Hi everyone, as a rising senior, I really need help with information on what colleges I could possibly get into. I don’t really know where I stand. My UNWEIGHTED gpa is a 3.75, but every class I’ve taken is either honors, AP, or IB. My SAT score, though, is a 2370. Where do I stand as far as Ivy admission? Is my low (for ivies) gpa balanced out by my SAT score or does gpa matter more? I don’t care that much about going to an ivy league school but I know it would make my dad happy so I just want to know if I even have a shot. Thanks.
Your GPA is fine. Plenty of applicants get rejected with perfect GPAs (and saying this is not to discourage you, but just to point out that your GPA is not the sole basis of admission). You should be worrying more about what is going to make you truly stand out. Your essays, letters of recommendation, interviews, and extracurricular activities will play a much bigger role in admission to an ivy league where every applicant has a high GPA and test scores.
Try not to get so fixated on ivy league schools. There are plenty of colleges out there that will give you the same level of education while also affording you similar opportunities and experiences. Go ahead and apply to a few reach schools, but make sure you college list has a good mix of matches and (affordable) safeties as well.
I agree with the last paragraph above. I may sound like a hypocrite since I myself am applying to an Ivy League school EA, but I truly do love the school. While your GPA/transcript is the most important part of your application, your essays can really make a difference. I wouldn’t say the your SAT score will truly balance out your GPA as your GPA is a much better indicator of how you will perform within an institution.
Thanks for commenting! Everything you said is true, I’ve gotta try my best to make a standout essay! I myself dont really care that much for the “prestige” of ivy schools, but I know it would make my parents really proud if I got into one.