<p>Okay so I have a lot of good ECs and I've been studying hard for the ACT/SAT. My goal is a 30+/2000+ but preferably I'd like a 32+/2100+. My grades are a different story lol. I'm currently an incoming junior and I'm transferring to a different school. Frosh and soph year I attended a very prestigious very competitive private Catholic all girls school in the Bay Area (CA). I started off decent- 3.4 W first semester but my grades went down a little and I got a 2.9 W 2nd semester as well as 1st semester of soph year. But- I worked my ass off and brought up my grades to a 3.35 W. I know that's still a low GPA, but at my school that's above average. Our school doesn't tell us our class rank but it's probably pretty high up there. Majority of the people in my grade get around a 3.0. Anyways, my parents and I got tired of the long ~2 hour commute every single day, so I'm transferring to a small, non-religious private school in my home town. Both these schools are college prep so I'll be getting roughly the same education with a less cut throat vibe.</p>
<p>My question is- if I continue to raise my GPA from a 3.35 every semester (for example, 3.7 first semester junior year, then 3.9 2nd sem, then 4.2 first sem senior year etc etc etc) will that show colleges that I'm dedicated in improving my grades? My cummulative GPA won't be great but will the upward trend make an impact and show me as unique?</p>
<p>I want to study neuroscience/neurobiology w/ a pre-med track. Dream schools are USC, Hopkins, Umich, Duke, Columbia, the like... </p>
<p>also keep in mind these are private school grades…at my local public HS I’d have a much higher GPA…some of my friends with an average intelligence get all A’s with little effort- not to bash all public schools, just the one in my town </p>
<p>An upward trend is good. A consistent set of high grades is better. </p>
<p>my college counselor and several other teachers have told me the opposite- that someone who shows improvement is valued more than someone who doesn’t grow and consistently scores the same… </p>
<p>A 3.35 weighted is extremely low, if that’s what you really mean, and your goal for your ACT/SAT scores is pretty low for the schools you are considering. The competition.for spots from your area is cutthroat, and although an upward trend will help, I think that you need to start being realistic about some safeties.</p>
<p>It is not true that an upward trend from a 3.35 W to a 3.9 weighted is better than a 4.5 weighted to a 4.7+ weighted, which is what a lot of your competition will have over those same three years.</p>
<p>What should be my goal for the ACT/SAT for those schools then? & What if I were to improve my GPA more significantly, like from a 3.35 W to a 4.2 to a 4.5? Would that be realistic for those schools? </p>
<p>I was in your shoes. I managed to pull a 3.44 to a 3.87 (weighted 4.0 odd system) in one year (sophomore year). Anyways, the top tier schools such as Columbia and Duke put more weight on GPA than on standardized tests, but either way they generally want to see scores for the SAT around or above 2250. For ACT I would suggest a 33 or higher. GPA wise, I would guess that a 4.5 to a 4.7 is the norm for the 25 percentile students. Other than that you are going to need an extremely compelling essay or be an obscure racial minority to achieve admittance.</p>
<p>I was in your shoes. I managed to pull a 3.44 to a 3.87 (weighted 4.0 odd system) in one year (sophomore year). Anyways, the top tier schools such as Columbia and Duke put more weight on GPA than on standardized tests, but either way they generally want to see scores for the SAT around or above 2250. For ACT I would suggest a 33 or higher. GPA wise, I would guess that a 4.5 to a 4.7 is the norm for the 25 percentile students. Other than that you are going to need an extremely compelling essay or be an obscure racial minority to achieve admittance.</p>