Does Princeton look at your GPA or your individual grades more?

<p>My grades aren't really that great. Some are high and some are low.</p>

<p>Did you at least get a good grade in “Obvious Answers 101”?</p>

<p>If you’re one of the handful of top scholars in your High school, you might be a viable candidate. If you aren’t, then you aren’t. What is your actual GPA?</p>

<p>Princeton has an accept rate of less than nine percent.</p>

<p>My actual GPA is 3.8</p>

<p>they only care about class rank.</p>

<p>What? ^</p>

<p>Or am I missing sarcasm…</p>

<p>Here is what is interesting about class rank. For last years admitted class, 99% of the admitted students show reported rank were in the top 10% of their class. However…ONLY 29% of the students reported rank. So if you are not a top 10% and your school does NOT report rank then you are better off than those who are not in the top 10%, but their school DOES report rank.</p>

<p>The top 10% thing gets misinterpreted all the time. In most cases, top 10% won’t cut it.</p>

<p>At most high schools, one needs to be in the top 3% to have a realistic chance of admission at Princeton–or any Ivy for that matter. Reporting the percentage of people in the top 10% is only a formality.</p>

<p>Sooo what if you’re ranked 13 or 14 out of a class or 459 students? (which is basically 3%) Would you think I have sort of a chance in Princeton? (Considering that I have the required Test scores, grades, but sub-par extracurriculars compared to those Ifoundthecureforcancer/almost ■■■■■-like responses)</p>

<p>

I think T26E4’s perspective is dead on accurate:

In my view, that isn’t top 3%, it’s more like top 1%.</p>

<p>I’ll use my local HS as an example. It’s one of the top publics in our State. Over 20 APs are offered, and top students typically take 12-16, and the school reports weighted rank. I’ve been following admissions results from this HS for several years now. Out of a class of roughly 300, typically the #1 student will get in to a HYPS, and the #2-5 or so will be accepted at Columbia, Penn, Duke, Brown or comparables. </p>

<p>This year, the #1 kid got into Stanford SCEA, #2 got into Penn ED, #3 (a recruited athlete) got into Duke ED, #4 (another recruited athlete) has a likely letter from Harvard, and #5 was rejected from Stanford SCEA and is now hopeful for Northwestern.</p>

<p>Aside from recruited athletes, I haven’t seen anyone other than #1 get into HYP or S in the six years I’ve been watching.</p>

<p>So in my opinion, top 3% doesn’t cut it for the super elite schools, maybe not even top 1%. You have to be a top scholar, and you have to have interesting and compelling ECs. And being a recruited athlete helps, too.</p>

<p>No, it all depends on what school you go to. Within super competitive schools such as Stuyvesant, I’ve seen upto top 15% attend Ivies. Even in a regular public high school such as Jericho, upto top 10% attend Ivies. There are like 10-15 kids from that school every year that attend Cornell alone. It’s outrageous. Right now, in my high school which is unbelievably less competitive, I probably have an iffy shot at Cornell, even if I am ranked second in my grade.</p>

<p>At my school we had over 20 nmsf’s in a class of 240ish, 6 36’s, and an ACT average of 30.1. Last year we had 10 kids get into Ivy League schools, all of whom are top 15%ish GPA-wise, but my school doesn’t report rank, and I think that helps immensely.</p>

<p>HEY EVERYONE MY HIGH SCHOOL HAS A LOT OF SUPER SMART PEOPLE TOO!</p>

<p>/brag</p>

<p>^
i read this guy’s posts when i’m bored</p>

<p>My HS was more awesomer than anyone else’s. Over half of the class was in the top 10%.</p>

<p>On top of that, I’m cooler than newest newb, because although your read his posts when you’re bored, you’re bored when you read my posts.</p>

<p>kthnxbye</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>That was good. I’ll give you props for that one.</p>

<p>I think I’ll quit my pathetic dreams of princeton and just go to some Community College
TT^TT</p>

<p>Last year my school sent val to stanford, sal to brown, #3 to harvard (but he got in everywhere), and i think #5 and #7 to stanford.</p>

<p>So far in early we’ve gotten #1 into MIT and Chicago (and she’s applying to Princeton RD), #2 into Columbia, #5 into Yale (Dartmouth Likely), #7 into Stanford (Dartmouth Likely), #10 into Penn and it looks like our #13 has a shot at Harvard and Yale.</p>

<p>It completely depends on the school you go to. My school sends, on average, two kids to each Ivy every year from a class of 300-400. Some are athletic recruits, but typically they are still strong academically (exception would be sending Yale a QB last year with a 3.5 GPA). It doesn’t necessarily mean that my school is actually any “better” than anyone else’s school, it just means that adcoms know it better because of how old it is and how many kids apply from there each year. </p>

<p>Another thing that matters is what type of academic programs are offered at each school. My alumni interviewer seemed to think that the adcoms prefer IB schools over AP schools - however, she’s just basing that off of the fact that the two schools that send students to Princeton every year from my state are both IB and the school her daughters go/went to is AP and “struggles to get kids in there.”</p>