So-so GPA, great SATs?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>So here we go… my GPA’s low because my study habits in 9th and 10th grades were pretty much nonexistent (AKA I had a social life back then)</p>

<p>Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Indian, First-Gen, moved to the US when I was 6. I started school early (in India), so I’m a year younger than everyone else in my grade.
State: NJ
School: Public, Ultra-competitive (#3 in the Philadelphia area)
Grade: 11
Major: Marketing</p>

<p>What are my chances for:
UNC Chapel Hill, NYU (Stern), UMichgan (Ross), Duke, Cornell (Reach), Boston College.
My parents also want me to apply to UPenn – I know I won’t get in, but chance me anyways.</p>

<p>SCORES (The numbers that matter)</p>

<p>PSAT
- 10th: 211
- 11th: 218
SAT (March 2008):
- 800 CR
- 720 M
- 800 W
Planned SAT II (May or June 2008): Haven’t really thought about it that much
- US History
- French
- Environmental Biology (Maybe)
GPA & CLASS RANK:
- 3.4 UW
- 6.2 / 7 W
- 65 / 566
- At the end of the year I will have a 6.3 weighted and be in the top 9% of the class.</p>

<p>GRADES (90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79= C, etc; the unweighted classes don’t count towards weighted GPA):
9th:
- English I Honors: 84
- World Civilizations Honors: 94
- Phys Ed (UW): A
- Quantitative Physical Science Honors: 88
- French II Honors: 96
- Lunch (UW)
- Orchestra (UW): A
- Geometry Honors: 88
10th:
- Chemistry I Honors: 78 (I know it’s bad, plus the teacher was an ass)
- Phys Ed (UW): A
- English II Honors: 88 (Toughest teacher in grade, highest grade in class)
- French III Honors: 95
- Lunch
- Functions Honors: 87
- Orchestra (UW): A
- US History I AP: 86 (School splits it into two years)
11th: (Projected) (I skipped lunch this year)
- English 3H: 84 (Toughest teacher in school)
- US History IIAP: 86
- Statistics AP: 92
- Pre-calculus Honors: 87
- Phys Ed (UW): A
- Biology I Honors: 91
- Orchestra (UW): A
- French IV AP: 95
12th: (Planned)
- English IV AP
- World History AP
- Lunch
- Calculus AP
- Phys Ed
- Physics Honors
- Orchestra
- French V AP (depending on score on AP exam at the end of this year</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULARS:
- Mock Trial (9-12, Cocaptain 11 & 12, county champions 9 & 11)
- Model UN (11-12, Best Delegate Awards at two conferences so far)
- Violin (7 years, All South Jersey Orchestra 9-11, hopefully 12)
- Goju-Ryu Karate (8 years, 2nd degree black belt)
- Fraternal Order of Police Holiday Party for Mentally Challenged Children (community service hours)
- JV Tennis (Varsity is a top 3 team in state)
- Selected for State Rotary Conference
- School Nominee for State Governors School
- Volunteer work at local library
- Part-time work at ShopRite this summer
- Summer Internship at a Marketing Firm (hopefully!)
- Senior Class Representative</p>

<p>AWARDS:
- National Merit Scholarship Commended (likely) or Semi-Finalist (maybe)
- National French Contest 2006- 5th national, 2007 – 4th national, 2008- being graded now</p>

<p>RECOMMENDATIONS:
My crazy English teacher from 10th grade – she loved me – writes the best recommendations in the school</p>

<p>My history teacher from sophomore year – pretty good recs, advisor for Mock Trial and Model UN</p>

<p>Stat teacher: likes me, probably just an OK rec
Bio teacher: kinda likes me (unknown), good recs
Guidance counselor kinda likes me</p>

<p>For some reason, programs and such to which I have applied seem to like my essays, so I’d guess I’d do well on those. I’m also a “people person” so I’d do well at an interview.</p>

<p>THANKS GUYS!!!</p>

2

<p>Slacker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

3

<p>I'm in the same boat as you.</p>

<p>3.4 GPA, with a 2300 combined on the SATs.</p>

<p>Varsity Tennis, Model UN, Volunteer at the library, teaching mathematics and other stuff in my favor.</p>

4

<p>how can you get over a 5.0..</p>

5

<p>It's just a different system. Which I will explain, I guess.
We have three levels of classes, Honors/AP (they count the same for GPA), Accelerated, and Regular.
For Honors classes, you get a 7 if you get an A, 6 if you get a B, 5 if you get a C, and so forth.
For Acceleratead classes, you get a 6 if you get an A, 5 if you get a B, and so on.
For Regular classes, you get a 5 if you get an A, 4 if you get a B, and so on.
Science classes (in my case, QPS, Chem, and Bio) are worth 6 credits. The other classes are worth 5.
Proceed to calculate GPA as normal.</p>

6

<p>jeez...your school doesn't go by semester? lucky...you have the whole year to manipulate your grade...I would've had a higher GPA if that was the case @ my school.
on a 4 point scale, your unweighed GPA is 3.36, which is...not all that good...
The average GPA at UM Ann Arbor is 3.8(unweighed but I'm unsure)... I would say this is quite a reach because....One...you are out of state....two... there is a big difference between 3.36 to 3.8...even though it s a public university...it is a top notch public university, I really think people underestimate how selective schools like UM Ann Arbor, UT Austin, Univ. Virginia, and many of the UC schools are...your SAT scores are above their standards however which will give you a good leg up, If you have a great essay you have some decent chances...
Duke and Cornell are going to be harder then UM...your SAT scores are in the range for Duke and Cornell, but I don't know the average GPA but it being on of the best universities in the US (and World) this will be hard hard reach.
UNC, the average GPA there is 4.0. but your SAT scores are well within reach, a little above actually. Once again your battle is uphill because it is a PUBLIC university and since you don't live in North Carolina...this maybe a little hard...I would also say a hard reach.
NYU is more reasonable. It has an average GPA of 3.6, and your SAT scores are well within range, in fact above their expectations They are quite selective, but it is a private school giving you even ground with other New Yorkers. I would say Match
Boston College(not BOSTON UNIVERSITY) is also more reasonable, your SAT scores are above the expectations ...it is private....so once again your on even ground...
I would say slight reach....</p>

<p>University of Penn you have a slimmmmmmmmmmmmm chance....you will have to have an essay that will get on CNN</p>

<p>I hate it when people say you can't, that it's impossible, that you should give up...so...don't...make sure you show an upward trend and be sure to send your university your final transcript as some universities can reject you after they accept you. Good luck, sorry I brought some bad news...not saying I'm right...just my opinion...you might want to shoot for some less prestigious schools like University of the Pacific, Boston University, Rutgers New Brunswick, and etc...
best of luck</p>

7

<p>Doesn't weighted GPA count for anything? That's how class rank is decided, no? Plus my school, for some reason, does not report unweighted.</p>

8

<p>sujaan, I just wanted to add that my "Slacker!!!" comment was meant to be entirely sarcastic, and if it offended you, I apologize. You statistics are phenomenal, and I think that you have as good a chance as any at wherever you apply! Best of luck!</p>

9

<p>Haha I know what sarcasm is. So don't worry about it. Any more opinions?</p>