I am in a position to win the National AP Scholar award as a Junior. If you don’t know, this requires an average AP exam average of 4 and 8 exams all at 4 or 5.
My question is how could this impact my college admissions. Obviously it would work in my favor, but to what extent? Could it offset a GPA of 2.7-3.1?
The colleges I intend to apply to are Ivy and Ivy Caliber - essentially anything in the hot colleges list or Ivy would be a good example. I already have a safety school that will take me with a 20k scholarship provided I complete high school, so no need to worry about that now. How do you think this award would impact my reach colleges?
<p>Seeing the National AP Scholar Award listed on your application would certainly get the adcoms' attention. It's an honor that very, very few students ever achieve -- and even fewer as juniors.</p>
<p>But then they would see that very low GPA and that would immediately raise questions in their minds. Do you have a good explanation for the low grades? If not, you may be perceived as a slacker (not doing homework or paying attention in class?) who just happens to be a great test taker. That low GPA really puts you at the bottom of the applicant pool at the Ivies and other highly competitive schools.</p>
<p>I wont deny that there is some slacker in me but most of my GPA woes could be attributed to extensive family problems and drugs. Both problems are now solved, though, so at least I have a positive trend going -- unfortunately the circumstances were as they were and I'll never hold a 4.0 in High School.</p>
<p>My essay and an adcom will determine later if that's a good reason, I guess.</p>
<p>The chance of getting into an ivy calibre school with a 3.1, no matter what the reason, is slim to none. In addition, mentioning a drug problem is likely to backfire as colleges don't need to take the chance. </p>
<p>Your best bet is to focus on colleges that take kids with your stats and trying for a transfer.</p>
<p>Even if the score is coupled with an award like this one? Why is that? It'll probably be a 3.5 by the time all is said and done and they're looking at my transcript but I realize it's still low.</p>
<p>I understand that the whole drug thing isn't really great to have in my past and that my application fees are essentially donations, but man. If I'm not even considered because my GPA was low for reasons primarily out of my hands (don't debate it for god's sake just roll) I'm going to feel cheated for a damned long time.</p>
<p>Let's be honest, the drug thing will be a negative when the adcom reads your application so it will need to be handled very, very carefully. But if you can indeed show that it is all in the past and that you have clearly grown from the experience and are now serious and focused on your studies (e.g., showing straight A's for your junior and senior years and writing a dynamite essay), you may be able to get by it. </p>
<p>Just remember though, EVERYONE -- even the valedictorian with 1600 SATs and a State tennis title! -- has only a slim (15 - 20%) chance of getting into an Ivy school, just because the applicant pool is so large and well-qualified. Go ahead and try; just apply to some more realistic backup schools too -- which is the same advice I would give to anyone applying to these schools.</p>
<p>The National AP award is very prestigious. Secondly a upward grade trend in high school is a postitive quality and shows potential.</p>
<p>The drug thing is useful if you can write about why you did it, your struggle against it and any good qualities you have because of it. It is sometimes better to admit your mistakes and that you make them. Lastly, the adcom might get suspicious if you don't menton a reason for your low grades.</p>
<p>Crap happens. Life isn't fair, but it is what you make it. So an ivy probably won't happen initially but it sure can happen later. If you waste your energy feeling cheated you'll get nowhere.</p>
<p>There's plenty of good school you can get into with a 3.5 and good SATs (you havn't mentioned scores). Whether or not frugs were out of your control can be debated all day. If you're from a poor, single parent home and are first generation you'll get more sympathy than if you're middle class or above. </p>
<p>The thing is all of your goals can happen but maybe not in the fast, perfect way you seem to want.</p>
<p>I haven't taken the new SAT yet, nor have I taken an SATII Writing. The only standardized test score I have is the 1410 I earned when I was 12 (breakdown was 790v/620m and probably a lot of dumb luck.. I was good at analogies I guess). I figure with those scores as a little kid I'd score 2200s-2300s or better now. I also have good ECs (in terms of what was available to me) according to my colleges counselor here because I have excelled in a few areas I am very passionate about. Except for this GPA which I'm struggling to compensate for, I'd say the factors are all right.</p>
<p>By no means do I expect to get into any Ivy school. Hell, they even conceeded that there was an "element of crapshoot" in the application so nobody can really do anything except try. This year we had an incredibly talented Salutatorian get turned away from Princeton (1550 SAT, 2/3xx, State Ranked in Track and so forth) for no discernable reason. If that is me next year, I wont be shocked. Furthermore, I probably wont get in I don't actually think it's something I'd dwell on, as it'd only fuel the drive to hold a 4.0 as an undergraduate. There is always Graduate School after all.</p>
<p>Thank you for your input, I'd appreciate more still.</p>
<p>The National AP Scholar Award after 11th grade is a big deal, normally. But in your case I think that your situation is going to be determined by all of the other factors in your hs histroy, and how you came through these years. In short, it helps establish a picture of you with intellect and knowledge, but your application is so different from most here that I really don't know what to think.</p>
<p>Read Worried_Mom's posts again. She sounds like she has the right perspective to me.</p>
<p>Depending upon your intended major, you might want to look for one more national-level award or achievement that you can grab to help settle the issue in your favor with the adcoms.</p>
<p>Make sure you have some safeties that you really like.</p>