So far I haven’t been putting in much effort into school and my GPA right now is about a 3.35 unweighted. Before I thought this score was alright, but now I realize that it is pretty bad. My school is goes by the IB program and next year I plan on taking the full IB diploma.
Does anybody have any suggestions about how I can increase my chances of getting into a good college?
I am going to be aiming for a 4.0 next year and also gonna try to go for more leader ship positions in my ECs.
The colleges that I am aiming for are UCLA UCB USC and NYU.
What do you guys think I should do to get a good shot at these schools.
If you maintain 4.0s in your next two years and focus right now, you can probably bump up your GPA to a rough 3.7.
I suggest you put a high emphasis on extracurriculars to mask your GPA, considering you’ve mentioned some competitive schools. If you can do all that, you should probably be fine with a shot in these schools.
Right now I do two sports, I’m varsity Rugby and JV Basketball (likely to be varsity next year). I am a part of the HFH charity group and coding club at my school and will likely have a leadership position in both next year. Is this a good enough?
If you’re looking to increase your competitiveness as an applicant then focus on raising that GPA (and consider colleges that exclude freshman year GPA in their calculations), study for the SAT/ACT, and pursue leadership in the clubs you’re passionate about.
UCLA, one of the schools on your list, is a school that does calculate GPA excluding freshman year (uses grades 10-11). You’re currently below their 25th percentile of unweighted GPA. If you work hard and raise your grades then you’ll have a better shot.
Another thing is that I plan on doing IB in my Jr and Sr years. Right now I am doing my course selections and contemplating if I should take 3 or 4 HLs.
Also my school uses a 4.3 scale to calculate GPA.
Make sure not to take on too much. If you’re currently not in the IB program and have little/no AP or honors exposure then loading up on IB courses could be overwhelming. While rigor is a factor in admissions for many colleges, grades are usually more important. Take what you think you can reasonable handle. Challenge but don’t break yourself.