<p>I have a really average unweighted gpa of 3.4 and surprsingly i'm in the top 35% of the class. I've only taken about 4 advanced classes and didn't do too spectacular in them. My extracurriculars are ok i had a job, cross country, 150-200 hours, and a couple others. My SAT scores are poor(1600) and my ACT score is decent(28). </p>
<p>I'm really nervous i am not going to get in. I'm in-state and my school is so freaking competitive, so i feel like the underacheiver. Everyone at my school were like, "yeah, you definitely aren't getting in." Now, the only thing i can count on is bringing that ACT score up to 30 next saturday and submit the essays i've spent my entire summer on.</p>
<p>Is my chance at UW really over? I feel like i've wasted my time and energy trying to do my best to get in. :(</p>
<p>Don’t get down on yourself, you definitely still have a very real chance of getting in. You may not be a shoe-in like the people who make topics with 2300 SAT and 4.0 GPA, but you are still competitive. Your gpa is a little low, but since you are in-state, there is a good chance that UW knows how difficult your school is so that will help out. Also, UW does not look at the writing portion of the SAT at all, so if that was a low section for you that could help. Both SAT and ACT scores are right in the middle 50 % of admitted students, with your ACT being closer to the top of that group than your SAT. </p>
<p>Basically what I’m saying is that your grades and test scores are not going to disqualify you from getting into UW, they’re just not going to be in your favor either. If you really work hard on your essays, you can still get in :)</p>
<p>Don’t listen to what other people say. If they keep telling you you wont get in, just shrug and change the topic. I know people who have lower test scores and GPA than you who got into UW. People were astounded and asked, “how?” It was because they worked really hard on their essays and made it dynamic and portrayed who they were as a person so the admissions office would know about the applicant than just through GPA/test scores. </p>
<p>Also, answer the EC prompts … if I remember from last year, it was something like - describe this activity/award/honor and how has it shaped you, what did you do to contribute to a club - something like that. Don’t just list ‘Basketball Team - JV’ and then write ‘I played for my school’s bball team.’ Write about leadership positions and how you contributed to the team. UW will look into that because they want to know what you can do to better the Husky community.</p>
<p>Yeah, I am applying this fall and I too feel like I’m the underdog going into admissions. I have a 3.27 UW and a 1720 SAT. Although I’m retaking the SAT and am probably going to get around a 1900, my grades still make people say “good luck getting in”.</p>
<p>Just do what I’m going to do and make your essays really good. I’m making sure the essays are going to be top notch. Prove everyone wrong.</p>
<p>Most school counselors advise students to apply to several schools, including a couple private and a couple public ones. Pick at least one you are sure you can get into and one that is “a reach.” </p>
<p>Since UW uses several “soft” criteria, a student could get a 2.0 GPA and a 1600 SAT and get in with good essays and a top notch extra-curricular record, while a student with a 4.0 UW GPA and a perfect SAT could get rejected because of bad essays. Some schools, like Oregon, use a couple fixed admissions benchmarks, and anyone with scores above those are automatically admitted.</p>
<p>Instead of worrying, figure out where you really want to go. Get a book on colleges, think about your interests, and find colleges that meet your needs. Depending on your interests, sense of adventure, like or dislike of certain climates, there are probably dozens of colleges that you should think about. </p>
<p>And some great schools are cheaper than UW, offer aid, even out of state!</p>