<p>Hi, I’m a current Junior in a school with the IB Diploma Progamme, my current unweighted GPA is at around 3.5 and my weighted GPA is 5.48. The reason that my unweighted is not as high is because in my freshmen year I was attending a school with a poor academic program and had low resources, I literally had no motivation in that school to do well until I came into my new school where I was offer new opportunities. My freshmen year i got mostly B’s but in my sophomore year i got A’s and now had motivation and found out about the Ivy League. Currently I am taking 6 IB classes and 2 AP classes, and next year I will again maintain the same pattern. So far I have received a 3 in AP World (was the only one that passed) in my old school, a 4 in AP Lit and a 5 in AP US Government, I am the head tutor at my school in an afterschool program, I’m in the Chess club, Math Club, and part of SECME, I also rank in the top 5% of my class. I really wish to attend Brown or Cornell and I know I don’t have the best GPA ever. As for SAT, I plan to take the exam this summer and hopefully get a score at about 2200. I also am debating whether to do Early Decision to Brown or Cornell, I want the schools to not judge me on numbers and to see that I am determine to get in and which school will give me a better chance to get it and offers a great science program. Please don’t try to discourage me from applying since I have already made up my mind to apply under ED to one of these schools. I just need advice on what else I can do, I am Hispanic and my annual income in the household is less than $60,000. Does anyone know everybody who got into these schools with these GPA as well? And thank you for responding</p>
<p>From what I can tell to a majority of “how do I get in” threads, I’m going to have to say that it’s a crapshoot. There’s no certain “checklist” of extracurriculars, Honors/IB/AP classes and SAT scores that automatically get you in. I would have to say work hard, do the extracurriculars you love, write essays that display your passion/feelings (or whatever the prompt asks you), etc.</p>
<p>Simple:</p>
<ol>
<li>Be awesome.</li>
<li>Don’t be unawesome.</li>
</ol>