<p>This is my first year at a very rigorous high school as a freshman. my GPA for the first semester of my freshman year is 3.63. Its miserably low, I know. It was only when the grades were finalized when I realized that the teachers had a good amount of opportunities to raise my grade up, but I never know these opportunities was available. I had all A's except in Geometry i have a B- and writing is a B. I've really fixed myself up and am trying to get all a's this 2nd semester and it seems that i am on the right track :). But will my freshman grade decrease my chances of getting into my dream ivy league school, Harvard? What do you think? And if i DO manage to get all A's every semester for the rest of my high school years, would my cumulative grade be high enough for harvard?</p>
<p>A school like Harvard definitely puts emphasis on grades, however, that alone won’t get you there. You’re going to have to work twice as hard to raise your GPA for the next 3 years in order to “cover up” a less than 4.0. Additionally, start getting involved in sports, clubs, volunteering, and other things that’ll make you stand out.</p>
<p>To be completely frank, yeah, it probably will hurt your chances a little. However, you’re still a freshman, and you still have the power to control what’s on every other section of your application. If you work extra hard these next few years, you can probably bring your GPA up (plus colleges like seeing an upward trend), and make sure to get involved in some unique extracurriculars that will serve as a “hook” so that the schools can get past your GPA, if necessary. Good luck!</p>
<p>here’s my advice: get the **** off this website and study! all this website will do, especially as a freshman, is to stress you out and make you feel as though you have to do things you don’t want to to get into college! for the next two years, don’t focus your academic concentrations in hopes of getting into an elite school. instead learn because you love to! work hard in school and get involved in your school community. but get involved doing things you love, not things that will look good. one of my good friends got into yale early. she only took the SAT once (did well, but not perfectly) and didn’t take a single AP exam. she wasn’t on student council, didn’t form a nonprofit, and wasn’t a URM or legacy, or any other “hook” type. instead, she concentrated on her grades (i doubt her 4.0 gpa hurt her) but above all did things she LOVED, not things that would look good. and colleges recognize that. it’s something kind of rare in people who apply for top colleges: integrity.
enjoy the next four years! high school’s fun. it’s a chance to learn, in and out of the classroom. if you’re committed and love learning, you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>listen to this person----^</p>
<p>You’re a freshman, your college choices probably will change by senior year anyways. Don’t aim for an ivy just for the prestige associated with the name, aim for a school that fits you and your interests. </p>
<p>That being said, yes you still have a shot at an ivy. Last year my school had someone with a 3.7 cumulative (and without hooks) get into an ivy. However, generally the higher gpa the better chance. </p>
<p>It’s not all about grades either; if you’re aiming for an ivy you need something more.</p>