<p>Got a question.</p>
<p>Let's say X college had a good chance of letting you in with a 3.0 GPA and 1600 SAT.</p>
<p>Well, I just found out my GPA was lower, it's a 2.5. If I really put hard work into mastering the SAT, and say I pulled off anywhere between a 1900-2230, along with a very good essay, would I have the same chance of getting into X college?</p>
<p>A great SAT and a sub-par GPA is usually not a very good combination, as it looks like the student has the potential but simply doesn't work for it [whether or not that's true].</p>
<p>But really, it depends on the college.</p>
<p>I took some tougher classes like Physics and Pre-calc, both honors level, along with a couple more honors courses, if that helps.</p>
<p>Well I guess if you took harder classes, then it would make sense. Just have your counselor explain that situation in their reccomendation so that it doesn't seem like you just slacked off.</p>
<p>Are you a graduating senior?</p>
<p>Graduated Senior, applying for Fall '09</p>
<p>It is a little bit hard to say without knowing exactly what x college is. Some might go for it, others not depending on the nature of the courses and other stuff. Low GPA needs explanation since it signals other stuff.</p>
<p>Purdue University and Indiana University: Bloomington</p>
<p>so I heard from everyone else that this is bad. Still I don't get it. Why does a low GPA necessarily mean slacking off? I mean peopl aren't just born knowing everything... You still need to take time to learn. If a person gets into all the international olympiads, 2400SAT, 36ACT, writing awards and a 1.0GPA, does that mean they slacked off? They must've worked their butt off to achieve those honors. It's just that they probably found something that's more efficent, and maybe using their method of learning for an hour would be like 5 hours of homework. Or maybe homework is just too easy and a waste of time. Why do we have to follow a stupid system of learning just to obtain some numbers that doesn't even say how much you know? I don't get it. Someone please explain to me.</p>
<p>I think a high SAT/low GPA is a signal that SOMETHING is going on. The first thought is "slacker." Does your application show that you aren't a slacker? In my son's case, he has Asperger's and has some real executive function issues. If you forget to turn in your homework and get a couple of zeros every semester, that's going to put your GPA into a tailspin. He knows the material but doesn't get top grades. The thing is, does knowing the explanation (Asperger's ) make a college want him any more than if they just thought he was a slacker? I guess we'll find out in a few months.</p>
<p>I just emailed my school, they told me I had a 2.9 GPA, and I found out my rank.
96/254
Top 37%.</p>
<p>I'm a bit confused, my report card says something different. (2.5GPA)</p>
<p>Anyways...is this a good rank, does it work in my favor?</p>
<p>I've copied the following from the University of North Texas web site, a school that is not considered "selective". It illustrates that the lower your class rank is, the higher your test scores need to be. This certainly won't be the case everwhere, but it is an example:</p>
<p>AUTOMATIC ADMISSION3</p>
<p>Applicants who graduated in the top 10% of their high school class shall be admitted automatically to the University.*</p>
<p>REGULAR ADMISSION3</p>
<p>Applicants shall be guaranteed admission if they</p>
<p>Rank in the next 15%* and have a minimum 950 SAT I (combined Critical Reading/Verbal + Math) or 20 ACT or
Rank in the 2nd quarter and have a minimum 1050 SAT I (combined Critical Reading/Verbal + Math) or 23 ACT.
Rank in the 3rd quarter and have a minimum 1180 SAT I (combined Critical Reading/Verbal + Math) or 26 ACT.</p>
<p>My sons experience was this, he ended up with a 3.3 and a 2230 SAT score. He ended up in an ivy league school. Though he didn't spend his essays on excuses, he did talk about his own maturity and how admittedly, he was late bloomer. He writes beautifully and I am personally convinced that his essays may have son over some reluctant admissions officers. In addition, he didn't have a lot of ec's but the ones he did were obviously done with much passion. He is now thriving in his second year of school and quite content with how he is doing. He graduated probably in the top 50% of his class but contrary to popular belief, not everyone that goes to these schools is a valedictorian.
Now I am dealing with my daughter who has high aspirations, a very high GPA, super involved but cannot bring up her test scores to what she wants so we have opposite situation, this is causing a lot of drama around here as she knows without a certain magical score, she is likely to get tons of thin letters and she has raised the bar quite high.
I think more schools are taking the holistic approach to admissions......get the new US News and world report, it profiles about 10 kids from one school, all with different SAT's and GPA's and how many of them defied the odds, and got in or got in off of a wait list when they never expected to. Read it cautiously but nevertheless I think it makes us all a little hopeful. Best of luck.</p>
<p>anybody have similar stats and selective admit story to share. specifically want to know if 4.0 Jr year performance can offset past sins and/or influence adcom</p>
<p>My d has 3.8 GPA, almost 2200 SAT, pretty good rigor of classes but not pinnacle and scant ECs (a couple of clubs, 1 top leadership position in senior yr that is apparently much coveted by other students, but that's all)..</p>
<p>Those 2 Cs (math did her in due to early slacking off, and the spin-off from struggling to pull off a C caused exhaustion leading to a C in her science class) stand out like a beacon in a sea of A's and B's--and so late in the school career, too.</p>
<p>Time will tell. I'm just hopiing it's true that a great essay will improve the odds. Now... she just has to produce that great essay!</p>
<p>pmm and others: My son had less than stellar grades frosh and soph years, but got nearly straight A's his junior year. He also took three college classes and got A's as well (he took one class each after soph and junior year of HS and one CC class during junior year) to demonstrate his interest in learning and ability to perform well at the college level. (He didn't do too well with turning in homework, which tended to lower his HS grades). With all of that, plus high SAT's over 2200, 5's and 4's on AP exams, he got into every school he applied to, including three top 30 universities. So, getting straight A's your junior year may not get you into top 10 schools, but it can get you into some very good universities. Keep working hard and never under estimate the power of a strong upward trend. Good luck.</p>
<p>Your gpa is a measure of the entire 4 years of your high school. </p>
<p>You will be spending ANOTHER 4 years at this X school, so colleges want students who can study and work hard. If you got mostly C's in some classes, it might mean either you aren't academically capable (and only excel in reading/writing on standardized tests) or that you really slacked off and don't care much..</p>
<p>Colleges want people with ambitions and motivation. It makes common sense.</p>
<p>My son has a 3.3 UW GPA and 3.7W. He is in all top classes that his very rigorous independent school offers. He has always worked pretty hard but the last 1.5 years he has matured and rewlly cranked it up and getting A and A- grades. He has a 33 ACT, SAT11,s 770 US history, 760 chemistry, SAT W720, R 680, M 670. He will take SAt again this spring. He does 3 Varsity Sports and great EC's with a great Science internship in summer and lifeguard summer jobs. Do colleges consider late maturity cases and what about these schools:
Lehigh
Villanova
Northeastern
Holy Cross
UPenn
Vanderbilt early decision ( I know but he loved it) We are coming from MA)
John Hopkons
BU
NYU
Wake Forest</p>
<p>^ I would say he's in at least half of those schools.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you got mostly C's in some classes, it might mean either you aren't academically capable (and only excel in reading/writing on standardized tests) or that you really slacked off and don't care much..</p>
<p>Colleges want people with ambitions and motivation. It makes common sense.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>if you excel in tests, that means you know the stuff...</p>
<p>and is there really no possibility that because there is only several corriculums made in schools, and millions of students that maybe they might not fit this particular students' needs? maybe they can learn better with other ways and thus didn't do the work in school and got a low mark but still worked really hard to achieve more than he/she can if he/she only did school work and got a high mark?</p>