What do colleges care about more academically? Is it your GPA, or the difficultly of your courses? I’ve taken the honors/AP level of every core subject at least once, but I didn’t do Math or English at the honors level until Junior year. My GPA and SAT scores are up to par with ivy league schools that I want to go to, but I don’t know if it’s worth applying.
They look at both. The course rigor is a sort of “check” to validate that your GPA was hard-earned and that you didn’t just breeze by high school by taking all easy classes.
I don’t think not taking 2 honors classes will significantly hurt your chances. If you’re excelling at AP/Honors Math and English junior year, it will still show that you are excelling in those subjects.
If you have the GPA and SAT and decent course rigor (about the same amount of AP’s as your peers), then I would suggest that you definitely apply to ivy league schools. It’s definitely worth it as you’re academically qualified, and even though your chances are very low (sub 10%), it is still enough to spend the application fee and just apply, but make sure you spend a lot of time and effort on the essays though.
They look at both. For example they would rather take the kid who got all A’s in easy classes over the kid who failed all his AP’s.
I thought Ivy League schools only want to see absolute perfection?
You thought wrong. And since you compared you GPA with some Ivies, then you saw none of them had a 4.0 GPA for admitted students.
The only kids from my school that were accepted into Ivy League schools took excelled in extremely difficult classes, some of which were designed for the grade above. Their GPA’s were something like 4.43 and perfect SAT scores. I thought maybe one had to be like that to go Ivy.
You want to take as high of a course rigor as possible, while still maintaining a GPA high enough to place you in the top 10% of your graduating class, and ideally the top 5%.
I’m definitely in the top percentiles, but I can’t say I’m like the kids that went ivy league from my school
The truth is that your chances are getting in are low simply because the Ivies are extremely selective schools. If you are strong academically (you don’t have to be “perfect”, but strong) you may have a chance with great essays, ECs, etc. No one set of classes or score on the SAT/ACT guarantees admission, however. Your chances of getting in if you don’t apply are 0, if you apply, they’re at least slightly higher. (Slightly.)
Just make sure you have a varied list of colleges, with at least one academic and financial safety. After you know that (or those) apply wherever else you want.
Apply there once you’re done with your “realistic” applications. They’re a crapshoot so it’s impossible to predict.
What colleges are you considering for your matches and safeties?
You’re not going to see all 4.0 GPA kids at ivies for a few reasons…
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some top ranking kids went to grade-deflation schools, so they may have a 3.8, but be in the top 5%.
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hooked students and talent students may be less likely to have 4.0 GPAs.
However, typically an unhooked ivy accepted student will be in the top few % of their school. There is a large number of Vals and Sals at ivies.
You are overly obsessed with ivies and BS/MD programs. You likely have some wrong impressions about “getting into med school”.
Most med students went to state schools for undergrad. Med schools do not care about “prestige” for undergrad. As long as the undergrad is a good accredited school, that is fine.
Going to an ivy (or similar) can be self-defeating if the goal is med school. The top schools are filled with too many premeds all fighting for the limited number of A’s awarded. If you want to go to med school, go to a good school where you can be a top student. You’ll get the grades and get the glowing LORs.
My son is a 3rd year med student who went to a state flagship and graduated with a 4.0 BCMP GPA and a 3.99 cum GPA (one A-) in Chemical Engineering. He was accepted to half of the med schools he applied to. His same-age cousin (who had essentially identical high school stats) was also premed and same major at a top 20 school with highly competitive premeds. Within 3 semesters cousin’s GPA was not med-school worthy. His parents thought they were giving him “an edge” by applying ED at this top school.
Food for thought.