<p>Hi everyone,
So I've got a question. Throughout High School I haven't really worked as hard as I should've in a bunch of different classes-- I always get kind of under motivated by classes I don't find interesting. So, coming out of 10th Grade I've got a GPA of about 3.45, 3.7ish W (improving this year). Despite all that, I've worked really hard to become a good SAT test taker. My Blue Book scores were consistently 2300+ by the end and I'm feeling like my Jan. SAT was, too. </p>
<p>Anyways, it seems like my SAT score to GPA ratio is a little bit abnormal. What do colleges think of applicants who get high SAT scores but have slightly less rigorous GPAs. Do you think they'd be able to detect a lazy worker?</p>
<p>I think that all colleges are different. With SAT scores that high, I think that many will not put as much emphasis on your GPA. I think that your test scores definitely show that you have the aptitude to do well in college. Any weaknesses can be addressed in other areas. You have another year to get everything together to have a really great application. You really can’t worry about what is behind you – the best course of action is to focus on what is in front of you. Get motivated and make some great plans for the summer! Congrats on your outstanding test scores.</p>
<p>There are some admissions committees that view low grades and high SATs as a sign of a student who is not as likely to succeed in their college as applicants with higher gpa’s and similar SATs. There are often special circumstances and they should be spelled out by the high school GC and by the applicant in an essay, but only if it is a genuine circumstance. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Some schools will be more likely than others to penalize you for this situation. For stats-based colleges like the UCs, you might be OK because they tend to weight the SAT quite highly (or at least that is what my college counselors tell me). More selective privates may have some raised eye-brows at the situation. Try to weave your explanation into your essays</p>
<p>Trouble is, the explanation is that, to put it bluntly, Billy has been a bit of a slacker so far. That’s not much of an explanation.</p>
<p>Billy, I’m afraid that for the colleges that normally enroll students with standardized test scores like yours, Erin’s Dad is right. They’ll start by admitting the applicants with really high test scores and grades to match. Before they have finished admitting all of those applicants, they will have filled their freshman class. </p>
<p>On the other hand, you should have no problem getting admitted to a college that normally enrolls students with transcripts like yours. And maybe your SAT scores will get you a scholarship or an invitation to an honors program, or maybe they’ll get you into a somewhat more selective college than you might otherwise be able to manage.</p>
<p>Yes, that would be the explanation, but if he has learned from his mistakes and rededicated himself to maximizing his potential, that could be a fairly powerful essay. His GPA is not horrible at all – if his grades are that good as a “slacker”, then that would seem to bode well for him.<br>
Some people are just late “academic bloomers” for lack of a better term. Some truly great scholars have not been driven since they were in the 9th grade. Gee – he is only finishing the 10th grade.</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips everyone. If it helps, I’m actually a junior now, with a W GPA of about 3.85, 4.2 W after the first Semester. Also, rigor of my high school couldn’t really be any higher, and consistently ranked as such. Does that make any difference?</p>
<p>Billy, it depends first of all on where you plan to apply. I think it’s probably too little, too late for Princeton. But there are lots of really great colleges and universities where you can still be seen as a highly desirable applicant.</p>
<p>Next, it depends on how you stack up against those other kids in your competitive high school. By this I mean more than just class rank–since you can never catch up to those 4.0-from-the-get-go kids. Does the new and improved Billy consistently perform as well as the top of the class? Are his essays as well thought out and as well researched and as well written? Is he as good in class discussions as they are? Will this show up in his teachers’ recommendations? If so, then you’re on a great path! It may not lead to Princeton, N.J., or Palo Alto, but it surely leads somewhere exciting and good. And, realistically, if you still don’t quite measure up to the top handful (top 5% or so of your class), then you’re probably on a path to where students from the second and third deciles from your high school usually go. I’ll wager that’s a pretty darn good place where you can get a great education and have a great experience.</p>
<p>I kind of agree with redpoint. If your grades keep improving like that, I guess you could get a 3.9 uw and a 4. really high w. I don’t know why people in this thread are pretending they’re bad, Billy. I also don’t know why you’re posting this. To be honest, most college averages don’t seem to go over about a 4.3 w, unless we’re talking Harvard or something. I haven’t even bothered looking at that grade of difficulty.</p>
<p>For the record, post your uwGPA along with your ap classes because that gives a clearer picture overall. I know your wGPA looks nicer and your counselors might stress its importance but in reality uwGPA is probably more important.</p>