<p>I'm a current junior at a prep school in SE PA. I didn't take school seriously until this year. I will address that in my college essay. Will they notice my upward trend, and will is sway them into a decision?
Applying: Undecided</p>
<p>Freshman: 2.65
Sophomore: 2.66
Junior (So Far) 3.71</p>
<p>My Cumulative GPA going into my senior year will be around 2.95-3.05 (Will continue getting good grades senior year)</p>
<p>Have not taken the SAT or ACT yet, my guidance counselor thinks i'll do better on the ACT though. Because of my science and math grades.</p>
<p>PSAT: 187</p>
<p>Awards: 9th Grade Academic Achievement award in Programming, 10th grade JV hockey all star, JV hockey coaches award</p>
<p>Leadership: Head of Programming robotics team</p>
<p>ECs: FIRST Robotics, academic competition, March for Life club, varsity ice hockey, Theatre Society, stock market club, intramural soccer and volleyball, Club ice hockey, eBay powerseller, jv lacrosse, and 250+ hours of community service.</p>
<p>Schools im considering:
Drexel (Safety)
Temple (Safety)
Pitt (Match)
PSU (Summer Session) (Reach)
Fairfield (Match)
Hofstra (Safety)
Purdue (Match)
Syracuse (possibly ED) (Low Reach)
RIT (Safety)
Boston University (Reach)
Northeastern (High Reach)
uconn (High Match/ Low Reach)
umass (Match)
University of Maryland (Reach)</p>
<p>am i being realistic with my reaches, or am I thinking too highly of myself.</p>
<p>Wow, you are in the exact same boat as me. Very similar test scores, though my freshman and soph GPA was a little higher. Being in the same situation as you I would have a very hard time considering anything a safety. I just am skeptical because I am below the average stats and I think it will come down to who looks at you in the admissions committee. I hope to see you at purdue Fall 2013. That is my top choice (engineering - top 10 program) that I have a decent shot at getting into (it is harder to get into for eng).</p>
<p>For a safety, someone recommended the University of Alabame - Birmingham. We are both above the scholarship threshold.</p>
<p>I mean, I wake up every morning ****ed off at myself because I know I could’ve done better in 9th and 10th grades. However, if I dont get into any of my schools I want to go to, i may decide to do what my cousin did. He didnt get into Penn, so he went to a small tier 3 school, Widener University. He transferred after 1 year and is now going to graduate next year with a degree in mechanical engineering.</p>
<p>I feel the same exact way. If I had just put the petal to the metal from the start I would be so much happier now. Now I can only hope for the best. I will do the same, though I expect I will get into drexel because I am on target with my stats and my school has a partnership with them making it much easier to get in. If I don’t get in there I may just go to NJIT which I pretty much am in.</p>
<p>yup, no one in the past 5 years at my school according to naviance has been denied</p>
<p>same here. There are people with >1200 SAT (3 sections) and less than 78 (2.3) GPA.</p>
<p>I’ll have to be blunt about one of your reaches in Penn State - GPA is 2/3 of their decision, and hardly anyone gets in with one below a 3.5</p>
<p><a href=“http://admissions.psu.edu/info/counselors/bubble_chart.pdf[/url]”>http://admissions.psu.edu/info/counselors/bubble_chart.pdf</a></p>
<p>I do understand that gpa is 2/3 of the decision, however a friend of mine had a 3.19 GPA and a 28 on his ACT and was admitted for summer session.</p>
<p>hey i live in SE PA too, and I know a lot of the prep schools in the area have really good reputations. i don’t know which you going to, but my brother goes to one in the city and they’re considered a blue ribbon school by psu. which means their gpas are weighed differently. have you considered loyola maryland? a lot of kids in the area go there and it would probably be a target school for you.</p>
<p>loyola is a great school, and ive heard some great things about it, however it does not have the major I want to transfer into.</p>
<p>oh gotcha, I think there might be a few schools on your list that might be a bit harder than you’re thinking but if you go to a prep school that should help explain why your GPA is lacking.</p>
<p>Out of curiousity, what major are you looking for?</p>
<p>mechanical, computer, aerospace, or software engineering. If they dont work out then computer science</p>
<p>Uconn’s average GPA is growing stronger. I would put as a higher reach. Your "extras cc’ are great will help you get in to many of the above. Colleges really do look at senior grades! My own son skyrocketed with his GPA and was accepted to many and only rejected to one of the nine colleges he applied to.</p>
<p>college mom, where did your son apply to?</p>
<p>The GPAs from really good prep schools are definitely weighted differently. The top students our of my daughter’s school have around a 3.5 or 3.6 average. Colleges know that. You have to look at your own school’s scattergrams to see where lower kids go.</p>
<p>This thread is a year old and laxdude has selected his college.</p>