<p>I'm something of an enigma for this application process. I should get fantastic teacher recommendations. I spend hours a week tutoring students with learning disabilities. I ran a couple of years of JV Track. I was just accepted to Boys State. I have a 2350 SAT. (750-V) I have legacies at both Georgetown and Tufts. In the case of Georgetown, my father also interviewed for them for 4 years. I went through a leadership training program at a camp for 2 years, and am going down to Georgetown to take a couple of classes this summer. I'm taking AP US History, AP European History and AP Language and Composition this year. I also have completed SUPA Sociology, and next year will take SUPA Psychology, AP Lit, AP Gov and Pol, SUPA Forensic Science and Hon Calculas. I will write a killer admissions essay, and I interview extremely well.</p>
<p>The catch is that I have an 85 unweighted average. (We're not on the 4.0 scale.) So obviously I'm looking for schools that are willing to take a chance on a smart kid that has underachieved in High School. I was wondering, what exactly am I looking at?</p>
<p>Legacy will definitely help, and your SAT is awesome to say the least. I think you have a decent shot at georgetown and tufts, but i think it'd be easier to judge your chances if you happened to know your class rank...do you go to a tough school where 85 uw is near the top?</p>
<p>Unfortunately no, I do not. Class Rank is unreported, but I'm certainly not near the top. I'm hoping that high AP Exam scores along with some solid grades at Georgetown will help to alleviate some of the colleges concerns.</p>
<p>Everything seems fine other than the GPA...Why is it so low? Any explanations that you could possibly write an essay about? For example, my GPA is lower than I would like it to be because my grandma got cancer when i was a freshman and that killed my gpa for that year... any trends in your GPA (hopefully upward :) )</p>
<p>Sadly, the true reason comes off as the world's biggest excuse. I'm bored in high school. At times, in math, I've not paid attention for a few weeks just to see what cool and fun new ways I can figure out once the test comes. While the activity was more prevalent during my freshman year, such stunts really stopped me from developing strong study skills. Obviously, I look back on such descisions with nothing but derision, but the past is the past. I'm confident that I can get straight A's to start my Senior Year however.</p>
<p>i go to the same school as koolcrud, and he simply is a fellow procrastinator. dont let him tell ya otherwise. as for g-town, ur getting in, what else is new</p>
<p>hmm i'm not sure i've heard taht one before...prolly won't fly with colleges :( However, even with that not so good GPA if you have the killer essays and interview, I'd say georgetown is a slight reach/match</p>
<p>Alright, I'd like opinions on my top choices now, if anyone can spare the time. Georgetown, Tufts, Vassar and Claremont-McKenna. Any help would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>Goergetown slight reach
Tufts slight reach
vassar and claremont-mckenna, i'm not familiar enough with to make an accurate judgement...but if i had to choose, i'd say match</p>
<p>I now have a college list, and figured that it would be better to just bump the thread than to make a new one.</p>
<p>Georgetown
Tufts
CMC
Vassar
Carnegie Mellon
USC
Bard
GW
Bucknell
Brandeis
Hamilton
Lafayette
Colorado College
Connecticut College
Clark
Dickinson</p>
<p>What is the highest average in you class?
What is your class rank.
If you near the top of your class at a competive school colleges will overlook your GPA.</p>
<p>The highest UW average is a 97 I believe... Our school doesn't report class rank, but if it did, I doubt I'd be much better than top 1/2 UW. Probably top 30% weighted though. We're relatively competitive as a well off subarban NJ school, with most kids being middle - upper middle class.</p>
<p>The issue is schools don't look at your application and try to make it work. They don't overlook things unless you have a major hook or something unusual they want. top schools can fill a class 3 times with kids who meet all of their criteria.</p>