Hi everyone. Looking for some insight on how I can improve my GPA or overall chances of getting accepted to UF. I’ll share a little about myself and my situation.
My main schools of interest right now: University of Florida & University of Wisconsin
(UF being primary choice due to in-state Tuition as I live in FL) (There are others I am looking into, but I really like these specific schools)
My Current Stats:
16 and Caucasian
Haven’t taken ACT yet but aiming for 29-32 (I’m a Junior and I have been studying)
I go to a ridiculously hard and rigorous college preparatory school that supposedly has a good reputation to colleges but I see it as a obstacle to achieve a higher GPA
I had an awful Freshman year, Ok Sophmore year, and an amazing Junior Year
My cumulative GPA is around 3.25 (My Junior GPA is a 3.89)
By end of senior year, I will have taken AP Comp Sci, APUSH, AP Lang, AP Hug and AP Gov (+2 Honors Math Courses)
My school has very independent/strict policies, and they do not accept 3rd party classes (neither dual enrollment or Florida Virtual)
Here are my extra circulars (I might be forgetting a few but these are my most prominent ones)
I founded and run a local aerial photography business
I belong to the Yale Model United Nations club
I play Golf full time out of school
I have taken multiple summer courses at colleges (Auburn, Syracuse, William & Mary)
I have taken part in multiple community service opportunities throughout the summers
Junior Olympics Sailing Championship
I intern for a Medical Software company based out of Texas for a few weeks during the summer
I am a part-time staff member during the summer for a soccer camp for children with disabilities
So, here is my ultimate question. Can I do a combination of Dual Enrollment and Florida Virtual or maybe on or the other to help improve my GPA? Would I be able to attach it as a separate transcript since my school does not allow 3rd party classes? I figured that if I could complete some classes during the summer I’d be able boost to my GPA. Also, does anyone know if UF looks into the rigor of my high school? My school is “anti-grade inflation” making it incredibly difficult to achieve a high GPA and it would be nice if UF knew this so I am not compared to a public school student with a 4.3. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Lastly, I am aware that UF has holistic based admissions (Largely essay + EXC’s).
Also, would I be able to apply to a major in which more people are accepted, and then transfer? I’ve heard of a few people successfully using this strategy but I am not completely sure.
If your school does not allow “third party classes” then it won’t affect your HS GPA. And classes taken would not be Dual Enrollment (which means you get HS credit). Grades are looked at in comparison to your school. Do your school use Naviance so you can see how students similar to yourself have done in applying to UF?
Thanks for the reply. If I send whichever university I apply to both my “Dual Enrollment Transcript” and my Highschool Transcript, would they average them to create one GPA? Would it be worth my time doing Dual Enrollment at all? And yes, we do use Naviance. These are the UF Stats for my school: http://imgur.com/lo2bLvZ
From what I understand, it would be best for me to apply Early Decision for the schools that I really really like as they might look at my GPA differently. Does anyone know if UF offers early admission (Not the one that binds me to UF). I think I might apply ED for U of Wisconsin, which I am told is slightly easier to get into than UF.
Thanks again!
EDIT: Don’t think the link went through, try this and remove spaces (http://imgur . com/lo2bLvZ)
I was admitted to UF and while my GPA was a bit higher, I feel as if you have a very solid chance. Florida likes personality so I’d make sure your essay shines!
High school Senior who took flvs classes junior year and dual enrollment classes in the summer to help raise my GPA. I Had a 3.39 UW going into junior year and by the end of the year i had a 3.6 UW and a 4.16 UF GPA. I was admitted to UF and I explained in my app that I took extra classes through FLVS and Dual Enrollment so it didn’t seem sketchy i had so many classes listed in my Junior year.
You definitely can still get in but I recommend taking 2-3 online honors courses through flvs to help boost your gpa. If you have any Fs or Ds i also recommend you retake that class online + take Dual enrollment courses over the summer going into senior year because they count and can have a huge effect on your GPA.
I think you have a fairly strong chance – my GPA was slightly higher and my ACT score was right in that range. I also didn’t have as many strong extracurriculars as you do so I think those will be able to help you as well. I think your best bet would be to do some DE courses to boost that GPA and make sure your essay is really strong! Good luck
Did your highschool apply your FLVS and Dual Enrollment to your GPA and highschool transcript, or did UF take two separate transcripts to average a UF GPA? I spoke to my CC (who doesn’t seem very knowledgeable) and she said that Dual Enrollment wouldn’t help boot my GPA since most colleges won’t average it into my highschool transcript. I really wish my highschool would allow for classes outside of school
For UF, you are required to self-report using the SSAR. This then calculates your GPA using UF’s standards. It is this GPA that the school uses not your high school transcript GPA. For most students this GPA is lower, but for other’s who have high schools with strict transcript rules it can actually be higher.
