Hi, I know getting into Tulane with a low gpa is really hard. My GPA is a 2.7, but I have a four page resume. Is there any way that I would be able to get in? I am also looking for any ways I can enhance my application to give me a better chance of getting in.
Tulane considers rigor, gpa, class rank and test scores as the most important factors for admission. A 2.7 GPA puts you smack in the middle of the lowest 7% of enrolled students. Not just in the bottom quarter. The bottom 7%. I see you asked the same question about getting into an Ivy. Yes, it’s easier to get into Tulane than an Ivy, but not THAT much easier. And the answers you got in that thread apply here, too.
I don’t know whether you have a 2.7 because that’s all you’re capable of or because you couldn’t be bothered doing the work or for some other reason, but a 2.7 isn’t going to get you into a prestigious, competitive school unless that resume includes major, major donations or an Olympic medal, and not necessarily even then.
Enhance your application by improving your grades substantially. Be more realistic in your goals.
And, before you ask, no, you’re not getting into Chicago with a 2.7.
@laxgoalie1221 Never say never. Or as Yogi Berra would say, it ain’t over till it’s over. Let’s look at demographics first. Being first generation, URM, recruited athlete, legacy, or developmental case (i.e., from extremely wealthy family) could help your chance, but read more about academic and non-academic qualifications below. (Your CC name indicates you are a “goalie” but Tulane doesn’t have a division 1 hockey team, so that wouldn’t help).
Is there a talent or ability you have for a particular academic program offered by Tulane that would want them to want you? Re academics, have you taken the most rigorous courses offered at your high school and engaged in meaningful leadership in extracurricular activities that could be tied in with your interests of why you want to go to Tulane in particular? And perhaps you have a reasonable explanation for why your gpa was so low and explains why your gpa is not an indicator of your true abilities or intellectual potential?
Hopefully your family can afford to be full pay because you won’t be getting any merit aid or need-based aid with that low of a gpa. IMO you would need to score above 33 on ACT or above 1450 on the SAT to counterbalance that gpa. And you’d have to apply Early Decision and most likely accept the possibility that admission might be for spring semester instead of fall semester, because then your low gpa would not need to be reported as part of the stats of the incoming freshman clsss profile.
Also, Show Interest! Visit the school or attend a local admission event in your area or if the AO visits your high school. Get in touch with your local AO for the school —is there a specific program or reason why Tulane as opposed to hundreds of other colleges is your top choice? And it’s gotta be more than the cool town it’s located in. You will also need to write a convincing Why Tulane? essay as part of your application. And have very strong letters of recommendation showing your great character and great potential despite your low gpa.
After you apply, hope for the best, but have a good Plan B backup school(s). Another possibility—if you do very well at a plan B school then you increase the likelihood that you might have success if you decide to apply for a transfer to Tulane after freshman or sophomore year, which would allow you to graduate with a Tulane degree, thus achieving your end goal, albeit in a more roundabout way.
@trackmbe3 the lax in laxgoalie’s name likely refers to lacrosse, not hockey. Tulane only has club lacrosse so that’s not going to serve as a hook. I think that it is fair to say that without a significant hook this looks like an unreasonable reach.
without a hook a 2.7 GPA makes Tulane and other top 50 colleges out of reach.
“I am also looking for any ways I can enhance my application to give me a better chance of getting in.”
Raise your GPA using whatever time you have left. A four-page resume (that doesn’t include an Olympic medal, an Academy Award, or a $10 million donation check) just isn’t going to make up for a poor GPA at highly competitive colleges.