I’m a rising Junior with a 3.93GPA, I had all A’s Freshman year but I received a C on the first AP class I have ever taken and a B in chemistry. I’m taking 3 AP’s this year, if I excel on all my classes junior year, is it possible to get into top schools/ivies? Please send help, I want to know if it’s even worth it thinking about these selective schools.
It is possible but also look beyond the Ivy schools too. There are hundreds of great schools to pick from that’ll match your personality. Consider also that ivy schools only choose 5-12% approx. of the applicants they receive out of the perfect or near perfect stat pool. If you really buckle down and bring grades up and do well on SAT/ACT you’ll have a nice essay topic about overcoming obstacles. Don’t fret it too much though. You’ll get into a great school
Yes, top schools will be happy with a 3.93 UW GPA as long as your test scores, ECs, and essays turn out equally impressive. Do look for some great match schools too, because, even with the great stats, your odds are still slim. Keep working hard and good luck to you!
If you are worried about grades then no. Good grades only qualify you for ivy level schools, but you need EC to stand out. Yes, try to excel in your classes junior year, it is more important to do EC. Like people will overlook a C and a B if you manage to win Intel science fair. Admission officers know people are not perfect. You don’t need straight As to get into top schools.
Grades aren’t everything. It is absolutely possible to get into an Ivy or equally selective institution with your GPA. However – possible in this case is far from likely (as tends to be the case for the vast majority of applicants when discussing top tier schools), so make sure you have a diversified list of schools and realistic hopes!
Well, yes and no. For Ivies, it matters what classes you got less than an A grade in. Cores and those related to your possible major matter most. You haven’t said what course got the C in.
But, like many, here you are, focused on grades and GPA and missing the rest of what the colleges expect. Dig into a few possible targets, learn what holistic admissions means, and get the right ECs. If you’re stem, that means math and sci activities, plus others, for balance. Get engaged in your community, not just a few hours here and there. You can’t aim for a tippy top just asking about your stats.
I got a C the first term of all my AP classes. By the end of the year, I got all 5s on the exams and 90’s or above in them. I don’t mean to daunt you with my success like what happens in the “Chance Me for ridiculously selective school”. No matter which class I took junior year, I struggled with B’s and C’s at first, but I got all A’s and high B’s by the end of the year. I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle them, but I still managed to succeed.
Even if you don’t get into the Ivies, your current success means that you will easily get into those “near-Ivies” like Tufts, Amherst, Vassar, and schools of high academic caliber like Northeastern and BC (those are local examples-apply wherever you want!) If you’re really worried that your GPA won’t get you in, try talking to your English teachers to polish up your essay, and to your counselors for extracurriculars so you will STILL stand out.
I had a lower GPA than you, even higher stress, and I still excelled. I KNOW you will, too.
^Amherst admitted 13% of applicants for the class of 2021. No one “easily gets in” there.
Apply to a few top schools, but find some lower ranked schools you like as well.
On many high school transcripts, those first semester grades do appear. Not just a final grade. Lots of competitors for top colleges do not have C grades. Anecdotes don’t work without detail. And even so, one never knows exactly what did get them into a holistic. Imo, rather than assume anything is easy, you go the most understanding.
Don’t forget that for the colleges outside the tippy tops, you’re still competing with top kids who may use them as their matches or safeties.