<p>Hey guys, I was just wondering how MIT feels about gpa vs national contests. My gpa is horrible 3.4 (uw) but I scored a 14 on the AIME, participated in the USAMO, participated in USACO gold, 36 act and a bunch of other ap's and awards. Would these overshadow my gpa or should I give up hope???</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Is there a reason for the 3.4 gpa? What is your weighted gpa?</p>
<p>3.4 UW isn’t too bad (unless you have a D or F or something). A 14 on AIME and USAMO/USACO is already pretty impressive.</p>
<p>I go to a boarding school which doesn’t do weighted gpa. I got B- all three years in french. A/A- in math + science, B/B+ in humanities if that helps.</p>
<p>Some of the top boarding schools are notorious for grade deflation. Admission officers are likely aware of your school’s program, and will consider the level of classes that you enrolled in. You likely had the opportunity to take very accelerated math and science courses (beyond the AP level), and so the level of rigor in your coursework will be taken into consideration, in addition to your ECs. It is near impossible if taking a full range of the highest level of courses offered at boarding schools to have above a 3.8. Your accomplishments outside the classroom are impressive so definitely do not give up hope!</p>
<p>Do people from your school normally apply to MIT, or other competitive schools in the US? If so, you would get better advice from a guidance counselor.</p>
<p>While they can bring up questions about your ability to handle the MIT workload and therefore keep you out, grades cannot help you get in. No one has ever been accepted to MIT because of a 4.0 UW GPA. How you spend your time outside of the classroom, on the other hand, offers a glimpse into how you will contribute to the MIT community and how you will use your MIT education after you graduate. I would also suggest expanding your extracurricular activities beyond contests, if you haven’t already. Try to find some way to explore your interests at a higher level, or to use your abilities and interests to make an impact on the world. You might try classes at a local university, doing research under a professor, or volunteering. Best of luck!</p>