My current weighted GPA is 3.0 and my SAT score is around 1500. I am still aiming for at least a 1700 or an 1800 on the SAT, as i’m taking it again in November. I have not taken the ACT. Although yes, my GPA is a bit low, I have been involved in many things at my school. I’m not from America, but i’ve been to conferences Virginia to represent my school, and only four out of many applicants are selected to go, as it’s a competitive entry. I’ve also been to Europe to represent both my school and my country. I’m involved in many school sports, such as Basketball, Volleyball and Soccer.
I really wish to study engineering, even though my math grades and science grades are around a B or C.
My dream school is Columbia, as they have a great Engineering program, but with a GPA of 3.0, such thing isn’t possible. My whole family studies science, and my sister was class valedictorian and has a lot of great engineering opportunities right now. Obviously, it’s a dream for me to study science as well. I write pretty good essays, always scoring good grades in English classes, so I am pretty sure I would be able to write a killer essay on applications.
My question, however, is… suppose I get an 1700 - 1800 on the SAT. With a good essay and all these extra activities in which i’m involved with at my school, could I still have a slight chance of acceptance at Columbia, even with a 3.0 GPA?
I don’t always agree with mom2collegekids, but I have to do so here. Neither your scores nor your grades put you anywhere close to a competitive position for Columbia. Are you applying from here in the US, or from overseas? Will you need financial aid? There are some perfectly respectable engineering schools (mostly at less-selective public universities) where you might have a chance. If your weighted GPA is 3.0, what was your unweighted? What was the breakdown for your scores? If you are still struggling with English material, you might consider spending some time at a community college. I will not be one of the people who insists that everyone with a GPA under 3.5 and SAT scores under 1800 shouldn’t look at 4-year colleges: there certainly are some you can get into (especially if money isn’t a major concern). Most Engineering schools will expect a high level of ability in Math and Science.
Yep, I’m afraid it’s a no-go. Not saying you can’t apply, and sometimes crazy things happen, of course, but if you somehow got in, it would be one of the crazier crazy things I’ve heard about.
But don’t give up your plan for engineering. There are plenty of other schools where you can go with your stats. Try to get your SAT score up and also try the ACT. Columbia is a reach for most students and is definitely not the only place for engineering. Good luck!
