How important is GPA, REALLY?

Applying to College
1

<p>From looking at threads of ED decisions, EA decisions, last year's ED/EA/RD decisions, and from friends at school who have already received decisions...I've noticed a tread:</p>

<p>Throughout the college admissions process, we have been taught that the three most important factors in college admissions are GPA, SATs, and ECs/Essays. One could argue that each of these is about as important as the next.</p>

<p>From reading countless decisions, I can only disagree.</p>

<p>Actually, what seems to happen is that GPA is much more important than the SAT Reasoning Test and the SAT II: Subject tests combined.</p>

<p>If you look at the decision threads for any of the top colleges, you will notice quite a bit of fluctuation in SAT scores. Some have 2300+, others are barely over 2000. The only consistency is that almost all the people who were accepted have high GPAs. It's very rare to see something like a 3.5 among those admitted. The difference between 3.6uw and 3.8uw seems to be phenomenal, as is the difference between a 3.8uw and 4.0uw.</p>

<p>Some say that rigorous courseload must be taken into account, but I disagree. Rigorous courseload, among competitive candidates, is a given. Honestly if you can get all As I don't see why you would not be taking at least one of two AP classes. And actually, the difference between taking 3 AP classes and 4 AP classes is minimal to colleges.</p>

<p>What about ECs? They really don't make that much of a difference since most everyone will have a standard laundry list of ECs, along with some awards they've won.</p>

<p>Essays? Something we cannot judge on the boards, but from reading a few of my friends' essays they don't seem to be earth-shatteringly different from each other in terms of quality.</p>

<p>Recommendations...don't seem to make that much of a difference unless it's "best student of my career" or "mind-numbingly stupid" which are of course, very rare.</p>

<p>In conclusion, the general trend seems to be that, in order to be admitted to a top University, you must have a very high GPA/rank, and a relatively high SAT score that's at least in range, and ECs/Essays can perhaps compensate for that if they are exceptional. But the most important factor in getting accepted, by far, is the GPA.</p>

<p>Agree? Disagree? Comments? Before the flaming starts, please keep in mind that this is just a theory of mine based on a rather small sample pool.</p>

2

<p>From my experience so far (I got rejected from UCLA with 2200 , 800 math iic) but low (3.8) GPA I would say GPA is the big boy. My freinds with sub-2000 SAT scores yet 4.0 unewighted got into ucla</p>

3

<p>GPA and SAT are pretty much everything. Only in the select elite universities do essays and extracurriculars really matter.</p>

4

<p>Or in LACs. State schools like the UCs care more about GPA.</p>

5

<p>
[quote]
Rigorous courseload, among competitive candidates, is a given. Honestly if you can get all As I don't see why you would not be taking at least one of two AP classes. And actually, the difference between taking 3 AP classes and 4 AP classes is minimal to colleges.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I would agree with courseload difficulty not mattering too much in some cases. With me, however, courseload is a significant factor. Most people consider 4-5 AP's as a hard schedule with 2-3 elective courses.</p>

<p>I have:</p>

<p>IB Math HL (90)
IB Physics HL (91)
IB English HL (76)
IB History HL (91)
IB Spanish SL (85)
IB Art SL (98)
IB Theory of Knowledge (100)
AP Economics (94) <---- have yet to study for.
AP Government (94) <---- have yet to study for.</p>

<p>The truth is that AP classes are about one-third to half the workload of my IB classes. I honestly would rate my courseload as twice as hard as someone who has 4-5 AP classes because IB classes require far more work and I am taking 9 AP/IB; GPA drop would be completely reasonable in a situation like mine (I have an 89 UW average in my core).</p>

<p>Also, teachers make a huge difference. My History teacher does not give a grade past 95, my math teacher makes it near impossible to get a 90+, but reasonably difficult to make an 85, and a state ready writing champion can barely achieve an A- in my English class....</p>

6

<p>Pretty important. GPA and SAT are the two top determinants for getting into college, while ECs, URM status, and hooks can make up for weaker GPAs and standardized test scores.</p>

7

<p>I would agree. GPA is by far the most important factor, even if some say the SAT is. This is a depressing realization for me. I have a 3.8. Weighted.</p>

8

<p>It is EVERYTHING. Colleges demand nothing less than perfection, since ALL colleges are perfect in every way. You MUST be an academic automaton to be accepted to any college.</p>

9

<p>^^^^^ mn ur anoyin</p>

10

<p>what are LACs?</p>

<p>seph, masochists like you amaze me...
WHY WOULD YOU FORCE YOURSELF TO TAKE ALL THOSE COURSES AND TRY TO KILL YOURSELF?</p>

<p>now it seems funny that people at my school think my courseload is difficult:
IB2 Physics
IB1 Chemistry
IB1 Biology
IB1 Math HL
IB1 History
IB1 English
IB1 German
Symphonic Band (IB German Culture last semester)</p>

<p>But I do have a 4.0 UW GPA...(only As are 4.0, A = 93-100)</p>

<p>(Other IBs: 10th grade - IB1 Physics and IB1 Math Methods, last summer - IB1 TOK)</p>

11

<p>LAC = Liberal Arts College</p>

12

<p>Can't prove it by me. I was rejected by UCLA, GPA 4.0 UW, 4.5 weighted, (GPA senior year: 5.0, 4 AP's) Actually, I've earned all A's my entire life, and in the toughest classes my school offers, and I am ranked number one in my class of around 250. SAT 1980. EC's incredible. However, I applied as a Musical Theater major and I don't believe they even considered my academics AT ALL! Do you think choice of major is a big consideration before they consider grades or SAT's? I didn't find out until I showed up at the audition that they don't even CONSIDER you for an alternate major at UCLA. Really unfair!</p>

13

<p>FLAME FLAME FLAME FLAME
FLAMETHROWER
FLAME FLAME FLAME FLAME</p>

<p>..okay. My GPA sucks.</p>

14

<p>Hm. I'd agree that GPA is probably the biggest factor of your application, but SATs, etc do matter to some degree. Of course, I think they allow for some fluctuation in SAT scores provided they see something else in you to make up for it.</p>

<p>What the OP noted is true. It is much much much more difficult for a low-gpa, high-SAT person to be accepted than for a high-gpa, low-SAT person to be accepted. I am such a low-gpa, high SAT person, and I know that my chances of being accepted are very much slim, so I applied to 19 colleges.</p>

15

<p>Haha, same here. I applied to 12. I don't think I'm getting into any of them because I underestimated the importance of GPA. We shall see...</p>

16

<p>Thank god. I have 5 Cs on my transcript.</p>

17

<p>:( JimBob, me too. I went from 5 C's in my sophomore year to nearly straight A's my junior and senior year.</p>

18

<p>Maybe the improvement curve will show what a motivated a person you are? <g></g></p>

<p>/optimism</p>

19

<p>Okay, ::feels stupid::... how do you calculate your uw gpa?</p>

20

<p>
[quote]
JimBob, me too. I went from 5 C's in my sophomore year to nearly straight A's my junior and senior year.

[/quote]

Haha. The opposite happened to me. ;-)
1 C junior year; 4 Cs senior year</p>