Low GPA, upward trend? Good ACT. Huge course loads. Great ECs.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>So my junior year is coming to a close and I've started looking at colleges. I'm not as knowledgeable on the application process as I should be however I do have a problem. I'm trying to get into above average colleges but my GPA is lackluster. I did however score a 34 on my ACT. </p>

<p>The GPAs below are based on my school's weighting system, which doesn't give any weight to college classes. Also, at my school the normal course load is 6, two-semester classes.</p>

<p>Essentially freshman year I had a 2.73 uw, 2.73 w.
Classes on transcript:
Honors Civics
Honors English
Honors Science (Our school had this weird 9th grade science class which was essentially a survey course with one semester chem and one semester physics.)
German Level 2
Drawing 1/Airbrush (These were each one-semester courses)
Intro to business/Debate (These were each one-semester courses)
UMTYMP Algebra 1 (UMTYMP is like PSEO but specifically for math for talented youths)
UMTYMP Algebra 2
UMTYMP Geometry
UMTYMP Pre-calc
UMTYMP Calc 1</p>

<p>Sophomore year I had about a 3.85 uw, 4.15 w.
APUSH, scored a 4
AP Stats, scored a 5
Honors Chem
General English
German Level 3
Accounting 1/Choir</p>

<p>Junior year I will have about a 3.55 uw, 4.31 w. Began my IB Diploma this year. Self-studying 4 APs (Psyc, US Gov, Human Geo, Calc BC)
IB History HL Yr 1
IB English HL Yr 1
IB Math HL Yr 2
IB German SL
IB Biology SL
IB TOK
Introduction to Computing and Problem Solving (PSEO)
Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming in C++ (PSEO)
Multivariable Calculus (PSEO)
Macroeconomics (PSEO)
Microeconomics (PSEO)</p>

<p>ECs:
Debate and Speech - Member for two years, Captain for one. As captain I helped expand our team's competitions out of just local meets and into the national forensics league adding 4 forms of debating options for my team. </p>

<p>DECA - Member for one year, grade rep for one year, expecting to be president next year. Last year I was among the first sophomores to ever make it to national competition, and I was the only sophomore who placed first in their event. This year I was the first student in my school's DECA history to make it to internationals in all three events. </p>

<p>So I guess my questions are these. Do I have a shot? Will colleges give weight to college classes? Will they give weight to the huge course load? Can I explained my lowered GPA as a consequence of those huge course loads? Also if I apply directly to the business schools at certain colleges and universities, do I stand a better chance of getting in? Business and math are definitely my strong suits. </p>

2

<p>@johnpfc3
Carnegie Mellon (Tepper), MIT (Sloan), UMich (Ross), NYU (Stern), UNC (Kenan-Flagler), UV (McIntire), UT Austin (McCombs), UPenn (Wharton), UC Irvine, LA, SB, Davis, Brandeis College, UW Madison, U Miami, and a couple of others.
However, I’m still keeping my options open, so these aren’t the only school I’m looking at.</p>

3

<p>bump</p>

4

<p>I’m sorry, but how are those grade EC’s?</p>

5

<p>Dude you need to be realistic, I have a 3.76 GPA and a 35 as well as good EC’s recs and essays, and I was rejected from Stanford, Rice, Brown, and Northwester with waitlsit decisions to Vandy and Wash U. While you do have a good score, that low of a GPA is inexcusable for top colleges, pick places where your ACT can carry you, and apply to a few reaches, but don’t get your hopes up. </p>

6

<p>DO you have any mitigating circumstance for those lower grades? Are you first generation to go to college? Are you first generation in this country? Are you at a challenging, rigorous school having come from one not so strong in academics? Are you URM? Is your famliy low income? All these could be factors that make a huge difference. Where are you taking those computer, Calc 3, econ classes? Your AP test scores will be crucial and what you get on the SAT 2s for those schools requiring them will be important too. </p>

<p>Where do the kids at your high school tend to go to college? How many of them get into HPYMS and ivies each year? </p>

<p>MIT is a high reach for anyone. Wharton, UT Austin Mccombs, UVMcintyre and UNC-CH as well. Without some strong hook and mitagating circumstance, i don’t think so. Those state schools tend to just do a gpa and test score matrix. Michigan looks more closely. Tepper is a possibiility. as are NYU, UW , Brandeis, UMiami. </p>

<p>Is money an issue? Do you need financial aid? Like a lot of i?. Because if you do, that list is not so hot in that regard. I think MIT, Wharton and maybe UVA are the only ones that guarantee to meet full need. Are any of those state school instate for you? And merit? In large amounts, not likely, except maybe Brandeis. </p>

<p>Having huge class loads is no excuse for the lower GPAs. Not at most of these schools, and not in general. It’s a huge uptick to get great grades in a huge class load. If you came from some setting where you did not get the prep to go this more rigorous school, that could give you a bit of a pass for your freshman year, but for the other years… umm nope. Not without reason and taking on so or too much is not good enough.</p>

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<p>@missouriboy‌ I know most of those schools are reachs, I’m trying to figure out how much. I’m also not insane enough to think I have a real shot at those schools but I do want to know how much of reach they are. I’m also not applying to any of the schools you are applying to. </p>

<p>@cptofthehouse‌ I was wondering about the immigration thing, I am first generation immigrant in this country but I didn’t know if there was a place you could indicate this on an application. But I don’t know how much I can milk that because I moved here when I was two. Of course in my home I still speak Turkish and I’ve been raised bilingually. I’m muslim and azerbaijani but I don’t think that would qualify as a URM, especially on a college app. What exactly is a low income? I would say we’re middle class. </p>

<p>I’m taking the computer, Calc 3, and econ classes at a community college. </p>

<p>Well obviously a lot of them just go to local places but we send about 10-20 to HPYMS and ivies every year. I think we sent even more this year. It’s definitely not a bad high school. It’s ranked 4th in my state and is fairly academically rigorous. </p>

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<p>CMU does not factor in freshman year - could give you a definite edge.</p>

9

<p>If your school has Naviance, look at the scatter points and it will tell you. You are judged against your peers and class rank is a big deal with these schools. If your school won’t rank, the colleges have a methodology of their own and will give you a rank, and it don’t look good for you. </p>

<p>Yes, the immigration, first generation muslim, azerbaijani, English being a second language , all of this makes a big difference. At some schools that does make URM status. You need to write this up and as your GC to include this in her LOR. That the transistion to high school was a big jump for you, but you grabbed it and held on and are looking for more, devouring what you can. That’s the theme to play in your case. Because, yes, the GPA is a problem and frankly I don’t like the way ACT often plays out in a lot of these schools. The AP tests this year and the SAT2 (subject tests ) will figure largely too. Right now you are not up there for most of those schools. </p>

<p>Also what about finances? What can your family afford for college? Do they have money saved for it ? Do you? How much out of current income can they pay? DO you work or intend to to pay for some of it? And then borrowing…the third leg of the stool, but if you don’t have strong legs in the past and present, that future income leg of loans is not gonna take the whole weight of the cost without toppling. </p>

<p>You should get some idea of your parents’ income and assets and run them through the FAFSA EFC estimator and the NPCs of schools in question. Then you need to get an idea of what your parents can pay. If you have a high expected contribution, especially much higher, than what your parents say they will cover, then some of those schools have to go because they don’t give any merit money. NO sense fishing where there aren’t any. If you have high need, some of those schools do not tend to meet full need, and that means your chances of being able to go to them are about zilch too. You need a good balanced list and most important of all some schools you know will accept you that you can afford. </p>

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<p>@cptofthehouse‌ what about claremont mckenna?</p>