<p>Wellesley is my dream school since I was 5 years old,yet my dream is going to melt away b/c of my poor GPA,which is a 3.33 in senior year.I used to have 3.86 GPA in junior year,yet this year I took really hard classes(All of my classes are APs and Honors),which kinda ruin my grades.Plus,my high school is a very prestigious high school.</p>
<p>I got okay score for SAT and Toefl (2150/112/780 and 660),and lots of ecs.</p>
<p>Do I still have a chance?</p>
<p>I will be brutally honest:</p>
<p>A downward trend in one’s grades from junior to senior year is not looked upon favorably by top schools. If you had some earth-shattering extenuating circumstance which explained your weak performance (e.g. my parent died, I spent two months in the hospital), perhaps the drop in grades could be overlooked, but merely to say “I took hard classes” is no excuse. That’s precisely why schools like Wellesley (and Cornell, which I know you’re also looking at) want students to take the hardest classes possible: to see if they can handle them. </p>
<p>Instead of focusing on schools with such high expectations in terms of GPA and test scores, why not look for schools that would be happy with what you have to offer? In my opinion, it would be a better investment of your time and energy.</p>
<p>Wow, Marama, I will be brutally honest…you have no idea what you are talking about. Don’t discourage this girl from applying! Esthersuri, don’t let your GPA and test scores keep you from applying anywhere, especially if it’s free to apply online like Wellesley. Honestly, these days, the college process is a LOTTERY. Someone who has perfect scores and a perfect GPA still might not get into the school of their dreams, for completely unknown reasons. I think these “chance me” posts on here are pointless…no one can really say what your chances are. No one here is qualified to, but basically people keep doing it because they want someone to make them feel better, which I kind of understand…</p>
<p>I’d say go ahead and apply. It’s free. I can’t say whether or not you’ll get in, because I have no clue at all. But, you mentioned that you went to a prestigious high school. Don’t forget that colleges certainly look at that. A lower GPA from a tougher (perhaps boarding/prep) school means just as much as as high GPA from a regular private or public school. It’s expected that you might get lower grades at a school like Exeter or Andover.</p>
<p>loudandclear is right, and from what I can tell, your SAT scores are great! I think with a good essay, you have a shot! While, like mamarama said, taking hard classes isn’t an excuse, you can still redeem yourself with volunteering, extracurriculars, work experience, recommendations and essays. Wellesley is well-known for accepting people with under a 4.0, it seems what Wellesley wants is someone who can see themselves making a difference in a supportive environment.
And hey, like they say: shoot for the moon and if you miss, you will still be among stars. :)</p>
<p>I never said you couldn’t or shouldn’t APPLY. What I said was that IN MY OPINION, if you were to invest TIME AND ENERGY, it would be better spent looking for schools that were on target with your stats as they now stand. </p>
<p>Sorry if people didn’t like my answer, but I think that’s what this forum is all about, isn’t it? People ask questions, others give their best guesses. What I said is what I believe to be true, and it’s also what my daughter’s college guidance counselor has told her and her classmates. Is he wrong? Maybe, although he used to be the dean of admissions at one of the top-ranked LAC’s in the country, so I think he knows what he’s talking about. </p>
<p>I don’t believe any guidance counselor in the country would advocate against applying to a limited number of reaches, but I also don’t think they’d advocate getting one’s HEART SET on reaches. My daughter’s counselor has always urged her to be realistic about her chances. Perhaps you might like to ask your own college guidance counselor to see what he/she thinks, if you haven’t already. </p>
<p>Good luck in your college applications process.</p>