<p>GPA isn't everything, but it's basically the most important part of the college application process. I did relatively poorly my first two years of high school, and fear that my GPA is not competitive at a lot of the schools I want to go to. What can I do to compensate for this? I attend a highly competitive high school that is nationally recognized, I have a great (projected) ACT score, and I have decent EC's. Will a low GPA keep me out of the places I want to go? What can I do from now to next year that would make me a better applicant?</p>
<p>1) Get a great ACT and improve your GPA. Talk w/instructors. See what other top kids’ habits are.
2) Where do you want to go? But likely, YES
3) Get a great ACT and improve your GPA.</p>
<p>Even if you listed the schools you aiming for, you will not get an answer to your questions because it’s not public knowledge as to how any one particular college weights various aspects of a college app (GPA, ECs, SAT/ACT scores, etc). Even with a strong third year you probably will not be able to raise your GPA a lot when factored along with two “relatively poor” years. However both a strong third year performance coupled with a “great” ACT/SAT score should be quite positive. But you may have to realize that there are many applicants with strong 3 year GPAs, strong (not just “decent”) ECs, “great” (even very great) ACT/SAT scores, etc and you may have to apply more broadly when the time to apply comes. Good luck.</p>
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<p>To be honest, you’ve dug yourself quite a hole. And there’s not a lot you can do to “compensate”. But you can improve. So here’s the plan.</p>
<ol>
<li>Make junior year your best year ever. Go all out to get good grades, play the “upward trend” card.</li>
<li>Start planning your senior year schedule with your GC. Take the most challenging courses you can get good grades in. Again, this is part of your upward trend and increasing rigor.</li>
<li>Forget ED/EA, you need 1st semester senior year grades to make up for a weak first two years.</li>
<li>Take the ACT/SAT as soon as you can to get a baseline. This will tell you where you really lie, not a “projected” great score, but a real one.</li>
<li>Meet with your GC as soon as you have that ACT/SAT score to plot out where you have a realistic chance. See if you should take the other test and/or take the first one over. Go over your first semester junior year grades and adjust senior year schedule accordingly.</li>
<li>Visit some schools suggested by your GC to get an idea of what you are most interested in attending. Talk with your parents about the money issue. Start zeroing in on some realistic target schools. Get over schools that are no longer realistic.</li>
<li>Meet with GC toward end of junior year. Discuss how the year has gone, what schools are realistic given stats and grades, money, and desired characteristics of schools. Plot out some schools to visit over the summer, and perhaps even do interviews while there. At least practice on a few of the schools you visit, even if not terribly interested. Start liking one of your target schools, after junior year, your options are pretty set.</li>
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<p>That’s your plan. Adjust as necessary.</p>
<p>You’ve all been very helpful. Thank you.</p>