How much will my GPA hurt me?

[ThaMan]

<p>I'm currently a sophomore and I have around a 3.5 UW GPA. I know that most Ivy League applicants have like close to a 4.0. Do schools look at GPA as a deciding factors for admissions even if the person's SATs are 2200+?</p>

[glassesarechic]

<p>If you’re looking at Ivy League schools, your GPA is likely going to disqualify you (unless you have an incredible hook–URM, recruited athlete, legacy S/D of a big big donor). The transcript is the most important part of the application. </p>

<p>

As Yale is above all an academic institution, academic strength is our first consideration in evaluating any candidate. The single most important document in the application is the high school transcript. We look for students who have consistently taken a broad range of challenging courses throughout their high school careers. There are no score cut-offs for standardized tests: the median scores of admitted students on the verbal and mathematical portions of the SAT generally fall in the mid 700s, and ACT composites in the low 30s, but successful applicants present a wide range of test results. While there is no hard and fast rule, it is safe to say that performance is relatively more important than testing. A very strong performance in a demanding college preparatory program may compensate for modest standardized test scores, but it is unlikely that high standardized test scores will persuade the Admissions Committee to disregard an undistinguished secondary school record.

</p>

[hmom5]

<p>It depends on where a 3.5 puts you at your school. You could be valedictorian with a 3.5 at some schools. They will look at your GPA in context f your school. But yes, GPA is the most important factor in admissions and high scores won’t make up for a low rank at top colleges.</p>

[Maxine5]

<p>could you get into a top college like yale princeton stanford or harvard with a
Freshman gpa of 3.5
Sophomore gpa of 3.3
Junior gpa of 4.0
and Senior gpa of 4.0?</p>

<p>Averaging to be a gpa of 3.7?</p>

[hmom5]

<p>Very unlikely unless you have something they really need/want.</p>

[Olymom]

<p>Oh, don’t quit just yet! Honestly, two years of 4.0 after a rocky start might be hard to pull off – but you never know. And even if you stumble on the GPA, keep on pedaling. </p>

<p>Keep in mind that you never know what is the “hot” applicant any one year. The music director may call admissions and say “don’t need any clarinet players but please, grab any tuba you can get.” Or the science dean may say “we are expanding the chemistry department and we want to take 40 more chem majors.” If you are a tuba playing chem major, you may slide through the admissions crack with a different GPA than the soccer playing English major. </p>

<p>It sounds like you think you can bump up your GPA. Go for it. You won’t regret it. Do the classic bit of applying to colleges that fit your GPA/SAT score profile and also throw in a couple of reach schools. </p>

<p>Life is not about being perfect. It’s about love and growth and challenge. Good Luck!</p>

[Beautifulnights]

<p>Pft, if your gpa is “low”, then we are in similar boats my friend.</p>

[ansar]

<p>

incredible hook–URM,

Come on, that isn’t that incredible of a hook. -_-;</p>