Hi I I have this desire of getting into an Iv league college. Can I get in with my gpa of 96.7 unweighted and a 99 weighted( I can predict that’s what it will be), the year is almost over and there are no grades left. I have taken 6 AP classes so far and I was in all honors. I took AP Global in 10th and took AP psych AP stats apush AP Lang and AP bio this year so I’m a junior currently. Also I got a 1480 on my SAT. And I’m taking 6 AP classes next year, AP physics AP spanish AP gov AP Chem AP calc bc and AP lit. I know that extracurriculars matter too, but would this be at least eligible to look at for iv league colleges. I feel dumb sometimes and feel like no college is going to accept me and especially when I compare myself to the valedictorian of the senior in my school who has a 101 weighted gpa. Thank you
Yes, you will be eligible for the Ivy League schools, along with the other tens of thousands of eligible students. Don’t worry about GPA, especially weighted. It’s pretty much an arbitrary number—just have good grades in courses that interest you.
My question is, why do you want to be accepted into an Ivy League school?
over 99% of the schools are not Ivy League schools. Why reject all that are likely to accept you in favor of the tiny group that probably won’t? I say “probably won’t” because they reject around 90% of those who apply. If you want to know if you are likely to be accepted, consider if you are the top student at your school? Are you probably among a very small group, say about 10, of top in your school district and/or your county? Have you won awards or positions that suggest so?
It is easy enough to figure out if you have the stats that are consistent with Ivy League new admits, look at the “Common Data Set” (do a search with those words) for each school. Sure, 1480 and a 96.7 is consistent But consider this. There are about 37,000 high schools in the USA That means there are 37000 valedictorians. There are about 16,000 slots in the freshman class of Ivy League schools. That means (fewer than) one admit for every two high schools. Maybe you should add schools to your wish list.
You just joined CC and don’t seem to have an idea yet what does get one into an Ivy. (Not Iv.) It’s not all about stats and packing in as many APs, etc. ECs matter for what they are, not just a random list. If you don’t research what the colleges say they want and show, how will you put together a good app?
This is more than stats. But you need the drive to figure it out. And everyone needs good safeties. You don’t get into a tippy top by dreaming.
Nor is it about weighted.
Miles to go.
yea I know extracurriculars and what colleges say matter so I’m trying to do some extracurriculars like volunteering in a hospital, tutoring, honor societies, math club, science club, model UN, Art club, culture club( I was Vice President), Robotics Club, editor for the school newspaper, you had to be picked for that, key Club, and Student ambassador(which rarely ever meets though). And not just iv league schools but I’m also trying to apply abroad like in Oxford university, I have lived in London for a year so it’s familiar to me or maybe Norway because I’m a citizen anyway. I also know colleges like to see special talents right? I don’t know if this counts but I can speak 7 languages and I play the trumpet and piano and I’m an artist and I come from a culturally diverse family( Pakistani and Norwegian). And I’m going to do karate. I like martial arts?I heard colleges like diversity. And idk actually whatever Im prob not gonna get into college anyway. Sorry, I’m bothering you guys and being annoying. I just want to get a good college, I would prefer Ivy League or Oxford but it’s not mandatory, I just need to get into college but I hope I’m not dumb and my low self-esteem gets the better of me sometimes and I feel hopeless that I’m not gonna get a college.
I don’t know really. People say that they’re the top colleges so I also want to look smart and feel smart and productive. But I understand that that’s not what it means to be smart, there are many other things, but you know the world today views things in a diff way. I don’t need ivy leagues, let me rephrase that, I don’t have a desire, but I would like to go. I just hope I get a college, but idk if my grades will get me even a college.
For most people, an Ivy League school is not the best choice. There are many other elite privates in the US that are comparable to the Ivies. Some (but not all) examples: Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, Rice.
" I also want to look smart and feel smart and productive." I’ve actually never heard someone mention these as motivators for seeking admission to Ivy League schools. Why not spend some time reading on CC about students admitted to various schools. There is a school out there for everyone but not every school is going to be that school. If you are actually a high school student who intends to apply to college in the future (if so???) you should educate yourself about colleges and universities.
@lostaccount This is pretty much the same as when people reach for Ivies purely for the perceived prestige… though they generally don’t admit it.
I think you need a serious reality check…96.7/99 GPA + 1480 SAT + 12 AP courses + Honors and you think you’re dumb and won’t get into any college anywhere? You need to do some research as to what the academic admissions requirements are to get into colleges. Based on those statistics you have a wide range of schools you will be eligible for. As to admissions to the Ivy League they are holistic and “People say that they’re the top colleges so I also want to look smart and feel smart and productive” are not the characteristics they are looking for in the students they admit. Despite what many people think the mandate of the Ivy League is not to admit the best and brightest students (it’s to admit the students who will most likely be famous and/or make a lot of money in the future so they can donate back and raise the profile of the school).
Reality check #2. An SAT of 1480 is in the 98th percentile, which means that it is an equal or higher score than the scores achieved by 98% of the millions of kids who took the SAT that year. A GPA of 96.7 is also higher than that of over 90% of the population (maybe higher - I don’t know how common high grades are where you come from, Norway or Pakistan). So you’re VERY smart by any measure. It is true that the top 10 colleges in the USA accept across the top 5% of students academically. While it is true that you fit there, A, there are about 5 times as many kids applying for places in a T-10 school, as there are places in those schools, so the vast majority of very smart kids will not be accepted, B, You are closer to bottom of the top 5%, and most kids who are accepted are closer to the top, and C, T-10 colleges accept a lower proportion of foreign students than they do of USA citizens and residents.
The good news is that there are literally hundreds of excellent colleges out there who will be happy to accept somebody with your stats and ECs, should you apply. Forget about “looking smart”, you have reached a stage in your life in which you need to BE smart. Being smart means finding a college/university in which you will fit, which will provide the an education that will help you develop as a person, and as somebody who is attractive to employers. Any one of hundreds of colleges will do that for you. You simply need to use one of the many college search websites out there, to search for colleges which have all the characteristics that you would like in a college, like size, specific majors, geography, a student population in which you will find a social group, etc.
If you do not know what to put into these categories, it’s time to start doing some REAL college research. In this, general college rankings will be worse than useless - they will reduce your chances of finding a match. If you want to know whether a college is good, look at websites like Niche, which have student reviews. Just remember that those reviews are biased towards students who love or hate a school. Of course what kids love or hate about a school is valuable information, just take everything you read with more than a grain of salt.
Learn about colleges, figure out what you want from a college and what you need, and then start searching for colleges. Then decide which will be best for you. Only then is it time to think about applying. There are many very smart and very generous people on CC who will be willing to help you at any stage, free of charge. Just post a question and wait for advice.
I will repeat something I constantly write - stop thinking about being accepted to college. Think about your four or more years attending college. Optimize THAT experience rather than try and maximize the experience of acceptance. At the end of your admissions process, you want to be starting the process, not ending it. Your goal is graduation, not admission. If not, you are likely wasting time, energy, and lots of money.
Thank you for the advice, also I’m a citizen of the US because I was born here, but I’m also a citizen of Norway.
It is NOT about becoming famous and rich. Believe that and you’re off track.
But they do want kids with resilience, who don’t fall apart at one B. Who don’t tie their self worth to one grade. Who aren’t taking an, “I’m doomed” approach. Who crumble. Rather, who pick themselves up and get out there and keep pushing.
This is not all about stats.
First off, never compare yourself to other people. Second, don’t put your hopes and dreams on the decisions of an admissions office. That’s not healthy. Third, ivy leagues are the most overrated colleges in existence. Do research and find an affordable school that works for you based on your interests and career goals. You’re doing great!