How important is GPA for Oxford College? Mine is no doubt on the low end for Oxford at a 3.39 UW (using Emory University’s GPA conversion). I didn’t try my best in many of my classes in middle school (high school credit classes) or my freshman year, which dropped my GPA down significantly.
Being in South Carolina, the letter grade assignments are set to 93-100 for 4.0, 85-92 for 3.0, and 77-84 for 2.0. In Georgia the scale is 90-100 for 4.0, 80-90 for 3.0, 70-80 for 2.0. If I were in Georgia, my GPA would be a 3.68… which is in line for admitted Oxford students.
On tour today, the admissions rep told me that they calculate GPA based off of the high school’s grading scale. Would they at least take into consideration that it would be much higher if my school used a different grading scale?
I’m worried about my GPA. Oxford claims to take a “holistic approach” to admitting students, but I know that a 3.39 is not very close to where it should be for Emory University. My GPA will be the most lacking part of my application, as I plan on doing well on the SAT and ACT based off of my practice exams (I scored a 25 on the ACT cold, but after studying I have a projected score from practice exams as a 31-32). My ECs are decent but include a growing number of 681 volunteer hours. In the past, I have done well on essays. I am very close to several of my teachers, guidance counselor, principal, and employer; I should not run into trouble with recommendations.
I do not mean to turn this into a “what are my chances” thread because without test scores I feel that I am not yet able to be chanced. Instead, I would like to know if it pursuing Oxford would be a good choice given my low GPA. I fell in love with the school today, but if my GPA is too low, I know I need to try to move on and find other great options.
It’s still a good chance for you. Heck, you might even have a shot at Emory if you pop a 32. Things you can do at this point:
-Study very very hard for the ACT. A 31 isn’t going to get itself. Consume practice books. Read around the act preparation section of CC.
-Get great grades in this last semester of junior year and the first semester of Senior year. It can redeem you as an applicant if you have a positive trend with your GPA.
-Look into other schools besides Emory/oxford. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If you like Emory and want to stay relatively close to home, look into Richmond, Washington and Lee, William and Mary, Tulane, etc.
-Visit these places you like and do interviews at them. It helps with your chances of admission and also helps you learn more about the school including the vibe around campus.
Just do the best you can and then apply and see what happens. Even if we make up nice things to say in order to assuage your fears… nobody here knows your chances.
@gminor I just ordered a new practice book, and I’ll start looking at the CC ACT section. I’m happy to hear that an upward trend will benefit my application. You’re exactly right, I need to look into other schools–right now I’m still very zoned into Oxford because of the excitement after the tour yesterday. I will look into finding interviews. Thank you.
@aluminum_boat You’re right, all applicants are different and the acceptance of an applicant can only be decided by admissions. Part of me wishes there was a starkly defined process for admittance… often times that’s just how my mind seems to work. My fears should assuage themselves as time moves on. Thank you for the advice, I need to stop worrying and see what happens.
I know this is super long, but I hope it gets to the answer of your question.
@MyOdyssey Visiting Oxford was a great experience for me. We started out, and we’re welcomed by a very friendly student who walked us to the student center. That was a great first impression, and ended up making me very comfortable for the rest of the tour.
In the student center, I realized just how historic and beautiful the campus was. The admissions rep was very professional as he told us what the next few hours would entail.
We ate lunch on campus (something I was not at all looking forward to), but the food was great and it gave a not so awkward opportunity to interact with the students. Again, I grew comfortable with the school.
Our tour guide was great at showing the beautiful campus, giving personal anecdotes, and explaining student life at an academically focused campus.
The information session was professional and allowed for questions in which the admission rep was great at answering.
@wkmyers Regarding your concerns about past grades. There are basically two ways of dealing with those.
First, make sure your grades going forward are an improvement. If your school offers summer AP courses, you might consider taking 1 or 2 to boost your GPA.
Second, get high scores on your ACT/SAT/SAT Subj Tests/AP exams. Take a prep class if you can afford to, especially ones that offer one on one tutoring.
Oxford College had a record number of applicants this year. Last year, the ACT interquartile range was 28-33. Expect this year’s to be at least as high. Aim for at or above the 75% percentile on the ACT (or SAT).
It’s a lot of work but it’ll prepare you to apply to other schools as well.
@MyOdyssey The science building is still being constructed, but the plans for it look great. The dorms are great. I felt like I was visiting a nicer hotel. Being that Oxford is freshman and sophomores, I think that freshman stay in the same dorms. All floors have a gym, “living room” type area, and a meeting room.
Good advice regarding the GPA question. I plan on meeting with my school counselor when I start back at school from Spring Break.
@wkmyers Thanks for the update on the new science building and dorms.
One final point. Try to figure out which test you’re more likely to do better on as between the SAT Reasoning and ACT tests and then focus on that instead of going for both tests. They are not the same and schools do not require both.
SAT Reasoning Critical Reading section is more vocabulary centric as opposed to the ACT Reading section. In other words, there is a vocabulary section on the SAT Reasoning Critical Reading but not on the ACT Reading.
SAT Reasoning Math section is trickier than the ACT Math section. However, the ACT Math section covers some topics (trig, logs, etc.) typically found in precalculus that are not found in the SAT Reasoning Math section.
The ACT has a science section, which is science reasoning and data analysis as opposed to covering the substance of any scientific field. SAT Reasoning has no science section.
Take timed practice tests for both and use the score conversion chart available on ACT’s website to see which you’re doing better on relatively speaking. Then focus your efforts.
@MyOdyssey Very helpful advice. I wasn’t sure of the specific differences between the two. I am going to take both tests, and which ever one I do better on I will retake for the highest score. Thank you!
Even if we make up nice things to say in order to assuage your fears… nobody here knows your chances.