what schools consider test scores over gpa?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>my gpa has always been my weak spot....
my school is better public schools in the state (OH)
I currently have a 3.38 going into my senior year
with a weighted 4.0 GPA on a 5.0 scale. My junior year GPA was 3.8 UW
I take honors and AP whenver possible.
My class rank is ~20-30 out of 600+ with our highest GPA a 4.7 weighted. 4.0 UW followed by about 7 other 4.0 UWs but varying in weighted gpa.</p>

<p>My test scores were 2290 (1510) and a 34
APUSH: 4 CALCBC: 5 BIO: 5 USGOV: 5</p>

<p>Im in one of the premiere youth orchestras in the midwest and am a state level violin player.
I have 300+ hours of volunteering and research experince at the cleveland clinic. I also have school officer positions of president and treasurer and various clubs and also particpated in a campaign to pass a school levy.</p>

<p>Im really interested in some higher end colleges like
washu, upenn, case, and umich (preprofessional med programs at case and umich)
but i keep hearing that my chances are hurt badly because of my subpar gpa. im a good writer and will have great recs but is my GPA too low to be considered for schools that focus highly on how much a student studies (ie: Case) or at schools where it is much more difficult to get a good GPA than to get in. (ie: Case or Cornell). </p>

<p>Are there any schools that value test scores and ECs higher than GPA?... excluding liberal arts schools.</p>

<p>Or any schools that value GPA over test scores (that i should avoid)?</p>

2

<p>Come on, it’s not that hard. You’re in the top 5%. That is more important than your GPA, especially if it uses an unusual system. A 3.4/4.0 at my school puts one comfortably in the bottom 5th, and that’s a very different situation from the corresponding rank at your school. (I didn’t care to waste my time with homework).</p>

<p>That said, just because your rank is high doesn’t mean a 3.4 uw is a good thing.</p>

<p>It’s not really necessary to avoid schools that value gpa over scores – the vast majority of competitive schools probably do this in effect anyway. And a lot that explicitly state it based on formula – for example – “we give gpa x% weight in our decisions” are almost certainly within your reach anyway.</p>

<p>I would apply to any schools you’re interested in because without further information on your school and curriculum, it’s impossible to tell whether colleges will let the gpa go because of your rank. I think you have a fair shot at UMich regardless.</p>

3

<p>I wouldn’t say any school considers test scores ‘more’ than GPA, or ‘over’ GPA, but rather the majority of colleges consider test scores in conjunction with the GPA and use a balance of the two (along with other things) to decide admission. Although your GPA is relatively low compared to most applicants at high, it’s not the end of the world. Sometimes if the rest of your application is tight, the school can diminish the importance of the GPA.</p>