<p>Okay, so I'd like to focus specifically on this part of my application: rigor and grades. If you were accepted to an Ivy League, how do my grades compare to yours? Do I have a chance at HYP?</p>
<p>I know ECs and essays are all important and without them grades won't get you far, BUT I'd like to just look at this part specifically. I think my grades are probably the weakest part of my application.</p>
<p>JUNIOR YEAR
AP Language and Composition: A
AP Calculus AB: A-
AP Calculus AB Extension: A-
AP Chemistry: B
Creative Writing 1: A+
AP Comp. Gov and Politics: A-
Genetics: A
Spanish 4: A
AP Spanish Language: A+</p>
<p>SOPHOMORE YEAR
AP US History: A
Honors English 10: A
Honors Human Anatomy: A-
Honors Chemistry: A
Honors Pre-Calc: A
Spanish 3: A</p>
<p>FRESHMAN YEAR
Honors Alg 2: A+
Honors Bio: A
Honors English: A+
Honors US Hist: A+
Spanish 2: A+
Tech Concepts: A+</p>
<p>So, you think your grades are your weakest part when you received all A’s and one B. Well, I hate to say it, but I’ve seen students with a 3.7 UW GPA get into HYP and I’ve seen students with a 4.0 UW GPA get rejected. Your grades are amazing and the rigor is, well, very rigorous. However, HYP are crap shoots for everyone so even though you have great grades, there’s only about a 6% chance you’ll get into Harvard. I wish you the best of luck though! </p>
<p>Not really easy to compare grades and curricula when schools’ grading systems are pretty different. With that caveat, my D, who got into two of 5 Ivies she applied to, I’d say she was pretty similar to you, even the rigorous curriculum, but she had a total of 6 AP courses at the end of high school whereas you already have racked up the same number by your junior year. But that could be a reflection of her school which is not as keen on AP classes as other high schools are. More importantly, her grades rose higher in her junior year where she didn’t have anything below an A that year. The Calc A/B grade and AP Chem grade are going to reflect badly if you are pursuing a STEM field. You’re in the ballpark though. Good luck.</p>
<p>Don’t even try to compare transcripts because it is relatively futile. Colleges look at UW GPA, high school rigor, and rigorous courses. Make sure you take the hardest course load possible given what your school offers. Lastly, justify your course grades with AP exam scores. For example, if you get an A in the class for AP lit but a 3 on the exam, colleges will start to question the strength of your applications. </p>
<p>@oberyn, I don’t know see how you can say that comparing transcripts is “relatively futile” so the OP shouldn’t try. Isn’t that exactly what college admissions committees are doing to every single applicant? Of course they will take into account what they know about your high school (grade curve, difficulty etc.) but at the end of the day, they are comparing the transcripts of students across all these different high schools. What the OP is seeking is actually very useful information.</p>
<p>@spayurpets
The OP has so far completed 6 AP classes and has approximately a 4.0 gpa. Do you know how many people have that kind of transcript? What this has shown is that OP is on par or slightly above the rest of the applicant pool for ivies. At this point, trying to compare transcripts will not garner much info since many applicants with those stats get in, and many with those stats get rejected. Instead, the OP should focus on test scores, stellar essays, and ECs.</p>
<p>@Oberyn
Unfortunately, transcripts like that are quite common, especially for the schools that the OP wants to apply to. The grades are very good but there are some danger signs with a downward trend from freshman to junior year, so I wouldn’t get complacent in thinking that the transcript is good enough. Getting back to straight As is important if the OP is really shooting for HYP. </p>