Hey everyone,
I have just finished my freshman year of high school. I haven’t received my final grades yet, but i assume my GPA is currently sitting at a 3.1-3.3 (uw)! I am very scared that this will be the reason why I wont get into a prestigious college. I am just very curious if anyone has been in a situation where their GPA was low, but was raised do at least a 3.5 (90%)? My strong subject is math, which I finished with a 100% (my teacher emailed me with my final score). I have just gotten into summer, and have been preparing for algebra 2! Advice? If you were able to raise your GPA to at least a 3.5, what school did you get into?
Thank You for your time!
Have a Great Day!
Just to add.
I have A LOT of EC’s
Depends on so many things. How do YOU define prestige? Are we talking about Ivies and Stanford? If so, your chances are extremely slim. Now if we are talking about UC’s, getting your GPA up sophomore and junior year would be great. They look at freshman year but do not calculate it towards UCGPA. Regardless, improvement is always looked positively upon and also you must consider AP courses. Unweighted GPA is important but weighted differently depending on your classes, which is where the weighted GPA comes in. Also, standardized tests are important as well. Having A LOT of EC’s may be good or it may just be a laundry list. You rather be a varsity athlete and president of a club then be a member of 10. Community service is also important in a way. Essays matter too.
@DefineGravity Thank You for replying to my question.
Here are some answers for your questions and some questions I have:
- "How do YOU define prestige? Are we talking about Ivies and Stanford?"
Not necessarily, I am ultimately talking about numbers 1-80 on this list (I have attached a link). http://www.myplan.com/education/colleges/college_rankings_8.php
- "Now if we are talking about UC's, getting your GPA up sophomore and junior year would be great."
Since I just finished freshman year I have not had the chance to visit many schools. I have heard great things about UC Schools, but the only memorable one I heard was UC Berkeley. Are the rest still great schools?
- " Having A LOT of EC's may be good or it may just be a laundry list"
Yes, the first year of high school will start of with a laundry list, but for sophomore year that has already changed. I am about to be (this fall) the leader of our Box Tops Committee and the leader of our Robotics Club next year. I also have 6 other clubs which I am a PART of.
- "You rather be a varsity athlete"
I am a Varsity Soccer and Track athlete.
- "Community service is also important in a way."
Yes! As a member in Student Foundation, I do get major opportunities to do community service.
IMPORTANT QUESTION
6. “you must consider AP courses.”
Alright so here is the problem, my school doesn’t offer AP classes. I am preparing for AP Biology from the help of books and flashcards (which are bought), and possibly a tutor. If I do well on it, does it look impressive on a college application, because my school does not offer AP?
- "Essays matter too."
I have heard great things from people after they completed their essays, and have already began the process of thinkingabout it. People with 3.1's get into Carnegie Mellon from their essay and SAT score (you can find more of those stories from this forum http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/649604-the-i-got-in-without-a-3-7-gpa-club-p1.html ) !
I know this is lengthy and disorganized, I apologize for that.
Please look through!
Thank You!
@apple1893 for the record, it’s not just cal that’s a great UC school. UCLA, UCSD and UCD are all fine schools in themselves, and it is worth applying to top six (Cal, UCLA, UCSD, UCD, UCSB, UCI) if you can get your gpa up during your sophomore and junior years.
And a small note/piece of advice for your ecs for the coming years: remember that quality>quantity. If you have an extracurricular, make sure it’s something that you’re proud to do, and not something that you do just so you can go to college.
@michelle426 Thank You for your kind advice! Once I am a senior I do plan to apply to those schools! Have you by any chance seen a freshman raise his or her GPA and go to a good school?
@apple1893 i’ve seen people improve immensely at my school (even with bad GPAs freshman year) and get into UCB with no problem. UCs may not count your freshman and senior year GPAs, but they do look for development over the years. I know a girl who had a 3.6 school uw GPA (even with a couple of Cs), but still got into UCB because she had a whole ton of leadership ecs and made a big impact on the community.
@apple1893 and even if you plan to go to a higher ranked school, it’s still possible for you to get in, despite your hiccupped freshman year. Just show improvement and differentiate yourself during your time in high school!
@michelle426 WOW! Thank You for your inspirational advice. Hopefully through my internship, ec’s, essays, and future grades I will be able to go to a great school! I am very excited to see what the future beholds!
It certainly is possible. I’d encourage you to back off the ECs and build your GPA. If UCs are your target, they primarily look at just 4 semesters of your performance - make the most of them with a couple of APs each year and really focus on your studies. A 4.1 with average ECs is a stronger UC candidate than a 3.4 with “Lots of ECs”
Also, keep in mind, there are MILLIONS of successful adults that didn’t go to a top school. Do your best and see where that takes you. There are many paths to success.
Good luck.
@NCalRent Thank You for your comment. UC schools are great but are not JUST my primary focus. the #1-80 from this list ( http://www.myplan.com/education/colleges/college_rankings_8.php ) is my primary focus along with many students who are serious about their future.
No, a top school is not a mandatory need for success, but it does for sure sound, look, and feel good to say you are a part of their institution. I hope by senior year I will not have to worry about having lower than a 3.5 and hopefully have the chance to apply to great schools. Also, it is better that I caught my mistake now, then junior year!
I can’t wait to share some great news in 2-3 years on this forum!
Thank You again for your comment!
UPDATE: After I received my scores here is following
First Trimester: 86%
Second: 86%
Third: 88%
9th grade GPA (uw): 3.17
I will do better next year!