<p>I'm a sophomore at a highly competitive school in New Jersey.
Freshman year, I had one of the heaviest course-loads in my grade, taking Honors Precalculus, Honors Biology, and Honors Chemistry, while taking Honors wherever I could. However, I ended freshman year miserably, with a 3.51 UW/ 4.11 W. Being a glutton for punishment, I skipped AP Calculus BC over the summer, taking Honors Multivariable Calculus sophomore year, as well as AP Biology, Honors Physics, and a bunch of other Honors classes. It looks like I'm going to get a B in AP Bio and a B in Honors Physics, making my GPA an egregious 3.59 UW/4.29 W. I feel like crying. It was my dream to go to an elite school, and now it looks like I'm finished.
I took the SAT II Math IC and IIC in middle school, and got a 770 and an 800 on them, respectively. I also took the SAT I test in the 8th grade an got a 2200.. I am a tournament-level chess player, with a USCF rating of about 1520. I have been playing chess all my life. I received a gold medal at the NJ Science Olympiad state tournament. I was also part of the team that placed 1st there. I am an avid participant in my science and math clubs, having done well in Mandelbrot, AMC and PUMAC (Princeton University Math Competition). Is there anything that can be done?</p>
<p>Just one of the things I despise about CC, everyone seems to think that a sub-3.8 is an atrocious number. </p>
<p>CHILL OUT. YOU’RE FINE. YOU SEEM LIKE YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A TOP 30 SCHOOL WORST CASE SCENARIO. </p>
<p>And you’re a sophomore too… just apply your guilt to your junior year, get straight As, don’t murder yourself with the courseload, and you’ll have a very nice chance. </p>
<p>Unbelievable…</p>
<p>EDIT Just saw your posts. You’ve asked this question at least four times, and everyone’s pretty much said that either you’ve got a fine chance or you should improve your junior year scores to bolster your chances. If you really need to make 453986735 topics on the same board, you need to look somewhere else for comfort.</p>
<p>Look it’s one thing to be hopeless and another thing to keep posting knowing you have a chance and making average kids seem hopeless you realize how many people would die for a 2200 on the SATs…in 8th GRADE!?! Really people like you make these forums make it seem if you dont have that 4.0 you’re pretty much screwed for college</p>
<p>But guys, looking at the stats of the people who made it RD in all of the Ivies was a major blow to me… There were very few people who got accepted with GPA’s below 3.8. Also, my general tones has changed dramatically, because I was relatively sure that I was going to get an A in Physics. That’s changed. The implications are dire. I didn’t get an A in a SINGLE science course I took. That’s ridiculous.</p>
<p>Life isn’t all about getting into an ivy league school. I promise.
That said, if I got into BU with a 3.2(3.08 at the time I applied)/2090, you can probably still get into Brown or Cornell. I know someone with a 3.6/2200 who got into Brown a couple years ago, actually. One thing that I would suggest is highlighting a major talent that you have. Also, colleges are very serious about upward trends. If you can pull off a great junior year and first semester of senior year, you’ll look excellent. You seem to be in a high level math class, and that should give you a major advantage at some of these schools. I know that many admissions counselors were very impressed with me having taken math through Calc III/Differential Equations, and if you can take multivariable calculus as a sophomore, you’re on essentially the same path.</p>
<p>On a side note, I also know that only two kids from my school of >2100 were accepted to ivy schools this year even though my school commonly sends kids to elite schools. There are ~640 kids in my class; 1 was accepted to Columbia and Cornell, but received not enough aid, and the other was accepted to UPenn ED. The other 10 kids who have 4.0s, 8 or 9 AP classes, great ECs, etc were all denied from the ivies and will be heading to colleges which are equally or lower ranked than where I’m headed (Syracuse). The Ivy schools are a crapshoot, so if you can prove that you’re great enough, they’ll take you even despite your 3.6. That said, you also have a great chance at many elite, non-ivies like UChicago or WUSTL.</p>
<p>This thread makes me sick. You’ll come to realize when you’re in college that it’s not all about the 4.0 GPA and straight As. I remember when I used to be in high school and all I could think about was getting into top colleges and excelling in my classes. Now as a college student… I know that it’s not all about the grades. Of course it’s still important to do well but I’m not obsessing. lol Too many young ignorant high schoolers believe that it’s a failure if they don’t get into the Ivy league schools. There is such a big difference between when I was 16 yrs old in sophomore year of high school and now as a 21 yr old junior. Perhaps in 5 years you’ll be seeing differently and that a 3.6 GPA is not the end of the world. There are plenty of amazing universities in the nation that aren’t Ivy league schools, such as UC Berkeley.</p>
<p>^ Lol, what are you talking about? Grades are everything. This poster has a right to be concerned and I hope he/she gets into an Ivy League school two years from now.</p>
<p>There are a variety of legitimate reasons why I want to go to some of the Ivies. The financial aid UPenn offers is stellar. UC Berkeley will easily reach 55k for me, as I am OOS. I really, really want to go to UPenn, as their undergrad program is amazing. If I pull my grade up to a 3.7 by junior year, do I stand a chance?</p>
<p>Yes,you stand a chance with a 3.7. Relax, do well, and take the hardest courses YOUR SCHOOL OFFERS. There is no need to accelerate past that at a competitive school. There are sooooooo many variables past grades that you will undoubtedly have a chance. If they believe you can handle their level of work, AND add something unique or special to their incoming class you will get in.</p>
<p>Edit: Keep hope, but you should also begin to come to grips with other options. Even the best applicants with perfect SAT’s and 4.0’s can not bank on the Ivies as their only choice. There really in never a guarantee, and with your GPA it will be a challenge. Good luck, and I hope it goes well for you.</p>
<p>I’m a college interviewer. The thing that will most kill your application is your attitude. Sorry - but these kind of posts just make me cranky. Despite all the hoopla posted on discussion boards colleges aren’t just looking at grade point average - they’re looking at effort, rigor, passion, EC’s and even whether the candidate is someone that would mesh with the student body. </p>
<p>MIT, for instance, routinely takes — and turns down kids with perfect GPA’s and perfect scores. They often take students who have less than perfect stats but are brilliant, passionate, self-aware, and know there is life outside of the classroom.</p>
<p>You’re a sophomore. You have time. Grades that improve over several years actually say more about a candidate than someone with a perfect GPA and no struggles. Plus - your EC’s are terrific. Keep those up.</p>
<p>Relax - work hard - remember to breathe. Life and college acceptance is not just about grades. It’s about the whole person and what they do with their life and how they respond to setbacks (or how they ruin their lives by stressing over things that really are not setbacks - like a “B” average).</p>
<p>Your life is not over and neither is your chances for a top college.</p>
<p>haha with these stats it looks like you will not only fail to get into an ivy, but any college whatsoever. It appears that your life is completely over. Prepare to attend your local community college. Lol jk. You will be fine.</p>
<p>TAKE A DEEP BREATH. I’m a Junior and I’ve been where you are this year; crying isn’t worth it! You have two more years. Calm down, relax, and build some confidence in yourself. Don’t stress yourself out. I think if you work hard and be confident, your chances will improve. There is no need to be a sophomore and crying over college.</p>
<p>^we’re talking about a sophomore, of course the OP isn’t ready for college…
honestly, all this ad hominem is really annoying. it’s very clearly society’s fault that kids end up like this, so we can’t really blame the OP. many parents teach their kids that life doesn’t go outside of what college you get into for the first 16 or 17 years of our lives. the pressure is ridiculous, and when your parents have high expectations and you under perform, the pain is hellish. it’s even worse when you can’t fulfill your own goals. i know because i’m a lazy underachiever myself. haha. </p>
<p>whether you like this particular OP or not, we have to remember that we are here for the good of the community of people who will look at this post in the future. lots of kids are in the same situation as this one and this thread can be helpful to them. adcoms are exactly the people who have brought this stress on kids to begin with, so they should certainly understand when kids are worried about having high GPAs.</p>