I have a 5.08 weighted and 3.83 unweighted gpa,but my ACT scores just came back and I got a composite score of 25(22 science/28 math/25 english/25 reading). My SAT score was an 1850( 640 math/600 reading/610 writing). I am interested in going to Duke and UNC Chapel Hill ,but I feel like my chances are way lower with my low ACT score. I have already taken it twice and I am gonna take it once more with more studying,but if my scores don’t improve what are my chances of going to Duke?
Have you taken any SAT2’s or AP exams? A problem may be that the discrepancy between the grades and the scoes, with both sets of scores being similarly depressed relative to grades, is that it would lead to the conjecture that your school’s grades are inflated and that the courses are not as rigorous as they should be. If you have high SAT2’s and/or AP’s with a score of 5, then that hypothesis could be put to rest. So with strong scores validating your high GPA, might offset the ACT/SATs to some extents.
I want to say that if your extra-curriculars are outstanding, they will somewhat offset your GPA. Like there are soo many cases at Stanford where kids get like 1600’s on their SAT’s but get in. Also, instead of focusing on your weighted GPA, focus on your unweighted. Even though your 5.08 looks astounding, they’ll see the 3.83 and that is the number they will compare to other applicants’. Overall, your chances of getting into Duke are slightly above their average (9.4%) so you might be around a 15% because of your GPA. For UNC, I will also be applying there, the same trend applies: around a 35% chance for you while their average is 29%
Yeah my extracurriculars are pretty good: i’ve been to the state championship for womens basketball, i run track, member of National Honor Society/Treasurer of HOSA, Paid internship at NCSU, etc.