<p>You grades can be lower if you have good ECs/test scores. I didn’t have a 4.0 and I got into a pretty tough school. The average for schools is misleading because they’ll accept some 4.0 students which makes a high average but then 3.8 or so with good ECs which lowers the average. What I mean by “you don’t need a 4.0” is that with just a 4.0 chances are you’d be rejected. Well-rounded’s pretty in right now.</p>
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<p>Your grades are more important than your test scores. Good SAT/ACT scores and a bad GPA make you look lazy.</p>
<p>That said, you don’t need a 4.0 anywhere. I don’t care what the averages say. The above link doesn’t say whether that’s weighted or unweighted, whether it’s recalculated, or anything else useful, and the fact of the matter is that your GPA is nearly meaningless without your transcript and the context of your high school to explain it.</p>
<p>And there’s a difference between having 92% above a 3.75 and 92% at a 4.0.</p>
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<p>No. If you actually look at the transcript, a C is a C. The number is meaningless. One C is not going to ruin anyone’s application.</p>
<p>As for the original question, though, two Bs in academic classes your freshman year would still not be much of an issue and would be more than negated by an upward trend and by otherwise doing well. As for gym, they’ll just laugh. It’s … gym.</p>
<p>^ That data is from the UVA CDS which specifically states the GPA is out of a 4.0. That makes it UW.</p>