lm thinking of applying to some rather selective schools. unfortunately my gpa is at or below average in most of these schools. university of texas at austin, university of michigan, university of virginia. my gpa is a 3.6 and act score is a 35. do i have a chance or is it a long shot.
If that 3.6 is unweighted and these are very challenging courses (such as APs) then, yes, you have a a reasonable shot. I would make sure to have a safety as well, but many people with your credentials do get taken by these institutions every year. Obviously, other parts of your application need to stand out to offset the GPA (which, while not wonderful, isn’t all that bad)
I know someone with basically the same gpa as u and lower test scores who got into penn. Its definitely possible, but as @Troyus said, apply to a safety.
If you’re not in-state for any of those, then your GPA is a huge mill stone – a very bad portent. Even if you were a Mich resident, you’d be unlikely given its competitiveness.
@giraffeinatree I’m assuming that student had amazing ECs to make up for it?
What are you looking to study? Depending on the major it may be easier or tougher to get in with a 3.6 GPA. Congrats on the ACT score - you’ll want to focus on the rest of your application to balance out the relatively lower GPA. My son has a similar issue, 34 ACT and 3.7 GPA.
@Amyleeal above average for sure but nothing crazy.