Hello I am currently a sophomore at a MN high school, these our the grades I have:
2.88 gpa- Likely to go down
21-24 on ACT- Based off PLAN test scores
A couple of extra-curriculars (lacrosse, hockey manager, soccer freshman year)
Done volunteering work as well
No significant behavior issues
Taking harder classes junior year that I am fairly good at (AP US History, Latin III, AP English 11) this year I was in honors english
What are my chances at these schools:
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of Minnesota
Iowa State
Minnesota State-Mankato
University of Wisconsin Green-Bay
University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire
North Dakota State University
University of North Dakota
Gustavus Adolphus College
University of Kentucky
Why is your GPA likely to go down? You should do everything you can to prevent that from happening. You also should get that ACT up by starting to take it now and then taking it a few more times if necessary to improve your score.
High reach: University of Minnesota, Gustavus Adolphus
Low reach: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Iowa State, University of Kentucky, UW-Green Bay, UW-Eau Claire
Match: NDSU, Mankato State, University of North Dakota
I am taking harder classes, so I am just guessing. Define what a low reach is? Is that one that I still have a 50/50 chance at or is it very unlikely? By match do you mean it is essentially 100% chance getting into? Also I forgot to mention the University of Kansas.
I have heard you get into Eau Claire or Green Bay if you live in Minnesota or Wisconsin and you have over a 2.0, how accurate that is, i don’t know.
A match is a school where your stats are in their range, but not necessarily 100%. A low reach is a school with stats above your range (average act 24 or 25), and a high reach would be the U of Minnesota for example, with average act of 28. These are the definitions I use- you might find some variety on CC. I think the best thing you could do to improve your chances is improve your ACT (even though you haven’t taken it yet) and grades. Since a lot of these schools focus primarily on numbers, it may be worth forgoing a class you believe could bring your GPA down.
I think that you have a chance at all of those schools with your current stats except for University of Minnesota and Gustavus Adolphus College. Gustavus could be a possibility if you improve your stats. I would be surprised if you didn’t get into UW Eau Claire, UW Green Bay, and Mankato.
My advice would be to get your GPA to at least a 3.0 and continue to take challenging classes. I recommend using the college search tool on College Board’s website to compare your stats to those of admitted students at the schools that you’re considering. Also check out the admissions page on the college’s web site to see what they look for in applicants.