<p>I have seen a ton of threads by kids with low gpa's and high sat's, and I have a similar problem.
My gpa is around 3.5~3.6, with a 3.4 freshman yr and an upward trend. Despite this I have taken 3 AP's, nearly all honors (I am a junior), and I plan to take 5 more AP's next yr.
My SAT's are approx 2250, although I plan on retaking and (hopefully) getting a 2300+.</p>
<p>Obviously I have little chance at HYPS, but what about some fairly competitive schools such as BC, NYU, USC, GWU, and other schools in this general area?
Will it be nearly impossible, or do I have a chance if I have good EC's/essays/recomendations?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Does your school rank? The only reason that this GPA (which really is pretty good, not mediocre at all) would seriously hold you back is if your school ranks and this GPA puts you below the top 10% (or below the top 25%....it would really be a detriment in this case). Even with a GPA below the top 10%, you are not at all precluded from admission to many great schools, although the Ivies, top 20 Unis, and top LACs will probably be very large reaches. All of the schools you listed accept a decent amount of people with less than top 10% rank (although that is a detriment to your application at this schools), and plenty of kids with overal 3.5/3.6 GPAs. BC, NYU, and USC will be reachy if your class rank is less than steller, but not impossible by any means. GWU will be more of a match than the other three. I think that these schools are within your grasp, and that they and other "lower" first tier schools (ie not the top 20/30) are an appropriate place for you to focus. </p>
<p>Of course, you should pour your heart and soul into writing fabulous applications and getting the best grades you possibly can, but you should do that anyway! :)</p>
<p>It depends on the high school where very few kids get perfect GPAs. I've seen stats from previous year and I don't think the admitted range of GPAs to these school is superhigh compare to some of the CC stats here, so I think there is hope. D school acceptance numbers to USC are about 40-50 and to NYU about 30-40. I think because these are mostly the NMFs and these schools give tuition discount to NMFs. Keep in mind that some colleges do not put a lot of weight for freshman year.</p>
<p>3.63, 2270 here. </p>
<p>i got into middlebury, wesleyan, bowdoin, haverford, others, and swarthmore and cornell from the waitlist. </p>
<p>i had great ec's, pretty strong recs, and rushed, weird essays that some schools could have hated and some could have loved. </p>
<p>present yourself well and work hard on your essays and you'll have a fine shot at even some elite schools.</p>
<p>i also got rejected at a lot of good schools, probably because of my low grades and rushed essays, mind you.</p>
<p>3.4 and 2340!
i'm an alien
<em>speaks alien</em></p>