<p>How much does a low gpa (3.7ish UW 4.4 W) hurt in ED? Am I still competitive enough if I'm in the top 5%? I took the hardest courseload in my class and my senior year grades look great.</p>
<p>Yes you are absolutely still competitive. Penn looks at you holistically. It’s more important to have an interesting background or passion than it is to have a perfect GPA. </p>
<p>So for example, would Penn consider choosing an applicant ranked 18 but with international awards, over a valedictorian of the same school with no outstanding ECs? Is it even a possibility?</p>
<p>omg 18 is an outstanding rank just relax if they reject you I bet your grades will have nothing to do with it</p>
<p>@pianogeek “would Penn consider choosing an applicant ranked 18 but with international awards, over a valedictorian of the same school with no outstanding ECs? Is it even a possibility?”</p>
<p>The average Penn gpa is about 3.9 UW in the common data set, so it will be a detractor. However, your class rank is solid and if you have international awards, I think you have a better shot than the valedictorian who only studies. </p>
<p>JMHO</p>