<p>Hello everyone,
I am a current high school senior who has got into Mcgill University, University of Toronto, George Washington University and am waitlisted at Emory University. However, I retook the ACT in april and my score rose up to a 34.
My high school GPA was around 3.2 and my IB exams are going on and am expecting a score of about 38.</p>
<p>So, should I go for a gap year since my ACT has increased to the ivy standards and try for colleges in the higher league ?</p>
<p>Please help (:</p>
<p>No. That’s not what the Ivy League looks for and you may jeopardize excellent admissions for a pipe dream.
You got into excellent universities this year - are they affordable? Whre did you deposit on May 1st?</p>
<p>Deposited for all of them. So, what can I do to say not reach IVY but atleast a level below like (NYU, Berkeley, UCLA and stuff…) I mean isn’t a 34 enough ?</p>
<p>it’s not a matter of 34… at that level the competition is NOT on test scores. If you make the basic cut academically, you make the cut, period.
What matters next is how extraordinary you are. Have you won a national prize in something? Are you a published author? A musician who plays with reputable, adult orchestras? Are you All-American for your sport or selected for the Olympics? Are you working in a research lab? Have invented something? </p>
<p>Are you in-state for UC’s? If so, why didn’t you apply this year? If not, do your parents have 55KX4 laying around for your college education?</p>
<p>Note that GWU isn’t all that much below NYU - they’re rather equivalent and in the same group, except they have different strenghts.</p>
<p>If you took a gap year, how would you spend it?</p>
<p>Wait… you deposited at three schools? I don’t know about Canadian schools, but my understanding is that is not allowed at US colleges. Usually depositing involves signing a contract that you’re attending.</p>
<p>Second, while that ACT is great, I feel like a 3.2 GPA is really too low for Ivies and similar without some other amazing hook. Taking a gap year is not going to help that.</p>
<p>As MYOS1634 said, you’ve gotten into some great schools. McGill is quite competitive from what I understand! Congrats on that!</p>
<p>Your gpa is going to keep you out of top schools unless you’re going to be their new star quarterback. These schools are populated with 3.8+ students. </p>
<p>Schools like Berkeley wouldn’t even look at your app…it wouldnt make it thru the initial down-selection.</p>
<p>Myos, I applied this year with a 1800 SAT and was denied admission so that will be my second application. I don’t know, a community service project that has quantifiable results. Maybe, I can take the AP’s or the A-levels to get it up to the 34 standard.</p>
<p>Stacey, GWU is the only american school I paid my deposit for because I am waitlisted at Emory. </p>
<p>Mom2collegekids, how do you suggest I make use of that 34 then for which I really worked hard ? because I got that in April that was after all my decisions came</p>
<p>What do you think ?</p>
<p>You were accepted into two of the top Canadian institutions and a pretty darn good private. Why aren’t these options acceptable, and what would happen, if after your gap year, you weren’t accepted into any higher tiered colleges?</p>
<p>Congratulations on your acceptances and your ACT score - you should be proud of both. Unfortunately though, while I am sure you worked very hard for your ACT score, it is not clear to me what you thought you were going to do with a score that you received so late in the process. </p>
<p>You should not try for Ivies. As MYOS, Mom2collegekids and staceyneil all said, you need astonishing ECs, and, more importantly, a better GPA than you currently have. My advice would be to send your new ACT to Emory if you are interested in getting off their waiting list, and deciding between the options you have. </p>
<p>^very good point - if you haven’t already, send that ACT score to Emory, plus commitment to attend if admitted. However, be aware that your odds are better if you don’t need financial aid. (If you don’t need financial aid, say that “since I don’t need financial aid, the absence of a Financial Aid offer to wait list applicants wouldn’t affect my decision to attend if admitted”.)</p>
<p>What if I say take the AP’s or do well on my IB that are ending next week or take the A levels. Would that make a difference ?</p>
<p>If you are referring to helping you gain admittance to an Ivy after taking a gap year, then no. The last AP exams for this year were administered Friday, and typically play little role in admissions. I am not familiar with A levels or IB, but while I don’t think good scores could hurt, they will not overcome your low (comparatively) GPA. </p>
<p>If you mean for getting off of Emory’s waiting list, then I would say it might help. If you do well on your IB tests, I would say to send them along with your ACT score and any other updates (including about whether you are full pay if that is relevant to your situation). </p>
<p>If you feel that getting into an Ivy is this important, my best recommendation would be to try to transfer in. Beware though, the transfer rates for the Ivies and other highly selective schools is even lower than their normal acceptance rates, and you should not in any way depend on getting in or even expect that you will get in, even if you have a stellar freshman year. Sorry if that’s a bit harsh, but the facts are the facts, you can search for Harvard’s CDS (or whatever highly selective school you are most interested in) to see the numbers. </p>