather actually just organizes groups of people to go help a food bank. I don’t know if the essay has a “moral” or a “takeaway,” heck, I’m not even sure if it would answer any questions for college essays.</p>
<p>To answer your questions - my class rank is around 35%-40% and I am out of state.</p>
<p>We generally would recommend that you not use your essay to explain any academic circumstances/disparities. Your essay should be for expressing something about yourself that we cannot learn from the rest of your application. The additional information section of the Common App is likely the more appropriate place to explain any academic disparities.</p>
<p>Write your essay and don’t overthink – if your classes were rigorous, 3.5/2380 should make you competitive at many schools. If W&M doesn’t want you, trust me, some other school will. BE YOURSELF.</p>