What's a competitive GPA

<p>I know that there is no official info from Mudd as to average GPA for admission, but does any one have an idea what that is or what is considered competitive? We can't tell from class rank stats becuase our school does not weight grades, so it is hard to compare. </p>

<p>My son has just under a 3.8 (with first semseter senior grades it should hit 3.8 exactly) with a very challenging schedule and pretty good ECs. </p>

<p>His test scores are generally very high, and his interview went very well. He also has had a good upward GPA trend. So, I think he has a decent shot with his whole package, but I'm wondering if his GPA in the low end of students accepted (such that it has to be outweighed by the other factors)? Or is it competitive?</p>

<p>It depends heavily on the high school. What % of the students go on to top colleges? What is your son's rank? </p>

<p>I think the easiest way to find out if your GPA is competitive is to find out where recent alumni from the HS with similar GPA and course loads ended up going/getting accepted.</p>

<p>Its a very good public high school, but we really don't have info about where people with a particular GPA got accepted, and with unweighted GPAs, it's hard to tell anyway. Rank is also meaninless because it is unweighted. Non AP/honors classes are pretty easy to get As, so there are lots of 4.0s who have never taken an AP/honors class, but the AP/honors classes are quite difficult and hard to get As. So many of the top students in the school are not in the top 10% (or barely so). People always talk about standardized test not being a good measure, but it sure seems to me to be the only way to compare apples and oranges.
It's also hard to tell merely by other students GPAs as you don't know their test scores or ECs.</p>

<p>wamom2; my kid is applying also.
What are your sons test scores (act or sat and sat2)?</p>

<p>Talking to the high school's guidance counselor should give you a good idea of where your high school stands, if you are really interested. Though, if you have a 3.8 GPA with a rigorous course load you should at least be fine on that front. </p>

<p>How are his AP scores?</p>

<p>Scores are one of his strengths:</p>

<p>ACT = 35</p>

<p>SAT = 780M, 680CR, 760W (superscore)</p>

<p>SAT2 - Math2 = 760 CHEM = 740 US History = 710</p>

<p>APs
CalC AB = 5
Calc BC = 5
Comp Sci = 5
Chemistry = 4
APUSH = 4 </p>

<p>Counselor is pretty new to the school so doesn't really have much more info than I do. Those who are in the know, know that his high school is much more rigerous than the other high schools in the district (and than most in the state). But do the admissions folks really know the reputations of high schools outside of CA and the well known privates? </p>

<p>I hope this will give him a good shot, as HMC is at the top of his list (and mine too).</p>

<p>So, when you apply you will have to have your school counselor send in a rec, just like 2 teachers. And on this they will be asked how many of the students from the school go to top schools, and other similar questions. </p>

<p>That being said, with those AP scores I am willing to bet that your son is doing fine. In fact those are the same AP scores I had after junior year, except with Eng. Lang. instead of BC. </p>

<p>Also, find out if your son would be considered top 10% in the school. And if so, MAKE HIM take the SATs until he gets a 700+ on CR, as that will give him a 40k scholarship.</p>

<p>Thanks for the info Seiken. </p>

<p>His ACT scores qualify him for the scholarship, but because our school does not weight, he will not be in the top 10% (he's like 12% or something). It unfortuante because they take into account whether the ranking is weighted for admissions purposes, but not for the merit scholarship.</p>