<p>Hey there. I'm gonna be a junior this fall. I was wondering if I'll have a shot when I apply next fall. I know I'll be WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY below average... but everything's worth a shot, right?</p>
<p>I still have ONE YEAR to improve...
As of RIGHT NOW.. I have:</p>
<p>White Male from very bad high school in Minnesota (my class's 50% GPA is 1.6)
GPA: 3.1 (Freshman: 2.7, Sophomore: 3.6) (Will be 3.3-3.4 when I apply) (3.8ish without 9th grade)
PLAN Estimated ACT: 24 (I'm hoping for a 30.. I'm taking a class this fall and already bought a book)
-Obvious increase in grades
-mostly regular classes with a few honors
EXTRA CURRICULARS:
Piano: 11 years
Band: 5 Years
Cross Country: 6 Years
Track: Will be 4
Various Musicals and Plays
Junior Class Committee
A TON of other leadership stuff
Helped organize an anti-alcohol/drug week at school
Jazz Ensemble
Pep Band
Peer Tutors
KLE Group (aid underclassmen)
Medical Program at UWisconsin-Madison this summer for 2 weeks
... And a lot of other stuff I can't remember.</p>
<p>I should have good recs</p>
<p>Junior Schedule:
Spanish 3
Honors Algebra 2
AP Psychology
World History
Honors Chemistry
AP English 11</p>
<p>Senior Schedule:
AP Spanish 4
Honors Pre-Calc
AP GovCitz
Health
Honors Economics
World Geography
Honors Physics
AP English 12</p>
<p>Do you think my bad 9th grade year followed by good sophomore and HOPEFULLY good junior/senior, extra curriculars, and increasingly hard classes will get me in?</p>
<p>If you can get your ACT up to 30+ and maintain roughly a 4.0 for junior and first semester senior years (assuming the most rigorous course load), I'd say you have a shot. A 24 won't cut it, I'm afraid.</p>
<p>Apply! Really this thread will not predict the outcome of the decision! </p>
<p>A 24 ACT... yeah, not too hot compared to other applicants, but a classmate of mine got into Harvard with a 24, and I got into Dartmouth (and Brown, Bowdoin, Vanderbilt, others...) with a 25. Don't give up.</p>
<p>Work hard in academics and extra curriculars. Colleges want well-rounded people. Not academic robots. </p>
<p>But of course, you improve your odds by enhancing your application all the way around. </p>
<p>Wait. But I was informed that Stanford does NOT calculate freshman grades into the GPA.
Therefore, theoretically (If I were to pull a 4.0 junior year), I could apply with a 3.9 GPA, which is much more competetive.
Assuming I raise my ACT score, then, wouldn't I have a decent shot?</p>
<p>-that was just a joke dude, you have a really good shot if you can get a 33+ on that act. that's the only thing that you have to get b/c stanford doesnt' look at frosh year. so as long as you can pull that off on the act, in addition to doing as well as you can, you have a shot at being a stanford card. (i'm pulling for ya, i live like 5 mins from there, and it's really a blast if you dont' pull your hair out from what i hear.)</p>
<p>Stanford does not count freshman grades, but they do count class rank. Even schools that do not rank have to submit a school profile that puts your grades "in context". If you are not in the top 10% of your class, you are pretty much doomed, and 24 on ACT is not helping you either...</p>
<p>dont even know why im on this board but, I think that idea of "not looking at freshman year" stuff is BS. Yeah, they might say that but of course its going to hurt when all your competition have had a steller 4.0 from the start.</p>
<p>I had a 3.44 as my lowest freshman year, and finished with a 3.95 my last two years. Result? Flat rejection from Stanford. it is always worth applying, but i will tell you- an actual rejection (which is what most applicants get) always, always stings (I thought it wouldn't)</p>
<p>I don't think you have a chance. In addition to your GPA/scores, you are white which means you don't get any additional consideration. And even if you get a 30 on the ACT, still probably not good enough. I'd say you would have to get straight A's the rest of high school, get like 34 ACT/2250 SAT, get some 700+ on like 5 SAT II, write some killer essays, and even then you'll have a slim chance.</p>
<p>People are way to harsh... first of all who knows how accurate the 24 is, it was a practice test-- the OP may not have prepared at all, or even tried to sleep well for it or anything. Anything 30 or above is great and puts you in contention, like someoe said before they don't want all test-taking machines. Even high 20's could be alright I suppose, it'd be tough but isn't it always? And also, in context, it sounds like the OP's GPA isn't bad for his/her school. One thing that makes me falter is that the OP hasn't been taking advantage of all of the honors classes. EC's are good, and if essays are good there's definitely a shot.</p>
<p>OP, ignore some of the comments, many people just look at ACT and gpa and make a decision without actually reading between the lines. Trust me, the adcoms WILL read between the lines, which gives you a better chance than the chances some of these people have thrown out. And yes, it'll be hard to get in, like it is for everyone, but it's worth a shot.</p>
<p>I don't profess to have any real knowledge concerning chances; however I will throw out one piece of advice. If you want to have any real chance, you need to adjust your schedule to add many more AP classes. Even at the toughest private schools, Stanford demands extremely high marks in the most difficult classes. Receiving solid grades in middle of the road classes almost certainly will not cut it.</p>
<p>I don't know what is offered at your school, but looking at your schedule I would suggest the following: (i realize some of this may not necessarily be possible)</p>
<p>History: AP World and AP US History during your next two years. If the courses are offered this is pretty essential.</p>
<p>Math: Colleges often use AP Calculus as a measuring stick for strength of high school schedule. For this reason, it is pretty important that you take it. Obviously it is possible to get in without calc, but it does but you at a serious disadvantage. Algebra 2 as a Junior is already pretty far behind, would it be possible to take Pre-Calc this year and then AP AB or BC Calc your senior year? </p>
<p>Language: Switch from Spanish 3 to AP Spanish Language with plans to take AP Spanish Lit your senior year.</p>
<p>Science: AP Chem this year and AP Physics the next?</p>
<p>Edit: Also, is the GPA you are referencing weighted or unweighted?</p>
<p>Ok, thanks so much. I have a few more questions.</p>
<p>First off.. My school is crappy. 54% graduation rate... Most dangerous school in my state... But it's not my fault that I go there. I have no choice. My school has a really crappy selection of Honors courses. 77% of this last years graduating class went to the SAME community college, so they don't make a huge effort to offer honors.
No kid has been accepted to an ivy or Stanford since 1982. (A girl got into the University of Michigan last year, and it was like the biggest uproar ever.)</p>
<p>These are my Junior/Senior Schedules...I revised them a little bit. are they want Stanford wants to see? :</p>
<p>JUNIOR:
HONORS Chemistry
HONORS Algebra 2
AP Psychology
World Geography (Required class, no honors offered.)
Spanish 3 (no honors offered)
AP English Lit.</p>
<p>Senior:
HONORS Physics
HONORS Pre-Calc (This is the highest level of math offered in my school. They don't offer Calc.)
Health (required)
AP Gov/Citz
HONORS Economics
AP Spanish 4
AP English Comp.</p>
<p>^^^ That's the hardest my school can get, and I'm taking FULL advantage of it.</p>
<p>AND.. someone said that "doesn't consider 9th grade is bull..."... they said that they recalculate it.. so I'm pretty sure that's how it works.
^^^If true, my GPA is NOT a 3.1 for Stanford... It's a 3.5.</p>
<p>Does my schedule change anything? Am I a fool for considering this school?.. (If I am... are there any other top tier schools worth my attention?)</p>
<p>To my knowledge, Freshmen year is ignored completely. Those grades are destroyed and the Adcoms simply take your next three years grades. If you are being truthful and your school offers no AP maths, puis peut-etre tu pourrais avoir de la chance.</p>
<p>Yeah, AP Calc is NOT offered. Our school got a grant though, so it MAY become offered, but even if it does, I'm not on track to take it senior year. What I WANTED to do was NOT take AP Psych and then take Honors Alg. 2 and Honors Pre-Calc at the same time, and then take calculus at a community college senior year, but my school is mean and said that Alg 2 is a prerequisite for Pre-Calc and therefore can't be taken concurringly. There IS AP statistics, however, but I don't think that's what collges are seeking... it seems to me to be a "Free AP."</p>