Should I do an early decision/ bad gpa

Applying to College
1

<p>Since they would know I want to go t here.</p>

<p>3.26 GPA weighted. 3.15 unweighted.</p>

<p>The thing is, freshman year I had a 75 average with no Aps.
Sophmore year I had a 91.
Junior Year 91.
But senior year I'm going to apply myself for a 97 with 2 college classes.</p>

<p>Test scores:
- 170 Psat.
- 1900 Sat.
- 29 on Act.
- 5 on Ap Biology, 5 on Ap Language.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
I was on the academic sports league, and united states academic decathlon, brought my love for learning. Out of Division 3 schools I was the highest scoring varsity (3.0 gpa or lower), and won an economics medal, and a science medal at nationals.
Along with various local and state medals.
I topped out the honors students (4.0 gpa) at one of my competitions.
Congessional recognition for winning nationals.
My schoolis #170 in the nation, my first highschool was #8.
I moved alot...
Junior year- Summa Cum laude.
Sophmore year- honor roll, i won various debate things.
I was o n the gay straight alliance.
and im doing model un and mock trial next year.
Regional Summer school of excellence for bio at gannon completion</p>

<p>Community service- 150 hours junior year summer.
100 hours Freshman year s ummer</p>

<p>I was thinking of early decisions to either George Washington U, Georgetown, Washington and Lee, Tufts, U Chicago, Middlebury College, Columbia, John Hopkins, Cornell, Duke.</p>

<p>Do i have an early decision chance at any of those?</p>

<p>And im retaking the sats after 2 months of prep this summer, most likely going to get 2100 - 2200. </p>

<p>I was wondering, does having a sort of disease(eye disease) help in any way.
since it did limit my productivity a a point.</p>

2

<p>You definitely need to raise your test scores–to a 2200 at a bare minimum.</p>

<p>Eye disease–they will probably consider it, but I don’t think it’ll be the deciding factor in any way, shape, or form.</p>

<p>As for your GPA, I think they may look past the fact that you had a low GPA freshman year; your sophomore/junior year GPAs look alright, but your senior class load should be greater to show that you are challenging yourself.</p>

<p>Good ECs.</p>

<p>If any of the schools you mentioned have EA, I would apply to two or three of those. Otherwise, applying ED is a chance you have to take–the adcoms will see more of your positives but also more of your negatives.</p>

<p>I would say write amazing essays and submit them really early–beginning of October if possible–to make sure you get some attention.</p>

<p>Good luck! There’s no way to tell anything for sure.</p>

3

<p>Have you talked to your counselor or looked at scattergrams for your schools? </p>

<p>ED will not help you at schools where your stats are not solidly in range. Your stats do not appear to be in range for any of the schools on your list.</p>

4

<p>I agree w/ hmom. Your listed schools are extreme reaches at this point based on your metrics. Can you let us know what you’re aiming for in terms of “safeties” and “matches”?</p>

<p>The best advice is to start from the bottom (in terms of selectivity) up. Pick a couple of safeties and a couple of matches. Then consider the “reaches”.</p>

5

<p>I don’t think that ED is likely to help students who have stats in the bottom 25% for the schools they are applying to. I’m guessing that’s where your stats would fall for many of the schools that you’re considering applying ED to. I think that such schools would know that you’d be likely to accept them even as a regular admit, so they’d have no incentive to take you ED. In addition, before accepting you, they probably would want to see your first semester grades --and may even want to see first quarter 2nd semester grades – to make sure that your grade upswing has continued.</p>

6

<p>you should go Early for GWU. Most competitive students look at that school as a safety, and will not go early towards that direction. By going first, you will face fewer strong students, and thus, may, MAY, elevate you.</p>