If everything else besides my GPA is good, do I still have a chance?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I am an applicant with (what my counselor says are) really strong EC’s, really strong recommendations, and really strong essays that show passion and why I am a match for the school. However, I have a 3.4 GPA and a 31 ACT. My grades started off as straight B’s for 9/10 grade, and are straight A’s in 11/12 grade. I go to a prestigious private school that compares normal classes to honors at public school.

Does my GPA completely ruin my chances at holistic schools (as in they’d just immediately toss me in a reject pile due to my GPA), or do I still have somewhat of a chance?

Examples of schools I applied to:
BU
BC
Cornell
UPenn

2

Your counselor and Naviance (which I assume your school has) will give you a clearer picture of your chances than anyone on CC. Good luck.

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3

Probably should look at some T50 schools.

4

Does your high school have a history of admission to UPenn, so that counselors are knowledgeable about and/or connected to UPenn, so that they actually have insight on what UPenn looks for?

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5

Holistic admissions at highly selective schools are “holistic” only after the basic boxes of GPA and standardized tests have been checked. The schools use EC’s to differentiate among the vast pool of kids with near perfect stats, not as something that can make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Your stats don’t put you out of the running at “holistic” schools. They do put you out of the running at the most highly selective holistic schools.

At BU, for example: GPA of 3.4 puts you in the bottom 10%, pretty much ruling out admission unless your EC is HS All American football QB. At UPenn: 31 ACT puts you in about the same place.

Have another talk with your counselor and ask about some more realistic “match” schools for you based on your stats.

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6

IMO your grades and scores eliminate you from being seriously considered at the two ivy league schools, but maybe not the Boston ones. Are you looking for different answers from your last post?

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7

The upward trend is good, but this, ECs, recommendations and essays are all a much smaller part of the consideration compared to GPA and test scores. I hope that the schools you listed are your reaches, and that you have applied to several match and safety schools.

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8

I was just curious as to what other people has to say about GPA importance in holistic. My counselor is known for just being super bleak so I don’t exactly trust her judgement

9

They are reaches haha don’t worry, I don’t think I’ll be getting into any of these but was just curious

10

I get that, but I bet you have gotten enough early results by now that you will see that my answer is correct - right?

11

We do at both

12

Yeah I guess? I’ve been deferred so far at my EA only

13

which one?

14

Umich, northeastern, Tulane

15

As you probably know admissions to Northeastern and Tulane are quite similar to BU, and Michigan is more similar to BC. That is telling.

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16

Have you applied to at least one affordable safety?

17

Yeah I applied to 4 and got into 3 so far. I didn’t mean for this to turn into a chance me I just didn’t know what tag to use lmao

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18

Great, as long as those schools are affordable, you will have some options. Good luck.

19

That’s good. (None of us want to read the dreaded “I didn’t get in anywhere I applied” post!! ) Chances look slim for these but glad you have some good options already. And hey…you can’t get in if you don’t apply. Have a good rest of your senior year and good luck with your decisions!

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20

which cornell college did you apply to? Some of them (CALS, Humec) are more forgiving to a lower GPA because of how specific the schools are. For example, I know someone who was admitted to CALS with a 3.1, likely because of his work on a farm.