Is it worth applying or is my GPA too detrimental?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
1

<p>I love Dartmouth for its wonderful environmental studies department and its focus on undergraduates. </p>

<p>I have been receiving mixed opinions of my chance at Dartmouth in the "What are my Chances" forum. I'd love to see what current students or alum think. </p>

<p>The Basics:
-Female
-Rising senior
-Northeast
-Upper middle class
-Attended public for 9th and 10th, private for 11th and 12th (nationally-recognized, #60/100 on Ivy feeder list)
-Intended Major: Environmental Studies</p>

<p>*I think that my strengths are course rigor, standardized test scores, and extracurriculars/awards and achievements.</p>

<p>*My weakness is definitely my GPA, but it does show a consistent upward trend.</p>

<p>Course Rigor: By the end of my senior year, I will have taken 14 Honors courses and 6 or 7 AP courses. I wasn't offered AP courses until my junior year. Also, the recommended maximum of APs in one year is 3. I'll be taking 4 or 5 next year.
UW GPA: 3.63 (Upward trend: B+ average in 9th and 10th grade, A average in 11th grade, will maintain straight-A's this year!) Lowest grade on my transcript is a B. The highest UW GPA in my class on a 100-pt scale is a 94.
UW Rank: Top 8%
ACT: 33 (I'm retaking it in the fall)
SAT II: Literature: 800, Bio: 800, Spanish: 780, World History: 760, U.S History: 770
APs: U.S History: 5, Bio: 5, Psych (self-study): 5, English Literature (self-study): 5, English Language (self-study): 5</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities:
Writing: I devote at least 1 hour/day to writing, not including schoolwork.
Literary Magazine (10, 11, 12)
-Short Story Editor (11)
-E.I.C (12)
Newspaper (10, 11, 12)
-Co E.I.C (11, 12)</p>

<p>Environmental Activism
Environmental NGO (11, 12)
-Co-Outreach Coordinator & Member-at-Large (11)
-Media Relations Coordinator (12, though I did some media work in 11th grade as well)
-National and International Young Delegate (11, 12)
Youth Environmental Activism Group (11, 12)
-Founder & Chair
City Waste/Recycling Department (10, 11, 12)
-Unpaid Intern
Green Team (9, 10, 11, 12)
-President (12)</p>

<p>Other: I dance, do photography, and play the guitar and piano. In terms of academics, besides writing and science, I also love history and linguistics. </p>

<p>Volunteer Work:
I will have accumulated roughly 500 hours of service by the time I apply.
-Environmental-related volunteer work (9, 10, 11, 12)
-Tutor to low-income children (11, 12)
-Friend to autistic children (10)</p>

<p>Awards & Achievements: (I only mention significant ones)
Wrote an award-winning children's book
Earned 2 Scholastic National Gold Writing Awards (Novel & Memoir)
Published in Scholastic's annual anthology, Best Teen Writers of 2010
Won a prestigious national writing competition (Creative Nonfiction)
Winner of the CT Young Writers Competition
2nd place in Siemens National Sustainability Challenge
Finalist in an international environmental project competition
Developed a composting program utilized by all of my district's schools and parks
Winner of the 2010 Green Cup Challenge
Winner of an environmental science paper competition - Presented at the U.N's Annual Commission on Sustainable Development</p>

<p>Summers:
Freshman: Unpaid intern at a local television and film production company
Sophomore: Unpaid intern with my city's waste and recycling department
Junior: Unpaid intern at the Museum of Natural History (I worked on a biological diversity project) and attended the Iowa Young Writers' Studio </p>

<p>*Would you recommend that I apply ED to show my interest or RD so that adcoms can see my 1st semester grades? (I'm going to continue to earn straight-A's.)</p>

2

<p>yeah it’s worth it! your gpa isn’t that bad at all. plus, you have great ECs. there’s no harm in trying! if you want it, go for it. :]</p>

3

<p>Brainsparkle, not only do I think you should apply, but I predict that you will get in. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>If you are really certain about D, apply ED. If you are deferred, you can send another semester of As which will strengthen your application in the RD round.</p>

<p>Btw, re your GPA, if your school grades and calculates GPA on a 100 pt scale, it would be easier to understand your relative position if you cited your GPA on the same scale, rather than attempting to convert it to the 4 pt scale. In any case, if your school ranks and you are in the top 8%, you are in good shape. Your stellar ECs and awards should more than make up for a good although not fabulous class rank. You test scores eliminate any doubt about your having the talent or preparation to do the work. Your upward trend shows that you know how to put your nose to the grindstone.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

4

<p>If D is your clear #1, definitely go ED. Good luck.</p>

5

<p>Go for it! Make sure you demonstration your passion for writing and the environment in your common app essay. With your obvious writing talent, that essay could really help you get in.</p>

6

<p>GPA is great , all As all the time.</p>

<p>But only EC is tennis and not very good and summer camps. School soccer and Basketball teams; Volunteer as Kindergarten aide; </p>

<p>AP engl. lit =5
AP US History =4</p>

<p>4 more APs this year
ACT=30
Sat=690 (CR), 680 (math), 790 (writing)
SAT II = Lit 780; Bio E 650; Math 550</p>

7

<p>Doesn’t look promising.</p>

8

<p>When comparing your profile stats to those in the Dartmouth Fact Book, it looks like you’re in a position for the adcoms to definitely consider you. </p>

<p>However, don’t fall in love with Dartmouth, or any other top school with low acceptance rates. There are too many variables that are out of your control. </p>

<p>If you’re interested, the Fact Book is at:
[Fact</a> Book](<a href=“http://www.dartmouth.edu/~oir/data-reporting/factbook/index.html]Fact”>Interactive Fact Book)</p>

9

<p>Your chances are zero if you don’t even apply. Go for it.</p>

10

<p>Apply early! I’d be very surprised if you didn’t get in.</p>

11

<p>I’m curious why you think hopefloats can get in it seems like a pretty mediocre picture and what about that SAT 2 math score</p>

12

<p>I’m fairly sure that buffalowizard was addressing the OP, not hopefloats.</p>

13

<p>Thanks, Consolation. I was indeed addressing the OP (if there was any confusion). I considered hopefloats’ post to be irrelevant to the thread and thus ignored it.</p>