How much will Bowdoin overlook GPA for an otherwise strong candidate?

<p>I anticipate having strong SAT scores.
I am involved in my community as a youth leader and will have strong letters of recommendation.
I am a minority black male, first generation.
My greatest weakness is a GPA that will be only a few points north of 3.0 upon graduation.</p>

<p>I don’t want to waste my time applying if I don’t have a decent chance. When it comes to Bowdoin admissions, is GPA just one of the many factors used to evaluate a candidate, or is it a dealbreaker? </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>These LACs will make exceptions if they have students that fill a need in the class profile. So, the football players at our school get in with B averages. If you are as or more competitive than other URM / first generation students they are considering, you will have a good chance of getting in. It also depends on where your GPA fits in the context of your high school. If you’re in the top quarter, that is alot better than if you’re in the bottom half.</p>

<p>This video may be of interest to you:
[YouTube</a> - ‪I AM BOWDOIN‬‏](<a href=“I AM BOWDOIN - YouTube”>I AM BOWDOIN - YouTube)
I hope this movement inspires meaningful change, for the sake of the campus and the sake of our society!</p>

<p>Bowdoin reports on the Common Data Set that GPA and rigor of academic record are among the most important factors for admissions.
Of the students with reported ranks in high school, 100% were in the top half of their class, 97% were in the top quarter, 83% were in the top 10%.</p>