<p>Okay, so this is a really interesting case. I slacked off like crazy freshmen and sophomore years (2.26 and 2.86 respectively), and I'm on track for a 3.26 this year. I go to a top private school, and every number crunch I've done has me coming out with basically a 3.0 flat GPA. </p>
<p>Sadly, like so many others, every school I like is well above this average gpa. My saving grace has been, or so I thought, excellent SAT scores. I take them in May (and again in June), and am on track to get 2200+. When I told my college counselor about this, she semi-jokingly warned me not to make my scores much higher, or else colleges will see me as a total slacker. I've been working with a tutor and I feel like I actually could squeeze out another 50-ish points. Call me crazy, but should the idea of such a big discrepancy between grades and scores even be in my mind? Looking at colleges like Occidental and Pitzer, my SAT scores are significantly higher than average. Is is true that this might hurt me because it shows wasted potential?</p>
<p>Yes, you’re going to be seen as a very smart kid who doesn’t do what’s asked of him. a slacker. The best colleges will likely frown on that. They have limited spots and would rather offer seats to students who work to their potential. </p>
<p>Apply where you want, but have some true affordable back up schools.</p>
<p>If you go to a top private, then hopefully you can afford to go to a college that will accept you…but it won’t likely be a top one.</p>
<p>It is what it is. Don’t try not to get your best possible scores.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids</p>
<p>Thank you for the honesty-- I really appreciate it. I am wondering, though, what you define as a “top school”, and a few examples of what you might call a “true” safety?</p>
<p>And that’s what I’m going to do, Waverly :)</p>
<p>I agree that you should still try for your best scores.</p>
<p>As you say, even with a rising GPA, your best scenario has you only getting about a 3.0 cum. That may keep you out of nearly all the schools ranked in the top 50-60 and many flagships. For instance, it would likely keep you out of most/all UCs in Calif and probably even some CSUs. </p>
<p>What state are you in?</p>
<p>What are your parents saying about budget for college? Will they pay $55k+ per year for wherever you go?</p>