Junior year grades just came out and unfortunately all my grades were borderline. I ended up with 5 B’s and one A (I’m taking five AP classes)! This is completely disappointing because I have always been an A average student! My extracurriculars, standardized test scores, and basically every other aspect colleges look at are up to par, but I am now worried that my GPA (especially from this semester) will hinder me from achieving a bright future. My dream school is Columbia, and up until now I have been considering applying for early decision because I really love the university! Do you think that if I get all A’s next semester and take some extra academic classes at a community college during the summer, I will still have a good shane of being admitted to Columbia, or any other schools that are highly ranked? Any input is appreciate!
Some colleges regard your junior year as your most important year; a low 3 GPA is going to hurt you. What is your cumalative GPA (over 9th, 10th, and junior year)?
I currently have a 3.8 for unweighted.
However, I thought they would mainly look at where the B was received…does the number really matter?
Your GPA is not going to hinder you from a “bright future”.
However, the number does matter because it contributes to the overall trend in your grades (adcoms want to see it go up), especially if it’s a core course rather than an elective. It should be less of an issue if your weighted GPA is still high, though.
is 3.8 too low for Columbia for unweighted?
@babymomo Generally, 3.8 is the absolute lowest GPA an unhooked, non-URM, non-athlete student (with no health problems or other debilitating issues that may have affected grades) can receive and still have a chance of getting into the most selective schools. Obviously, the vast majority of unhooked, non-URM, non-athlete students who are accepted will have a GPA that is higher than 3.8.