<p>I go to a high school that is ranked top 100(91) in the nation and 2nd in the state(Maryland). Unfortunately i have a severely low GPA at a 2.74. I'm not looking at Ivy League schools(never really was even when i didn't care about colleges) i am looking at more of state schools like Ohio State, Purdue, Penn State, Indiana etc. Fortunately I am a rising junior so i think i can probably bring it up next year to at least a 3.0.Also I am a URM (African from Nigeria). So will going to a very good school like the one i attend hinder or increase my chances of getting into universities???</p>
<p>it definitely won’t help… get that gpa up to a 3 if not higher, and take hard courses. Focus on nailing the SAT and ACT, pick the one that fits you more, then put a lot of work into it. With your low gpa, ranked 91 in the nation isn’t that high…you’ll be looking for a 28-30 ACT or a 1900ish SAT to get into Purdue, penn state, and indiana depending on the major you choose. If it’s impacted, gl. worse case scenario, go to a community college and get a super high gpa and transfer into the college of your choice with a good chance of getting a scholarship.</p>
<p>I don’t think your realistic for any of the four you’ve listed. You should meet w/your guidance counselor and ask him/her what students with similar academic profiles have applied to in the past and their price ranges. The GC will have good advice for you.</p>
<p>The “ranking” of your HS won’t help you in this case. My kid goes to the #2 ranked HS in the country. If she maintains a 2.74, she likely wouldn’t get into any of the four you listed.</p>
<p>i’m just asking in general. My gpa will likely NOT be a 2.74 at the end of junior year i still have time, i’m just wondering if going to a top school will help.</p>
<p>bumpbumpbump</p>
<p>coola</p>
<p>I think what you’re saying is that the grading system at your school is more rigorous than at other schools – in otherwords you’d have a higher GPA elsewhere.</p>
<p>This may be so … however, no one here can say what it means. When it is time, you really have to talk to your GC about what schools are realistic with your stats. If your school is on Naviance, you should also be able to get a good read.</p>
<p>I am inclined to agree with T26E4. I think you’re unlikely to be admitted to any of those universities, even with a 3.0 and even if you come from a very competitive, rigorous high school. Particularly from out of state.</p>
<p>In order to have a 3.0 by the end of junior year, you’d need about 3.5 next year. That’s quite a big jump from 2.75. Even then, I think you’d need at least a 3.5 average, not just 3.5 for one year, to be a competitive applicant to Penn State or Indiana.</p>
<p>But here’s what you ought to do once school starts. Since you go to a fancy-shmancy high school, surely they use Naviance. Ask your guidance counselor how to use Naviance. It will show you how students from your high school have fared in the past when they applied to these universities (What were the GPAs and SATs of students who were admitted? Of students who were wait-listed? And so on.), and it will also help you figure out which colleges and universities have accepted students from your school with stats similar to yours in the recent past. Naviance will give you a lot more dependable information than I will. I’m just some guy with an Internet connection.</p>
<p>high school rankings do not matter when applying to colleges. The only time it might matter is if your high school is a widely acknowledged magnet/private school that has a trend of sending kids to top colleges or if the college you are applying to is located relatively close to the “top” high school that you attend. In the latter case, the college would most likely have a lot of kids from your “top” high school so they know the rigor of your high school.</p>