To future applicants with average stats

Colleges and Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
1

<p>You can get into top colleges with a(TRULY) average GPA. It can and does happen. You just need to know how to play the game. It's a matter of spin.</p>

<p>Here's my story:</p>

<p>I'll preface this by saying I am not an athletic recruit, URM or legacy.</p>

<p>SATs: 800 Verbal, 620 Math, 800 Writing (Perfect grammar subscore, 12/12 on essay)
SAT IIs: 720 World History, 800 US History, 790 Literature
GPA: 3.26
Rank: 251/469</p>

<p>My ECs are long and involved (not too many of them, I just did A LOT with the ones I got involved in) so I'm not going to type them up.</p>

<p>Used a fee waiver.</p>

<p>Accepted: Dartmouth College(Attending), University of Georgia, Tufts University, New York University
Waitlisted: Duke University
Rejected: Harvard University</p>

<p>Essays are IMPORTANT, as are having high-impact ECs (not necessarily national ECs, but something you have a demonstrable passion for and impact in). You also need good references to cover your GPA and to provide a valid reason (if any) for your GPA. I had no reason, really, I was just lazy, but my teachers LOVED me and wrote recs that showed that.</p>

<p>Remember, the transcript is a huge part of the evaluation, and unless you can make up for it in a big way with other things, your chances are slim. But also remember, YOU CAN PLAY THIS GAME AND WIN. People told me I had no chance, but that's BS. Don't let people get you down on here. Most of em have no idea what they're talking about.</p>

<p>I am SO happy I got into Dartmouth, it was my first choice by far. I can't wait to go there in the fall. I also can't wait for Dimensions :giddy:</p>

2

<p>congrats and good point. just goes to show that there isn't a single factor with college admissions.</p>

3

<p>doesn't seem fair to me that someone who didn't work hard in high school and who ranked in the bottom 50% of their class could be admitted to schools like tufts and dartmouth. i could accept it if you had valid reasons for your underachievement in high school but you indicated that was not the case.</p>

4

<p>might not that charming screen name explain?</p>

5

<p>Poster joined 4/15/06. DOB is given as 1911.</p>

6

<p>congrats to you!</p>

<p>and to the people sniping at original poster: honestly, why do you feel the need to degrade somebody who clearly shows passion for his/her interests and helps prospective applicants with less-than-stellar GPA's understand that there is still a chance for them? I mean, sure, it might seem unfair that the spot of people who worked harder academically might be taken, but every college tells you that the transcript isn't EVERYTHING; it just seems odd that people on a college-discussion forum wouldn't accept that.</p>

7

<p>I don't think any one is degrading the OP as much as they are questioning the validity of his/her post.</p>

<p>Poster joined 4/15/06. DOB is given as 1911.</p>

<p>this would definitely make him/her one of the oldest freshmen on campus :)</p>

8

<p>The DOB is a joke (I was not born in 1911, actually, I was born in '87). Also, I have been lurking on this website a long time and had only recently decided to join.</p>

9

<p>I hate to be harsh, ursdad, but life isn't fair... and a stat-based admission process would make for some BORING college campuses. I know there were plenty of applicants more qualified(in the numbers arena) than myself, but for whatever reason, the adcoms saw something in me they didn't see in the others. Maybe it's because raw numbers are impersonal and do not demonstrate passion? Maybe I'm not a numbers nerd and will spice up the campus life? Who knows?</p>

<p>My point about the laziness was that I didn't chain myself to the library, and I rarely ever studied for anything. I took a demanding courseload that I did mediocre in. But I can tell you I THOROUGHLY enjoyed my high school career, especially the social life aspect that many cloistered teens who spend hours studying lack.</p>

<p>PS: Dimensions was AWESOME... can't wait to meet the rest of the class in the fall!</p>