I understand where you are coming from…but think of it from the outside looking in. You are a student who focused well when you were highly motivated.
Regardless…you don’t have a low GPA. You dont even have a significant drop in your GPA.
Your college application goal should be to present your positives that will encourage the adcoms to say “this kid should come here”.
There are soooo many great colleges that don’t have sub 20% acceptance rates. You are making a choice to focus on these colleges. Are you looking at U of Dayton or Florida State? Both are rated in Princeton Review’s Happiest students list. How about Sarah Lawrence or Dickinson College, both rated in the top 25 for best classroom experience?
What about Denison and Case Western, both of which are Questbridge participants? https://www.questbridge.org/
I suggest getting a Fiske college guide from the library and ignore the acceptance rate hysteria, which has been made even more artificial since many colleges became test optional during the pandemic.
Understood. I don’t want to come off as tone-deaf by saying that I have a low GPA, especially considering rigor, but I know that the random bar of “academics” is fairly high at the schools I’m aiming for. Maybe another question would be, does my rigor/rank compensate for the lowish gpa?
Many competitive colleges will be looking at you unweighed GPA and other applicants will also be taking the most rigorous schedule. How have you done on your AP exams?
I think you would be better served searching for safety and match schools, using the weakest part of your resume (your GPA), and then shooting your shot for your reaches. If you give people an idea about what specific traits you like about your reach schools, people will be able to give you some ideas for safeties and matches.
Your application will be viewed in the context of what your HS offers. Your school counselor will send a class profile to most schools (some colleges don’t use these but many do).
And for the record…you do NOT have a low ish GPA.
Btw you have no idea why your gpa dropped. You’re hypothesizing but you don’t really know….
But that said you’re a solid student given the rigor and rank.
I think you will do well in admissions. Hopefully you have some good AP scores in core subjects.
Try and visit nearby colleges even if you’re not interested in attending. Go when students are there. What do you think of the campus and experience? Too crowded or empty? City or rural? High stress studies or students having fun?
You’re barking up the wrong tree. Get the word “compensate” out of your mind. Nothing compensates for anything. It doesn’t work that way. Your application is what it is and will paint a picture. Put your energy into writing great essays rather than worrying about offsetting your GPA.
And as I said upthread, which you have not been addressing much here, your status as FGLI is your huge demographic advantage.
Doesn’t your dip in grades coincide with COVID? Was your school online? College admissions are seeing a lot of dips in grades during that period, I’m sure, and know how to read into it.
SAT’s are a one day event. I don’t think those excellent scores are proof of recovery. In fact, ADHD is a lifelong challenge. I am glad you have found treatment. Medication and accommodations as needed should now ensure you get grades that match your actual abilities, as long as you work hard.
My opinion….a 3.9 to a 3.7 is not a significant drop. We are talking 2/10s of a GPA drop here.
Please stop fixating on this. As noted…it’s just one piece of your application.
I have been looking into QB, and it’s definitely something I’m interested in. I will see how that goes! Thank you for your help
Great! Even if you don’t do QB, FGLI is an advantage. Colleges have their eyes out for FGLI who have your credentials.