<p>I'm currently a Junior and I'm interested in applying to Yale next year. However, I am unsure that my GPA is up to par. My freshman and sophomore year cumulative GPA is 3.89 but I'm worried that by the end of this semester, my GPA will drop to 3.85.</p>
<p>Freshman year I received Bs in AP World History and Alegbra 2 Honors first semester
Sophomore year I received one B in AP Calc A second semester
This semester my grades are headed towards 2 Bs, one in AP Physics B and the other in AP Calc BC</p>
<p>I don't know if this would count as a downward trend but I know that my GPA will be my setback when applying to selective colleges. My first time taking the ACT, I scored a 32 but I'm confident I could raise it to at least a 34. I know everyone says that GPA isn't everything but I'm worried that my application will be dismissed because of my grades.</p>
<p>I just want to know if it's worth aiming for an Ivy League if my GPA is lower than a 3.9. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>There will be plenty of kids admitted with GPA at or below yours. There will be plenty of kids who will be rejected with higher GPA than yours too. Focus on crushing your ACT. Stressing about 0.04 diff in your GPA? Not worth it</p>
<p>Honestly, you can have a 4.0, 2400, 36, whatever, and still get rejected. It’s all about presentation in your app (as long as everything else is within range). </p>
<p>Just do your best and hope for the best. That’s all it comes down to.</p>
Why do you think someone with a 4.0, 2400, 36 gets rejected? IMHO, those polly-perfect students are rejected not because their “presentation” was lacking, but because their teacher recommendations and guidance counselor’s Secondary School Report gave an Admissions Officer pause. Yale and HPSM are all looking for high performing students of good “character” – and “character” is not revealed by GPA, or test scores, or even EC’s. College’s are academic institutions and are looking for students who not only contribute to the classroom conversation, but dynamically lead that discussion. They are looking for students who constantly raise their hands and have thoughtful opinions; students who are respected by their teachers and peers; students who will be remembered and treasured for years to come because of their work ethic and scholastic potential. Yeah – all of that matters a lot, much more so that many teenagers think.</p>
<p>OP: What are your teachers going to say about you in their recommendation letters with a downward trend? Maybe you should get off of CC for a while and start cracking those books!</p>
<p>^^ Yes, I saw that, but the OP currently has two B’s and is headed for two more. So, I’m not sure what his or her actual GPA is on an unweighted 4.0 scale. FWIW: Both my kids (one at Yale) had straight A’s in high school.</p>
<p>^^ as stated, my son at Yale did not have straight As. Foreign language (French) was his downfall, grade wise, but he did not want to take the “easier” Spanish. His other non-A was APUSH, and he felt the grade was unfair, enough so that he took the SAT II and scored 780, just so that he could mention it to the teacher :). His other SAT IIs were 800s, but I think the History one satisfied him more.</p>
<p>I guess my point, whether or not it’s applicable here, is that AOs look at grades in context. My son’s apparent inability to get Straight As in French wasn’t a fatal flaw. A B in APUSH was offset by a score of 5, a 780, and its occurring during Sophomore year in a STEM-ish student. </p>
<p>Thank goodness for holistic admissions. :)</p>
<p>Btw, OP, I think I’m not alone in thinking that GPA, if not otherwise specified, is unweighted. </p>
<p>Yes this GPA is unweighted, I have had the most rigorous courseload offered so my weighted is higher. In AP World History I received a 4 on the AP test and in US History I received a 5 and a 780 on the SAT II. I know that it’s possible for me to get in, but is my GPA a detriment?</p>
<p>^^ Yale considers class rank Does your GPA place you in the top 1% to 5% of your graduating class? (FWIW: Even if your high school does not provide ranking, Admissions will try to guess your ranking – they will basically line up students in GPA order from your high school who have applied to Yale. So, to gauge your chances, you need to know where you stand in the pecking order.)</p>