Just how crippling can a bad GPA be?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Georgetown University
1

<p>I'm in (I think) a pretty unusual situation as far as GU applicants go: my test scores are great, my extracurriculars are excellent, and my reccomendations will be fantastic--but my GPA, compared to other GU applicants, is way below average.</p>

<p>Test scores:
- 220 on PSAT, national merit semifinalist
- 2160 on SAT (750 V + 760 M = 1510 on old scale)
- 730 on English SAT-II, will take 2 more later this year
- will take ACT in October
- 5 on Am. Gov. AP, 4 on English AP--I'm taking Am. History and Calc AB this year</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
- This takes a bit of explanation: in my junior year, the school paper was awful and was only published twice, so I started an alternative paper that essentially replaced it. I was editor-in-chief all year, and this year I became editor of the official paper, and combined the two. Now, I'm editor-in-chief the paper I founded which is weekly, the old school paper which is monthly, and a brand-new literary magazine which is bi-annual. I basically transformed our newspaper from an afterthought into something everyone looks forward to.
- Vice president of Young Democrats, 11th-12th
- Literary prize, 10th
- Honorable mention, St. Louis Poetry Center high school contest, 10th
- 2nd place, American Mathematics Competition, 10th
- National Latin Exam Gold Summa Cum Laude, 10th
- Letters to the editor published in St. Louis Post-Dispatch and on CNN
- one year of varsity football
- 40 hours junior year community service
- two summers working full-time in a restaurant kitchen</p>

<p>My recommendations will be from an English teacher who has taught me several times, advised me on my senior project (thesis), and is essentially my mentor; and my college counselor who is also my adviser on the newspapers.</p>

<p>And now, for the GPA:
3.0</p>

<p>So I'm wondering: in an application that is otherwise exactly what Georgetown is looking for, can a bad GPA completely ruin my chances? I know GU frequently emphasizes academic performance first, so I'm worried.</p>

2

<p>yes, a bad GPA can completely ruin your chances. </p>

<p>your SATs are above average for gtown, but they are just at the 75%ile i.e. they won't put you over the top. your gpa is well below average and your ECs arn't anything special. on 5% of the admitted students last year were not in the top 10% of their class. unless you go catholic/jesuit high school and have a priest who has connections i think you have 0 chance of getting in. sorry bud.</p>

3

<p>I'm in a similar boat as yours. I have similar SAT's and AP scores, but even better EC's. I have a 3.7 and that puts me below borderline. It cripples my chances so highly that I decided to apply ED to another school that I am borderline in. </p>

<p>I am transfering to Georgetown after 1 or 2 years</p>

4

<p>...it makes it seem as if you are smart but have not applied yourself.
not good</p>

5

<p>I don't think it comes across that way at all. Is there a reason your gpa is low? Have you possibly been overextending yourself with the ec's? Georgetown wants committed, compassionate students who want to contribute to the world. I would talk to your local adcom about it.</p>

6

<p>yeah, uhh.... i am in the exact same boat as you... except my GPA is a 3.6 UW / 4.17 W (well below the average of 3.8/3.9 UW at most top 15 schools)</p>

<p>don't hold your breath for an acceptance, unless you're an athlete or a prodigy (which, judging by your good but not amazing EC's, you arent)</p>

<p>i'd look into UChicago if I were you, they're known to be a little more forgiving on the GPA side (but still, not much of a chance their either, IMHO)</p>

7

<p>i hate to be a downer, but i'd not look at top 25 schools. Unless theres some ridiculous cirumstances you just can't get in with a B average. a 3.0 just isn't top 25 material - as someone above said, it screams underachiever.</p>

8

<p>I have the same GPA as you, but I think I have a much better situation. First of all, I have a 1550 (2350), better SAT IIs, spent a summer at Gtown, have done lots of community service, have recs from 2 gtown profs and am a legacy.</p>

9

<p>his school might have some weird grading scale</p>

10

<p>koolcrud: a monkey with a high SAT and fine lineage is still a monkey. who cares if you did alot of community service and have daddy's connections? unless you have superb achievements in your activities, it really doesn't matter at the point where you have a 3.0 (sure, legacy might help bump you ahead a little, but not as much as you'd hope).</p>

11

<p>I wouldn't be suprised if koolcrud got in unless its SFS.</p>

12

<p>i mean, it's possible... but the chances aren't great</p>

13

<p>It's not SFS, it's MSB. I don't know many monkeys with high SATs though. And I don't get your assumption about "daddy's connections", I got those recommendations from professors I took classes with over the summer. They're not family friends.</p>

14

<p>Yea, to be honest I would not be surprised. 2350 is a REALLY good SAT even for Gtown. 3.0 is gonna hurt A LOT though. Koolcrud did you take a rigorous schedule, how many APs?</p>

15

<p>edited my own message.</p>

16

<p>Yes, it's rigorous, probaby top 5% at my school. We're a public school with an AP limit, but I curcumvented it a bit and will graduate with 5 APs and 2 SUPAs. Almost everything else is Honors.</p>

17

<p>so basically there's no point in even applying if you have a low gpa?</p>

<p>I go to a really prestigious jesuit prep school in Connecticut with about 900 kids</p>

<p>I had a B average freshman year, then my gpa dropped to a low C sophomore year, and then Junior year I had a B+ average, and Senior year I have straight A's, so my gpas like 3.15 right now</p>

<p>My SAT scores are 1400/1600 and on the sat II's I recieved 800,750,800</p>

<p>I've taken several classes in political theory and philosophy at Yale over the summer, and passed.</p>

<p>I just recently wrapped up work on Joe Liebermans Campaign which i worked for about a month on until school started, and after freshman and sophomore year spent the summer at several political science camps at yale. </p>

<p>I wrote a novel when I was in 6th grade, but was too young to publish it, recieved the presidential award for learning, I recieved an award from the attourney general of connecticut for an article I wrote entitled "Big Brother is watching."</p>

<p>I'm also a legacy, if that helps at all</p>

<p>I'm also the only one recieving 90's on essays in quite possibly the hardest english class the school has to offer, my english teacher thinks i belong at georgetown and is willing to write me an incredible reccomendation.</p>

18

<p>Well, you got great ECs and some other special stuff. Being a legacy and from a Jesuit school will help. You should apply. I would be surprised if you got in though. Why? Really low GPA. Low SAT I for Georgetown, yes 1400 is low for Georgetown. The SAT IIs will help. How many AP/IB classes did you take? I mean its gonna be REALLY hard to explain the B/B+ average. What's your rank? Are you ranked in the top 10 or 20%? If you're out of the top 20% its gonna be hard. Take into account that Gtown only accepts 54% of its #1 ranked students, and the trend goes down from there. You should still apply though because you have some amazing ECs.</p>

19

<p>thanks for the encouragement!</p>

<p>My School doesnt rank</p>

<p>and I'm planning to take the SAT's again in October, and possibly the SAT II's in November</p>

<p>What if I were to bring my sat's up to 1500+ and 800's on all my SAT II's?</p>

20

<p>1400 isnt low for G-town...</p>