<p>Interesting question. I have one of those high GPA/high test scores kids, but I certainly don’t think a hs GPA of 3.0 to 3.5 is “messing up.”. For some kids that level of performance takes a lot of hard work. But I assume you’re asking about the kid who COULD be the 4.0 student, but just never really “works it.”</p>
<p>In my case, my daughter isn’t a mega-genius. She’s bright, but her success is equally due to her unusual degree of focus and her work-ethic. The results (stats-wise) are mainly helpful in terms of her getting into a Princeton Review Top 370 school (though not an Ivy, that’s never been her goal) and, equally important, in the scholarship money those stats, combined with great ECs, bring.</p>
<p>If she were a B or B+ student, she would probably do fine at a less prestigious school, because that’s all we would be able to afford …our EFC would be too high for much need based aid.</p>
<p>But I do think there would be lost opportunities. Even more, I think the rigorous path she’s taken in hs has prepared to do very well in college. I think it would be difficult for a kid who didn’t hone strong time mgmt and study skills in hs to figure all that out in college.</p>
<p>Bottom line, I don’t think being a B or B+ student in hs ruins your chances for success in college, but I don’t think it does anything to increase your chances of success – again, unless that’s truly the top academic output a kid is capable of.</p>