<p>For the top colleges, HYPS, is there a point where incredible EC's (raising money to build a rural school or starting a company) outweigh a poor GPA, assuming a really incredible SAT score and Subject Tests scores?</p>
<p>No. No colleges – particularly top colleges – want to admit students who lack the motivation to be able to succeed. Academics are the most important part of being in college, so colleges want students who will succeed academically.</p>
<p>I really doubt it. The thing is, a lot of people who apply to those schools not only have incredible ECs that are like Mother Theresa and Gandhi combined, they also have stellar GPAs and SAT scores too. Those Harvard, Yale, Princeton-type colleges are so coveted / popular that they’re a reach for even the “perfect” student. For someone that has a lower GPA than average, it’s even more of a challenge since they’re competing against students who have all three categories nailed.</p>
<p>also upward trends in GPA, and by really good SAT i mean 2390 plus 800’s on 3 subject tests. good community college courses with all A’s in these. also got a 36 on the ACT.</p>
<p>ec’s really incredible i’m referring to National Champion in competitions, multitude of research experience, NMS Semifinalist, AP scholar, and incomparable community service involvement. </p>
<p>also set up a business that is bringing in steady income to fund community service projects. many leadership positions and high involvement in multiple clubs as well.</p>
<p>Define a “low” GPA.</p>
<p>A 4.0 isn’t necessary, as plenty of students do get in with slightly-less-than-perfect GPAs. But you do need above 3.5 to have a shot, really.</p>
<p>Hold on, I forgot this is CollegeConfidential.</p>
<p>How do you define “poor GPA”. If you’re talking about a 3.9 unweighted that has an “upward trend” towards 4.2 I’m going to be really annoyed! </p>
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<p>All of those things are awesome and prove, at least to any normal person, that you are and will continue to succeed no matter what college you attend. However, a lot of people applying to those Ivy League colleges are also superheroes and have good GPAs.</p>
<p>really good question kameronsmith, i totally forgot to post that. im talking about near a 3.5 GPA unweighted but a much higher weighted.</p>
<p>sry jahaba, i answered that in my last post. thanks for the clarification.</p>
<p>Especially with an upward trend, then there’s certainly a chance.</p>
<p>For example, I personally know a student who was accepted to Harvard with a 3.4 unweighted GPA.</p>
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<p>Well, that’s irritating (for me; it’s amazing for you!). How is that a “poor GPA”? I was sitting here thinking that you spent all your time building your community that your GPA is like .01 or something. In that light, I’d be stunned if you weren’t a competitive applicant to any of the Ivy Leagues. </p>
<p>If you’d like to discuss with further with your fellow demigods, you can pop over to CollegeConfidential’s [Ivy</a> League forum](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ivy-league/]Ivy”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ivy-league/).</p>
<p>Conventional wisdom is that you need a stellar class rank and GPA but I wouldn’t be surprised if a great school took a flier on you if convinced you have a demonstrated real leadership. Let’s face it, it has to be boring reading virtually the same application over and over…in addition I have done a zillion hours of community service, blah blah blah.</p>
<p>jahaba, im just calculating for this last semester left. so if it was in reality 3.3 unweighted does that change things very much?</p>
<p>bu-bu-bu—bumpppp</p>
<p>10char</p>
<p>Absolutely, there are students that have started multimillion dollar companies etc. I don’t think they’d accept a 2.0 student with that EC but I’d say it could outweigh say a 3.0 at some schools</p>
<p>No. They have rejected Olympic gold medal winners.</p>
<p>That said, we don’t know what 3.5 means at your school. You could be val or not making top quartile. If you’re not at the top of your class, and don’t have a classic hook, you would need something truly earth shattering.</p>
<p>Maybe if you start a company and give $1 million to a place like HPYS, you’d get in with a mediocre average from a mediocre school. But, for more info, see how your ECs/stats compare with those of students who were admitted last year. Go to the Ivy forums.</p>
<p>I really, really don’t think you should go to the Ivy forums. You will see kids who have their own U.N. agency and have a summer job teaching advanced engineering courses at MIT who are nervous about their chances of getting in.</p>
<p>What would be interesting would be to look at the stats and ECs of the students who did get into Ivies. That would help answer the OP’s questions about when ECs outweigh a poor GPA.</p>
<p>True dat, Jahaba.</p>
<p>Ever since I’ve come to this site, I continue to feel unaccomplished.</p>
<p>^^ Haha this is the first time on CC that I feel accomplished! (I’m raising money to build a school in Sri Lanka btw…)… Didn’t think it was considered an “amazing EC”, whatever, it doesnt really matter… as long as the school gets built I’m happy =)</p>