How do they do things?

Applying to College
1

<p>Do colleges weigh everything equally? Like my cumulative gpa won't make my profile automatically void if not at the "usual minimum"? My cumulative will be very weak due to freshman year but other years have been strong and are on a progressive incline; also my essays will be very strong, same goes for rec letters and the like.</p>

<p>I'm only asking because I was talking to my counselor and he said that it will be difficult for me to get into my safety school of Oregon State with my current cumulative (2.7 UW) and that freaked me out a bit. Then I remembered he doesn't know any of my history that my old counselor did, and its likely he's getting fired next year so I'll probably have yet another counselor.</p>

2

<p>Each institution has its own way of doing things, so you have to ask them.</p>

<p>But your counselor is correct. Admission will be difficult for you at many places with a 2.7.</p>

3

<p>Oregon State is not a safety for a student with a 2.7.</p>

4

<p>It is in my delicate situation and with my criteria, trust me. </p>

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5

<p>Do I have to email admissions counselors at the colleges and then…what do I ask?</p>

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6

<p>What was your freshman year GPA compared to the rest of the years?</p>

7

<p>Fresh was 1.7 1st, 1.5 2nd; sophomore was 3.1 1st, 3.6 2nd, junior will be 3.3 1st, and haven’t been able to estimate 2nd.</p>

8

<p>Your question is unanswerable because there is no way to predict how things are weighted in college admissions. </p>

<p>Some universities may have automatic criteria (certain GPA and certain SAT/ACT = admitted) but at selective schools, the process is quite a bit more holistic than that. They look at GPA, test scores, APs, classes taken, extracurriculars, personal statement, etc. and every admissions process at every college is completely different.</p>

<p>However, if a college has a stated minimum GPA for admissions consideration, it is fairly unlikely that anyone with a GPA below that figure will be admitted. It’s possible that extenuating circumstances, a significant improvement track, etc. could overcome that, and it may be worth applying anyway just in case, but it would certainly be starting in a significant hole.</p>

9

<p>So they wouldn’t see my GPA and immediately throw my application out? They’ll actually take the time to see what happened?</p>

10

<p>It is possible that they would take a second look. But it is equally possible (and probably more than equally) that they will just throw your application out. Minimum GPA is an easy sort criteria to cut by when you’re talking about thousands of applicants.</p>

<p>Again, each and every college does things entirely differently.</p>

11

<p>Do only the private schools do things holistically or some public institutions as well?</p>

12

<p>Any selective public college or university is going to do things holistically, at least in part.</p>

<p>For example, the University of Texas admits 75% of its in-state students automatically through the “Top 10% Plan” while the remaining 25% are admitted holistically.</p>

<p>There are many non-selective public universities, on the other hand, that have automatic admissions indexes. Meet a certain SAT/ACT and/or GPA and you’ll be admitted.</p>

13

<p>Since im looking into med school, I know its more beneficial to go to a UG that will have minimal loans on me, but is the lowered loans worth the possible less than optimal learning experience?</p>

14

<p>Also, if I were to go to OSU for my first two years, what would a higher tiered school (upenn, harvard, duke, etc) look at when I try to apply for transfer there? Not my HS transcript, right?</p>

15

<p>bump, would really appreciate some guidance</p>

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16

<p>anyone please? :/</p>

17

<p>Transfering into schools such as Penn, Harvard, and Duke is VERY competitive. Generally speaking, they don’t accept transfer students that they wouldn’t have accepted straight out of HS.</p>

18

<p>What am I to do then? I’ve worked so hard and I honestly don’t deserve to have my only option be my state university (not saying all are bad, but I don’t want my safety to be my ONLY choice).</p>

19

<p>With a 2.7, quite honestly, your options as a freshman are going to be quite limited in terms of those “name” schools you’re talking about. That’s not the kind of GPA that’s going to knock the socks off of admissions officers. It’s more like the kind of GPA that gets tossed on the first cut.</p>

<p>In fact, Oregon State’s Web site says the school has a 3.0 minimum GPA for entering freshmen. So you can consider it a safety, etc. if you like, but the fact is that with your academic credentials, any other schools of even OSU’s caliber are going to look at your transcript with a great deal of skepticism.</p>

<p>You don’t have to go to a “name” school to have a great college experience and end up in a great career. If your goal is medical school, you need to attend the college best suited for you and get the highest GPA you possibly can.</p>

20

<p>I guess I just really like the idea of leaving the state. Mainly because everyone at my HS assumes your one of the reject stoners if you go to OSU or U of O…I’m a good kid, and not to be sounding conceited, but I feel like I’m smarter than OSU. I would have a 3.8 cumulative if my freshman year wasnt so terrible…</p>