<p>Currently, my unweighted GPA is a 3.74 (weighted, it's around a 4.3-4.4, I think). If I get straight A's this year (which I think possible), I'll have a solid 3.8 unweighted and maybe a 4.5 weighted (or almost that). However, as I'm applying to rather selective colleges, including a few Ivies, I'm afraid that I will get rejected just like that because so many other applicants will have GPAs of 3.9+ and, in many cases, 4.0. The thing is that my GPA is probably my weakest factor (well, that and my class rank). I have an ACT of 34 (if you superscored it, which colleges don't formally do, I'd have a 35), and I'll have very good SAT II scores, very good recommendations, focused ECs with leadership, and essays about unique topics (people tell me that I write well). I don't want my hard work to be for nothing just because colleges tend to put grades first (I mean that they place the most importance on them, but they may also consider grades chronologically before other factors).</p>
<p>If it matters, I go to a competitive public high school with little to no grade inflation and have been taking all honors and AP classes.</p>
<p>If it's not true, I can just focus on improving my apps in other areas while keeping my grades high, but if it is, is there anything I can do?</p>
<p>Are you a Sr this year? If so, your first semester grades will be very important. You may have a chance at some lower level “Ivy’s” IF your unweighted GPA is due to lower grades in your Freshman year ONLY. If some of those B’s were in your Soph and especially your Jr year, and they were in Academic classes [ vrs PE] then realistically, your chances of an “Ivy” acceptance are slim indeed, simply because of the huge numbers of competing applicants, unless you are an URM, Legacy , DA, or recruited athlete.</p>
<p>I am a senior this year. Oof, based on your description of the situation I’m wasting my time even applying. I’m not going to write anything off of my list just yet, for various reasons - for instance, among students from my high school, I’d be above average in GPA, ACT, and SAT among Cornell admits - but what you said is certainly disheartening (though I think I’ve been well-aware of the situation for a long time). Hopefully, I’ll be looked at with a “holistic approach,” but who knows.</p>
<p>I think you are a strong applicant for all but a handful of schools.</p>
<p>If you do get your GPA up to a 3.8, and given everything else, you are in play for every LAC. Williams, Amherst, Pomona, Swat (Swarthmore) and several other top LACs aren’t safeties for anyone, but you would be a strong applicant at them.</p>
<p>Ivy admissions seem random to many, including me. Write awesome essays and throw your hat in the ring.</p>
<p>If I were you (which I am not, of course), with your stats, I would apply ED or SCEA at your favorite Ivy (make sure this is the school you love most…); apply EA at any or all of MIT, Chicago, Cal Tech, Notre Dame, Georgetown and Boston College – you are likely to get into at least a couple of them and will thus have at least those as great options. Then I’d apply RD to other Ivy League schools you like and any other schools whose acceptance you would value. Don’t forget the top LACs.</p>
<p>And it never hurts to include a safety or two – for you there are many.</p>
<p>^
First of all, thanks for the response. I really expected this thread to just dwindle in spite of me repeatedly bumping it like a hopeful young boy on his first trip fishing.</p>
<p>Brown is my first choice. I think I’ll have a slight advantage because I’m applying to one of Brown’s less popular majors (Computer Science) and can write at length about why I’d like to do that at Brown rather than at MIT, CalTech, U of I, Stanford, etc. (yes, there are reasons). However, it seems that Brown, compared to other high-ranking schools, tends to prefer students with perfect or almost-perfect grades at the expense of test scores of the same caliber, which is a problem for me. Of course, I may just be imagining this.</p>
<p>Between now and whenever I apply, I’ll be entering one or two competitions with my principal EC club, finishing an important personal project that will likely be important in my application, recording and releasing an album or EP with my band, and studying for/taking SAT IIs. Do you think it’d be worth it to apply ED at the expense of having more time for the above things and improving my grades?</p>
<p>I will probably be pulling in a bit of money from odd jobs and tutoring, so I think I can afford to send out a couple of extra apps (BC sounds cool, and I’d be a legacy at Georgetown) - my dad’s strongly hinted to me that he (and especially my mom) won’t be paying for apps to any colleges that they consider unrealistic, so I’d have to pay for those and for sending test scores, etc.</p>
<p>Based on what I’ve told you, do you think Miami of Ohio is a realistic safety? That’s what mine is right now (oh, and I have one or two more).</p>
<p>Well first we don’t know how strong your GPA is relative to your school. At some schools a 3.8 places a student at the top of the class while further down at others.</p>
<p>I’ll take that as a “no”; if my GPA alone wouldn’t get me disqualified, adcoms must take an approach that is at least somewhat holistic. I’m guessing that what I’ve heard to the contrary is an amalgamation of horror stories and oversimplifications.</p>
<p>That said, my rank isn’t that great. However, my public high school can hold its own against a great many (competitive) private ones, and I can boast some impressive test scores and extracurriculars.</p>
<p>Applying ED to ANY expensive college is a VERY bad idea if your will need Financial Aid in order to afford to go to a very expensive college. So have the “money talk” with your parents first. And then go to each college’s online FA calculator and run your families numbers through the calculator. Brown and all “top colleges” may have lots of $$ , but they all use the Profile FA application, which takes home equity and other resources into account when calculating what THEY think your family can afford to pay.
Then take a look at the Common Data Set information that most colleges report. It gives a detailed comprehensive summary of the stats of accepted freshman at each college.
If your parents can easily afford to pay $50,000+ for 4 years of college+ Room and Board, AND you have a better than average chance of acceptance , based on the stats of other accepted students in the past few years, then sure, go ahead and apply ED. Just know that it prevents you from seeing FA offers from other colleges, so if what they offer is not enough , you will have to scramble to apply to other colleges at the last minute.</p>
<p>Where do you get the idea Brown focuses on grades at the expense of scores? What do you think your rank is? How many peers are likely to apply from your hs and area? And what state or something to show us your geographical diversity?</p>
<p>You will make it past first round at most Ivies with 3.74/34, a complete app and etc. Bascially, that puts you in the line of fire. mpmom is right that when and where your Bs are is important.</p>
<p>Ugh I doubt they see a 3.74 and throw an app away unless the classes are mad easy. There’s a reason top colleges say they look at your transcript, not your grades as a top factor. (A bad rank puts you in a bad spot though)</p>