Hello, I am currently a freshman in high school and would love to attend Princeton for college, however my grades this year, while they are good, are not as high as the standards for Princeton. I am aware that the application review is holistic but I am concerned that my GPA for freshman year will prevent me from getting into Princeton. The next 3 years I am going to study much harder than this year and I hope to achieve straight As in the most difficult classes possible. My freshman year GPA will significantly lower my average GPA while I am applying for colleges and I am concerned that I will have a GPA below the average of schools such as Princeton. Will Princeton understand that I have improved since freshman year, or will this decrease my chances of admission. Thanks for your replies.
@StudyFoxx – GPA is only a part, albeit a significant part, of the holistic admissions. You have three more years to make improvements, and I’m sure the progress you will have made will not go unnoticed. No schools expect an applicant to be born perfect or have a perfect record all throughout high school. In the holistic admissions scheme of things, so many quantitatively “perfect” applicants get rejected, meaning that you shouldn’t just focus on your GPA but develop your qualitatively aspects of your application. Good luck!
Thanks for your help!
Perhaps a slightly different perspective - may I suggest that instead of making it a goal to get into Princeton, you instead look to make yourself a viable candidate for a number of match and reach schools that fit your interest? Yes Princeton is an amazing school, but so are many others. Focus on challenging yourself with the toughest classes you can, by all means, but broaden your sights. Even students with perfect stats and stellar EC’s are refused admission to some of the most selective schools, yet they go on to excel at other excellent colleges.