<p>Hi guys, I'm a soon to be 11th grader and I've been paranoid about college for some time now. My top choices are Berkeley, UCLA, NYU, Johns Hopkins, and Boston. My gpa this year was pretty solid, like a 3.5. I know this gpa wont get me into the schools I want, or atleast I wont have a good shot but I was wondering if I am able to make straight A's my junior year taking 4 AP's and if I work hard to score well on the SAT/ACT will I have a better chance? I just need some hope... thank you for reading this, please reply soon =]</p>
<p>It is good that you have set yourself the goal of earning grades that would improve your chances at these institutions. Go for it!</p>
<p>But be sure to take the time to talk with your parents (or whoever else it is who is going to help you pay for your education) about the money. Can they pay the full cost of these institutions? Would you qualify for need-based financial aid? How do your parents feel about you taking on some debt to help pay for college? With a 3.5 and good test scores, there may be merit-based aid available for you at some perfectly fine (if not tippy-top) places. Pay a visit to the Financial Aid Forum, and track down the threads on merit-based financial aid.</p>
<p>swimfishie, all the schools you list are quite selective. If you do well in your junior year, you might get in, but don’t set yourself up for disappointment or self-incrimination if your performance falls short, or if things don’t work out as you wish. You should broaden your search to include schools where you are likely to be admitted, and that will be affordable for you and your family. There are many excellent colleges and universities other than the famous ones at the top of the rankings.</p>
<p>Boston as in BC or BU? And you should honestly just put college in the back of your mind, starting to worry about it before junior year even starts will burn you out, trust me, save that urgency for senior year. But definitely seek to get your GPA up, 4 APs junior year is great if you do well in them. For those schools you’ll want to get at least 2100 in your SAT, so you should start looking for a good prep book to get testing out of the way before senior year. These schools are definitely possible, just start by getting the grades up.</p>
<p>Thank you guys so much! I’m deffinitely listening to all of your advice. thank you</p>
<p>As someone who got into Yale after almost not applying because I thought that it was too much a reach, I would tell you to bust your butt earning great grades and otherwise making yourself a competitive candidate. From there, take a shot and see what happens. If you don’t get in, your life isn’t over. If you do, then feel proud.</p>
<p>Admissions is a lot like asking out a girl: if you don’t try, you’ll never know. You lose nothing by taking a shot.</p>
<p>Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.</p>
<p>Start with the UC admissions website to understand how to calculate your UC GPA. The UC GPA will not include your freshman grades. You can review detailed admissions profiles for each UC at the same website.</p>