<p>I have excellent EC's that I believe any college would look for in an applicant (innumerable clubs, SLT, 1,800+ volunteer service hrs, etc.). Along with, Job/Work Experience (being 3 years of mowing lawns, babysitting, tutoring, etc.) & my recommendations are great (I read online that you can send additional recommendations along with the required. Got a rec from the chief/head of the Infectious Disease Department at Lewis Gale Med Center in VA :) )
I have also recieved many awards/honors throughout my academic school career as a HS student. However, my grades aren't what you would consider "top notch". I was told I have a 2.7 or 2.8 gpa by my teacher, even though my transcript says 90.23% overall average (I have no clue how that sums up to a 2.7-8 gpa.) But, even with these qualifications, do I have a chance at a school like Columbia? (keep in mind, I'm 15 & a senior at a NY HS). Any beneficial replies would be greatly appreciated. :)</p>
<p>**I also forgot to mention: I have a great personal statement as well as a disadvantaged explanation essay to go along with my app and all :)</p>
<p>A 90.23% would probably put you somewhere around a 3.7 gpa on a 4.0 scale or a 4.0 on a 4.5 scale. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that your teacher might not have been telling you your overall gpa, which could explain why it doesn’t match up with the overall average.</p>
<p>Did you take the most rigorous courses your school offers, class rank, & SAT / ACT score?</p>
<p>You’re 15?</p>
<p>-_-</p>
<p>At Columbia and its peers, grades and test scores are a kind of filter. The first thing they want to do is to make sure that an applicant is academically suitable. If your grades don’t measure up to the competition, they’ll discard your application before they pay any serious attention to your extracurricular accomplishments, your recommendations, etc.</p>
<p>I do not mean to suggest that they’re making distinctions based on differences in the hundredths place. They’re not. But if your grades and test scores do not suggest that you will keep up in a college where everybody else was at the very top of his high school class, you won’t get in without a considerable hook.</p>