Is it possible to get into any of the following schools with a 3.0 UW (and a 4.0 W) GPA?
[ul][]Georgia Tech
[]Carnegie Mellon
[]University of Washington
[]NYU
[]University of Miami
[]University of Pennsylvania
[]University of Florida
[]University of Virginia
[/ul]
I am aware that it’s quite difficult, if not impossible, to get into some of those schools with such a low GPA. However, if it helps, I have 32 composite ACT (35 Math [ only got 1 question wrong; had to guess on that one because I ran out of time ): ], 33 Writing, 31 Reading, 29 Science), have some pretty good ECs (especially for the major/field I want to get into), decent essays (with a lot to write about), teacher recs, and I’m expecting an 800 on Math I Subject Test and at least a 750 on Math II Subject Test. I took the SAT, but it’s not as good as my ACT score, and I want to retake my ACT to get at least a 34. If it helps (although I’m sure it doesn’t matter), I’m a female minority that wants to enter a largely male-dominated profession.
I’m working on raising and improving my grades (I have a rigorous course schedule; have taken 13 APs since freshman year), too.
I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but please let me know if I have a shot at any of the schools above with my stats. Be as brutally honest as you’d like, I don’t mind. I understand if I won’t have any chance at getting into any of those schools, as I know that my GPA is awful.
Schools where a 3.0 is average; these will be safeties given your ACT. Schools like Radford and Seton Hall.
Schools where a 3.4-3.5 is average; these will be matches to slight reaches given your ACT. There are many good colleges in this bracket. They include Bama, Arizona State and many others.
You might have a shot at University of Washington, and if you get extremely lucky UF and University of Miami. The others I don’t really see a possibility for.
@NavalTradition Thank you for the advice! I shall look into it.
@isaf33 Yeah, fortunately I have legacy for University of Miami (one of my parents attended and graduated from there), but I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t do much. Thank you.
This is a question in general, but do any of those universities re-calculate the GPA using their own methods? If so, my GPA will certainly be higher than above, but I’m not counting on it.
I’m in a similar boat. Most of the guidance I’ve gotten from guidance counselors, admissions officers, etc. has been that it’s kind of a crapshoot, and depends on your course rigor. Some will see you as a kid who struggles with the high school environment but who has a massive intellect, and some will see you as perhaps not living up to your potential and not working hard enough. A GPA is hard to fix, so I would temper your expectations and shoot for some lower schools and only apply to the schools that really interest you if their GPA mark is well above yours. (Although I’ll be honest, UPenn is probably out of the question.)
Yeah, UPenn is a no. But as for NYU, which school in NYU are you going for? Gallatin? Tisch? Stern? Because their admit rates are all different. Gallatin has an almost 50% acceptance rate, whereas Stern has ~10%. Considering that you seem to be good at math, you would probably apply to CAS or Stern. Stern is out of the question but you might have a shot at CAS so no harm in applying! Definitely apply to UW, because your GPA is not that bad. Georgia Tech is iffy, University of Virginia is a large reach, but no harm in trying if you have the money to throw. I don’t know much about the rest. What @JerzJim said is exactly right, they most likely will think you’re an extremely intelligent person who hasn’t quite lived up to their potential. Best of luck!!!
@isaf33 Awesome. I think GaTech has it too, but I’m not sure about the other schools. Thank you, though.
@JerzJim I know that feel. I’ve taken as many STEM-oriented classes as I could. Sadly, mathematics seems to be my only strong point (and course I enjoy taking; there’s a correlation between my interest in a class and the grade I get in it, which I’m in the midst of getting rid of). Social studies (except AP Human Geo, AP World, and AP Psych) and English seem to be my downfall.
Despite my grades, I spend a lot of time on computer science (and mathematics), and I place in my programming and mathematics competitions; I’ve been dedicated to the two since freshman year, so I hope they notice my devotion to the subject. Hopefully that will make my GPA look a little less bad, along with other ECs and factors of course. But I understand what you mean. And yeah, I know UPenn is out of my league; I’m thinking University of Michigan will be a better shot.
@Lynkos I would try and develop a relationship with an admissions counselor, you’re well-spoken and I think if you can share your passion for mathematics and computer science it will totally erase any concerns about any shortcomings in the humanities. It seems like you’re someone that will thrive in college, and if nothing else, you could probably transfer in to a higher-level school after a semester or two at a safety.
@iywang I want to get into NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering, although I’m not sure of its acceptance rate. NYU’s Polytechnic Institute has a 75% acceptance rate, but I’m not sure if I want to trust that! Either way, thank you for your assistance. Good luck to you too! (Assuming you are also student. If not, my apologies!)
@JerzJim Thank you, I truly do appreciate your advice and kind words, but there’s a certain problem I face: my school’s lack of unenthusiastic counselors. Don’t get me wrong, I despise when my fellow peers blame their teachers for something that was totally in their control (e.g. “Wow I hate Mr/Ms X because I got an F on this test; It is all their doing!”), but I have to admit, when I look at others schools and their counselors, my school’s counselors pale in comparison. I say this because they treat their job like (1) a chore and, (2) a joke. For example, when I went to my counselor to politely ask her write me a letter of recommendation, I was met with, “Ugh, do I really have to do this? I have so much work!” Thankfully she wrote me one but I won’t be surprised if it is mediocre at best. I understand that she has a lot of work on her hands and I try to empathize, but to me it just doesn’t seem like an appropriate thing to say [to a student]. Every time I visit her she’s always borderline unwilling. I’m nice and polite with her and I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m a great student, but her lack of passion makes her anything but a prime candidate for bonding.
I’m sorry if that came off as rough, but I’m just being honest about my counselor. I respect her, but sometimes I wonder why she’s a high school counselor.
Anyway, thank you once again. Your advice is definitely not unappreciated. I shall try to convey my love for computer science and mathematics through my essay.
@Lynkos Noo, not your high school guidance counselor! I mean an admissions officer at the schools you’re looking to apply to. If the guy or girl reading the application knows there’s much more to your mathematics studies than merely taking hard courses because they look good for college, it’ll make your application read much more “Math genius with a humanities problem” rather than “Lazy student with a math flair”.
@JerzJim Oh my, I totally misread that! I am so sorry. Thank you for this piece of advice, but I have a silly question: how do/can I come into contact with an admissions counselor? Sorry for the bombardment of questions, but your advice is very helpful, and I appreciate it. Thank you!
@Lynkos If you poke around the admissions website you should be able to find the e-mail for the admissions counselor assigned to your region. If not, it may be helpful to call the admissions office and ask them to put you on with a counselor (the person answering the phone will be a student volunteer with little or no ability to answer your question!)
@JerzJim Yep, I sent an email to one of the schools’ counselors, so hopefully they respond soon (but I understand and won’t be surprised if they don’t). Thank you so much for the tip! I wrote quite a well-written message to the counselor, so hopefully she at least reads it. (: