University of Virginia/Wake Forest with weak GPA/good test scores

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm a middle class white kid from Northern Virginia, UVA is by far my number 1 choice, but I really have no idea if I have any chance of getting in...</p>

<p>ACT: 32 (36 reading, 35 English, 28 science, 27 math)
SATs: 1340/1600, 2060/2400...two 12s on the essays.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.32
freshman year was a 3.07 (school doesn't weight any of the 3 honors courses I took)
sophomore was about a 3.14 (3 more unweighted honors courses)</p>

<p>junior year was a 3.5 UW (3.71) with a reasonably difficult schedule. (3 IBs, 1 unweighted honors)
senior year was a 3.71 UW (3.85)...but I don't feel as if I challenged myself...(1 IB, 1 AP, 1 honors)</p>

<p>School district (Fairfax County PS) is also on a 94+=A, 90-94=B+, 84-90=B,... grading scale. I have received 4 B+s this year and 3 last year that would be A's in many other school districts. Also, for an A in an IB/AP class is only worth 4.5, not 5. </p>

<p>So anywhere else I would have straight As this year and all A's and 1 B last year for a 4.14 and a 4.03, respectively...or even higher if my school weighted fairly. </p>

<p>...but is that even taken into account?</p>

<p>School does not rank, but I'm probably top 20% or so in a graduating class of ~600.</p>

<p>I'm a fantastic writer, but sadly I can only deem my essays as being slightly above average.</p>

<p>Recommendations, probably average -but both speak to my improvement, both academically and as a human being, between the first and second halves of my high school career.</p>

<p>-I have a close family friend who is a relatively high-ranking university official...supposedly he has some juice with the admissions office, but definitely not enough to completely hook me up....</p>

<p>ECs:
4 years tennis (all-district as a sophomore, suffered serious arm injury and couldn't play junior year, but expecting to be Captain this Spring)
4 years school paper (nationally ranked publication with which I have held pretty powerful positions)
2 years DECA (11,12)
2 years Quill & Scroll (11,12)
1 year It's Academic (interscholastic trivia competition thing), will participate in regional competition. (12)
Won School Science Fair's engineering category freshman and sophomore years.
2 years Cross Country (9,10)
A couple of summer jobs coaching tennis..</p>

<p>probably a couple more average activities, too.</p>

<p>I know that freshman and sophomore years kill me, but what about chances for:</p>

<p>UVA
Wake Forest
University of Richmond
Virginia Tech
James Madison</p>

2

<p>I think because your in-state, you can get into UVA. 50/50</p>

3

<p>UVA: 60/40
Wake Forest: 50/50
U of Richmond: 50/50
V Tech: In
JMU: In</p>

4

<p>same as above for colleges but.. why don't you also apply to William and Mary?</p>

5

<p>GPA too low for William and Mary and UVA, regardless of your ACT or SAT scores. Doesn't matter if there is not weight given for Honors. Same at my high school. The admissions office is very familiar with all of the VA high schools and how they grade. Class rank? </p>

<p>William and Mary: No
UVA: No
Virginia Tech: Waitlisted
JMU: Accepted</p>

6

<p>I think UVA and William and Mary would be a reach due to your GPA, but you should have a pretty good chance at Virginia Tech and JMU.</p>

7

<p>There's definitely a good chance at UVA, I have to say. They take well over 50% of in-state applicants, and I can't imagine that the OP is under-qualified.</p>

8

<p>Thanks for the feedback, guys. I chose not to apply to William and Mary; I really wasn't too pleased when I visited. </p>

<p>Any more?</p>

9

<p>You won't get into UVA</p>