SATs are good, grades are not. Doomed? Help!

Applying to College
1

<p>So here's the deal:
I have about a 2.9 GPA, weighted, and with any luck I should be bringing it up to a 3.1 or so before my applications go out. In my defense, most of the reason for the low GPA is that I've been taking some of the most rigorous classes offered at my school.
My SATs are significantly better: 2030/2400 or 1330/1600. I've only taken them once, so I plan on taking them again and scoring higher.
As you can see, the grades don't match the test scores. I've got my bases covered with extra curriculars, but I've heard that schools pay attention to your record more than anything else-including your scores.</p>

<p>So am I doomed? Please also throw out some college names so I have a rough idea of where I should/could be looking.
Thank you!</p>

2

<p>Go to an in-state public university. Where do you live?</p>

3

<p>na i recommend state school, then transfer out to your dream school with a solig GPA</p>

4

<p>I'm in Jersey. So something like TCNJ? I havent researched any colleges in my state. Thanks for the tips.</p>

5

<p>Well you can say goodbye to Princeton :). Which area of the US do you wish to go to?</p>

6

<p>Don't I know it. Try going to Princeton at least twice a year for YEARS, and then recieving that first D in math. :P I want to stay in the Northeast somewhere, I was looking around Boston, Upstate NY, and Philadelphia.</p>

7

<p>Well, you're not looking at very competetive schools with those numbers, which gives you TONS of less selective colleges to start looking it. I suggest thinking about what you want to study and doing some research.</p>

8

<p>TCNJ and Rutgers Honors are both cheap and have decent programs.
However, some advice if you intend on transferring to another school after freshman year - I know quite a few kids who have gone to Rutgers with the same intentions and slacked off once they got there (the environment is nowhere as competitive as it is at a top tier, obviously). Their GPAs weren't high enough for a transfer to the top schools.</p>

9

<p>i got declined at washington and lee, brown, uchicago, skidmore, marist, providence, boston u, waitlisted and declined at union and stonehill, waitlisted and accepted at scranton u, accepted at hofstra with 13k merit scholarship a yr, and accepted and going to in 1 week st. joes...so hopefully that will give you an idea of the type of school you can get into. i had a 1400 old sat(740 M, 660 V) and 2.76/4. I also took all AP and honors, and there is no defense for a really crappy gpa when you have good scores like yourself. From my understanding state schools have a minimum gpa..in uconns case a 2.75/4.00, i'm not sure about any of the Nj public Univs. Anyways, good luck with your college search.</p>