Student with a 2.92 GPA....chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>You don't see many chances threads from students with lower than a 3.0.</p>

<p>Well, here's my situation:</p>

<p>Indian Canadian living in New Jersey. Attending a prestious public high school (princeton high school)</p>

<p>SATs:</p>

<p>SAT I: 1410 (800M 610R)</p>

<p>SAT II: 710 MathIIC and 600 Chemistry</p>

<p>ECs:
- varsity basketball
- co-captain of school cricket team
- president of chess club
- orchestra section leader (cello)
- webdesign volunteer work for a small local museum
- medical center as doctor's lab assistant
- guitar and band (participates in annual battle of the bands)
- school computer administration volunteer
- i teach basic computer skills (word, powerpoint, etc) to adults at local library
- started student tutoring organizaiton at library as well</p>

<p>GPA: </p>

<p>Freshmen year: School in Montreal...so that was a 4.0 GPA</p>

<p>Sophomore year: 3.2 GPA</p>

<p>American Studies Honors: A
AP Computer Science A: B
Algebra II honors: B
English Honors: B
Chemistry Honors: B
French III: B
Gym: A
Health: A</p>

<p>Junior year (here comes the bad part...2.2GPA or something...)</p>

<p>AP Computer Science AB: D
AP Chemistry: D
Physics Honors: C
Trig Honors: C
AP Language: C
Symphony Orchestra: B
Gym: A
Health: B (***)</p>

<p>Senior year (predicted grades around 3.65 GPA first semester)</p>

<p>AP Biology: B
AP US: A
English IV Honors: A
AP Calculus: B
Orchestra: A
International Business and Culture: A
Gym: A
Health: A</p>

<hr>

<p>I have a reason for this downward trend because i took too many ECs as you can probably tell, but i learned from my ECs what major i want to do which can be a plus side (which is also my essay). The 2.92 doesn't include my senior year, but the crap that was my junior year kill me horribly. Following schools i'm applying to:</p>

<p>Penn State
Georgia Tech
U Illinois Urbana
Wisconsin Madison
UC San Diego</p>

<p>Case Western Reserve
NYU
University of Rochester
Carnegie Mellon
Boston U
Boston College
Lehigh University</p>

<p>I will be signing up to be studying engineering because my ECs showed me how interesting it was. my essays should be okay because i know with confidence what direction in college i want to head in. </p>

<p>Any input is truely appreciated. I'm worried sick.</p>

2

<p>Do you have a rank? Low GPA can be bumped a little bit by scores and rank</p>

3

<p>nah, school offers no rank.</p>

4

<p>UVM would take you, and that's a great school.</p>

5

<p>You can't attend UCSD....</p>

<p>As an out of state student you need a minimum of a 3.4 gpa</p>

6

<p>I see Case, PSU, and Rochester as possibilities.</p>

7

<p>you have great SATs. phs is very prestigious and looked upon well , so they know a 2.9 there is not the same as 2.9 at some of the other local public schools. your rigorous course work, ecs, ethnicity , and senior year grades will help. nyu, bc, lehigh, cmu are probably far reaches but of the other ones i know you seem like you have a good shot! good luck</p>

8

<p>i dont think ethnicicty will help much aube88. as far as i know, indians arent considered URMs.</p>

9

<p>sorry, but PE and health are non-factors when computing gpa's. Thus, your Jr year is really a 1.833 (11 grade points divided by 6 classes). Moreover, engineering programs will look hard at your math and phyics and chem grades. Finally, some schools cap international acceptances. Thus, odds are not very good.</p>

10

<p>Virginia Tech!!!= great engineering program</p>

<p>One of my friends got in ED with a 2.9, 1850 on SAT's. You should have a reasonable shot.</p>

11

<p>The problem is that your academic GPA for your junior year is below a 2.0 - and worse yet, you have problems in your math grades. IMO, even if your HS is prestigous, your list is pretty reachy. </p>

<p>I am not sure how the first batch of schools on your list will turn out; the second batch is pretty problematic. What I would suggest would be adding a couple of smaller schools with engineering programs that might be willing to look past your junior year. The College of Wooster and Allegheny College come to mind. You are not a shoo-in at either, but you would certainly have a better shot than at CMU or BC. </p>

<p>Best of luck to you in your search.</p>

12

<p>i really appreciate the input. please don't hesitate to be harsh because i know the situation is pretty bleak.</p>

13

<p>Do add Virginia Tech.</p>

14

<p>you should apply to rutgers also. its rolling, a great school, youll almost definatley get in, and it costs way less. do it ASAP though because the recommended deadline was dec 1 (but i know people who have applied around now or later and still gotten in)</p>

15

<p>"Virginia Tech!!!= great engineering program</p>

<p>One of my friends got in ED with a 2.9, 1850 on SAT's. You should have a reasonable shot."</p>

<p>***... i know a kid who had a 3.80+ GPA in mostly AP and honors courses and a 2100+ SAT score who got deferred from VA Tech early decision... he had decent extra curriculars too... did your friend do school of engineering or not?</p>

16

<p>^^^yea...my good friend is doing naval engineering. she's really excited!</p>

17

<p>BC doesnt have engineering</p>

18

<p>^^^she has a good amount of EC's and has taken the hardest levels of math and physics since freshmen year. btw...i go to a really hard private school in new orleans soo gpa is not you typical high gpa...i dunno if that make a diff or not</p>

19

<p>your GPA is gonna hurt you.</p>

<p>however, the schools you're applying to aren't too selective.</p>

<p>you've got chances!</p>

20

<p>I'm aware that BC doesn't, but I'm applying undecided for that.</p>

<p>Anyways, if my senior year grades were used to calculate gpa, i would be well off into a 3.x territory, which is my biggested problem now because 2.X is going to have a really bad subjective look. </p>

<p>can my senior year grades make enough of an impact to show i'm no longer going in such a downwards slide? i still don't have an absolute answer as to how much weight they have.</p>