There is a very little chance that I will actually take a gap year to reapply to colleges, but I am curious to see what people think my chances are given my academic stats. I got my first Bs junior year of HS where I took 5 APs and got Bs in AP Bio and Honors Algebra 2/Trig. However, my final grades for senior year were much lower:
Withdrew Passing from AP French; 4 APS which I got 2 B- and 2 Bs in, and an A in physics and B- in precalculus. I took a rigorous course load in high school, but obviously, my senior performance was sub par. Also, my ACT is 31. My final weighted GPA is 4.15 but that doesn’t really mean much.
With my senior grades, do you think I would stand a chance at getting into NESCAC schools (like Bates, Tufts, Wesleyan) or other good LACs & universities. I would not apply to any T20 schools, and the schools that I would apply to, I wouldn’t have applied to them before. Once again, this is all theoretical, but I am wondering if I would still be competitive enough lol.
No. You are not likely to be competitive with highly selective schools with a downward trend in grades. Unless you have some great hook that a college wants that may get them to ignore your academic record. 31 ACT is on the low side for the schools you mention along with less than optimal grades. You are not a strong candidate for the most selective schools.
Taking a gap year to do something with impact and taking a couple of community college or difficult AP courses and doing well during that year would improve your outlook at colleges but doubtful it will be enough to boost your chances at the most selective schools. Make sure you do not lose your freshman standing if you do take some college courses, or you can become a transfer candidate. You can lose Fin aid and scholarship possibilities that way.
If you bring up your academic profile— some good grades at a local college, redo ACT and bring up, work on some meaningful activities, I can see you as an attractive candidate at some schools less selective than the ones you’ve mentioned. Especially if you are full pay.
Agree. You won’t be competitive for the NESCAC schools (many of which are top 20 BTW). You are better off going to community college and improving your grades.
Why? They are not, objectively, any better than a large list of very good colleges to which the OP can be admitted with his present stats. The big difference is that these are populated by kids who are do somewhat better in class and get higher grades. Why should the OP spend two years in a CC for the possibility that they may be accepted to a college in which they will have a difficult time keeping up with grades.
There are literally hundreds of excellent colleges to which the OP will be accepted and get merit with their grades and ACT (which, BTW, is better than 95% of all the kids who took the ACTs).
There are financial reasons to take two years at a CC, and for very few majors, there are benefits for having the BA from specific colleges. To spend two years at a CC for the off-chance that their grades will allow them to transfer to a “more prestigious college” is silly.
Besides, the OP’s stats are within the mid 50% range for both Connecticut College (ACT 30-33, 49% from top 10%, 76% from top 20%) and for Bates (ACT 30-33, average weighted GPA - 3.91).
PS. One of the great benefits of four year colleges in getting jobs after graduation are the opportunities for summer internships. Being a colleges for four years means three summers for this. CCs do not have the connections for really good internships, so every year at a CC is one less summer for good internships, and a large drop in the chances of getting a job after graduation.
Bates would be a reach.
You’d have a better shot at LACs ranked 40-80.whzt would you do during a gap year? Why are your budget constraints?
Where did you get in?
I have the same question. W&M is an amazing college, and back in March you were very happy that you would be attending W&M in the fall, so why are you thinking about taking a gap year, or about ways to go to another college, which may not be such a good fit?
Wow, if you got into W&M I sure wouldn’t take a gap year especially since your odds of getting into a “better” college are very very low. It’s an amazing high ranked school!
Is it unaffordable? What happened?
William and Mary is a GREAT school! Why are you posting to take a gap year? And where would you apply to that you could in based on your senior year stats? Plus, is there a plan for what you would actually do during your gap year?