How do top colleges see low GPA/High rank?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi, everyone!
I have a low GPA for the top colleges( 3.65 UW) but my rank is decently high( 6/670). How will this play for top colleges( i.e. Stanford, Columbia, Yale, Princeton). M tests and EC's are excellent but my GPA is whats holding me back.</p>

<p>I come from a competitive public school. Ranks are based on weighted GPA. Most ranked similar to me have higher UW GPAs but I took an extremely rigorous course load ( 15+ AP classes, 15+ Dual Enrollment). </p>

<p>Thank You all in advance!</p>

2

<p>High rank definitely helps when applying because it can show colleges that you went to a competitive school. However I’m not sure how much it will help as I am not an expert and I am currently in the same boat as you. Best of luck!</p>

3

<p>You can check the common data sets or collegedata.com entries to see how important GPA and rank are at each college. Note that rigor of course selection is usually very important, so that can help you.</p>

4

<p>I think you’ll be fine. </p>

<p>A high rank will mitigate low GPA to a large extent.</p>

5

<p>Anyone have personal experience/success in a situation like this?</p>

6

<p>I’m in a similar situation. My school ranks based off of weighted. Mine is 4.5, but that would seem very random to most schools. My UW is 3.6ish and I’m 10/320, so I’m really hoping the rank will offset the GPA. </p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

7

<p>I think they’ll be lenient of your GPA because of your rank and the rigor of your course schedule.</p>

8

<p>Thats starting to sound reassuring. I did bad freshman and sophomore year and it was all due to laziness.</p>

<p>Freshman-3.5
Sophomore-3.0<–Killer</p>

<p>but Junior year I picked myself up and got a 4.0 and same for this year. I have an extreme upward trend and the course load was really intense both years(8 DE, 7 AP Junior year and 8 DE + 7 AP Senior year). I’m just hoping that Stanford,my dream school, can overlook the first two years for the excellent performance junior and senior year.</p>

9

<p>…You took 15 classes per year for two years? How is that possible? I’ve never heard of a school offering more than 9 class periods.</p>

10

<p>I took 5 AP Classes in school, 2 online AP Classes, 2 DE classes over the summer and 3 both semesters Junior year. This year I took 2 DE over the summer, 3 DE this semester and am planning 3 more DE classes next semester along side 7 AP Classes in school.</p>

11

<p>The GPA information in the common data set is somewhat useless, because each student’s GPA is reported in context of their school’s system. Your 3.65 in a rigorous program isn’t the same as 3.65 in a school that doesn’t offer any rigorous classes. If your school regularly has students apply to the top schools, they will be familiar with your school’s grading system. If not, they will have a copy of the school’s profile, which puts your GPA in context.</p>

12

<p>If a student reports his weighted GPA of above 4 to a school, will that be added to their common data set as 4.0(+) or would they calculate his UWGPA and add that to the common data set?</p>

13

<p>The Common Data Set always uses UW GPA out of a 4.0 scale.</p>

14

<p>Hmm, some of the information pertaining to GPA and rank on the common data set seem a bit off. Apparantly the average GPA for College of Charleston (if you’re familiar with the school, is isn’t too impressive) is 3.9. </p>

<p>And it’s not like 1% submitted their GPA. 99.7% did. </p>

<p>I don’t understand how this can be their average GPA for admitted students.</p>

15

<p>I know a lot of people going to CofC, and it’s not that bad. The GPA might be SC weighted, which goes up pretty high (A 93 in an AP class is a 5, in Honors 4.5, and CP is 4.0, and then you add 1/8 for each point).</p>

16

<p>I sort of have an opposite situation; I have a 4.0 GPA unweighted currently, but my school is among the best in California so the top 10% is a 3.7-3.9 GPA. I think I got 2 or 3 B’s this semester so my rank will probably drop a good chunk down! This shouldn’t hurt me too much, should it?</p>

17

<p>Yeah, I’m familiar with CofC, which like you said, isn’t a bad school, I know quite a few people going there too, but compared to most of the schools mentioned on CC, the academic prestige is minimal. </p>

<p>And I’m familiar with the SC weighted grading scale, and I can almost guarantee CofC reported mostly weighted GPAs on their common data set, which would suggest that other schools may have reported weighted GPAs, which vary by state, and wouldn’t accurately represent the GPA percentiles of people accepted to the school.</p>

18

<p>@skippymanie - It shouldn’t hurt so much if your school uses weighted rank and you take a rigorous course load. If not, it might just hurt you.</p>

19

<p>IBtired, definitely not of any academic prestige, but my mom’s doctor (Who’s spoke at Duke conferences, and done a ton of research and such) said apparently their physics program is actually really good. But yes, I’d assume that 3.9 was weighted for CofC.</p>

20

<p>IBTired, I have no idea where you’re getting your info but it’s not the CDS. Here is CoC’s CDS which shows only 58% of newly enrolled students have above a 3.75. <a href=“Page not found - College of Charleston”>Page not found - College of Charleston;