<p>Which do you think will get more acceptance letters from Ivy League colleges:
3.6 GPA w/3 APs, 1960 SAT, 28 ACT, 1 club, 1 extracurricular, 1 internship
or
4.0 GPA-no APs, 1960 SAT, 28 ACT, more clubs and more extracurricular, 2 internships</p>
<p>um… i don’t think a 1960 and only 3 APs will cut it.</p>
<p>So are you saying you feel it is better to go the route of
No APs and a 4.0 GPA?
I’m wondering if I should change my class schedule to reduce APs to increase my GPA. </p>
<p>I can increase my SAT and ACT. I only posted the lowest score I got on a practice test, since that would be the lowest I feel I would possibly get.
Without studying: the lowest I got on a practice test was 1960 and the highest 2180. I’m signed up for a prep class, so I should score higher.</p>
<p>Also I was planning on taking 2 more APs: Chem & Calc </p>
<p>Do you feel I should drop AP Chem & AP Calc and just go with Honors Chem & Calc? since I know I’ll get an A in Honors which would increase my GPA.</p>
<p>no, you need APs. Even then 3 is a little less.</p>
<p>so you feel a 3.6 GPA w/ 5 APs is better than 4.0 w/o APs? </p>
<p>so I should keep the APs instead of being assured of a higher GPA?</p>
<p>Neither looks like a strong Ivy contender.</p>
<p>ya I think you should go the AP route, and try for as high a GPA as possible. you might end up higher than a 3.6, right?</p>
<p>Thanks. sounds like no possibility for Ivy League, but I’ll keep the same schedule w the 2 APs. I’ll try to study. Yes. maybe I’ll end up higher than 3.6 but not lower. Thank you.</p>
<p>no no, no one said you had NO possibility. It’s going to be real hard with a 1900 though. If you can get 2200+…</p>
<p>then again, ivy league is a sports conference, there are many schools that are on par or better than some ivies…</p>
<p>oh…ok I need to study to get over 2200.</p>
<p>If I do get over 2200 and am trying for Ivy League,
is it better to have a higher GPA (4.0) with no APs or less APs (only 3) or
lower GPA (minimum 3.6) with more APs (5 APs)?</p>
<p>I’m not sure what you mean “sports conference” even though I looked it up online.
Which schools do you feel are “on par or better” that I should look at?</p>
<p>well it completely depends on what you want to do… you don’t need a 2200, it just makes it easier. APs>no APs unless you have another rigorous corriculum like IB or A levels or something.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>sorry, it doesn’t matter what I do- I’m interested in many subjects and can become interested in anything. I can also contribute to almost anything after I find out what is needed. What schools were you referring to that are “on par” or “better” that I should look at?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>the lowest ivy (highlighted) is no.16. That means there are 8 schools better than the lowest ivy who are not ivies themselves.</p>
<p>Ofcourse, rankings are subjective, and this ranking is by no means the perfect ranking, or even a good one. ultimately it depends what you look for in a school, and what you want to do in life. seriously, just looking at prestige is quite shallow</p>
<p>Yes. it is shallow. but it is important to many people and family where you graduate. I could decide not to go to college like so many ppl. Yes. Every school has some positive aspects about it. Maybe it also depends on family expectations and your culture.</p>
<p>I’m just interested in too many things. There are neurobiology research projects at Harvard that sound interesting. Stanford has neuroscience project that are interesting too. At other universities, there has been research published on “cloaking” and use of nanotechnology that is equally interesting. There are also many aspects of security and wireless technology that are interesting. Papers describe ways that many technologies could be integrated and utilized together that could benefit many locally, nationally, and internationally that is very interesting. I wish I could have started working on a research project when I was 9 or 10. That probably would have helped me focus. Thank you for your list.</p>
<p>I don’t think you would get into any ivy or top college with either strategy.</p>
<p>These schools expect you to take your school’s hardest classes and get top grades in them. Unless you have a hook, for serious consideration your counselor will have to check the box stating you took the most rigorous classes available at your school.</p>
<p>This is a question often asked. And the answer is always: we want all As in all APs.</p>
<p>wow a lot of semi truth here…</p>
<p>the best route is to take as many ap’s and get 4.0 in them obviously</p>
<p>if you take “easier” classes to boost your gpa it will show through</p>
<p>however, you DO NOT need to take “the hardest classes your school offers” to get in. You just need to have extremely high scores on your tests with an extremely high gpa, great essays and a little bit of lucky. people with flawless records get rejected…</p>
<p>however there is hope. I went to school with a girl who got into harvard and she did not take “only” the hardest classes. In fact, I had speech class with her and it was one of the easiest classes I have ever taken. However, she did have a perfect gpa, a lot of ap’s, many honor classes, a 35 act and very high sat. She was also a refugee from bosnia. That is your competition. that is why it is so hard to get into most ivy schools. They have their pick of perfect high school records. what makes you an asset to their school?that is what you need to think about. can you get in with a 3.6 and 3 ap classes? maybe. your chances are extremely low. You probably wouldn’t get in, but maybe you have some extenuating circumstances. either way, you need to work your butt off to even have a chance. and if you are not willing to put in the work to get in, you should ask yourself if the ivy league is really for you.</p>
<p>also, some food for thought. a 3.6 with 3 ap’s might not even get you into some top public schools(ie michigan, UVA)</p>
<p>admissions do not follow a 100% true formula. work hard, send in your apps and see what happens</p>
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<p>At top colleges, this is simply incorrect unless you have a major hook. If the ‘most rigorous course load’ box is not checked by your counselor, you don’t have a prayer at an ivy.</p>
<p>That’s not exactly true.</p>
<p>You do need to take a lot of advanced classes, but taking every single one is unnecessary.
In my school, no one can do it; at most, people take 18-20 Honors/AP classes by the end of senior year, and only around 5 people per graduating class take that many.
Yet, everyone in the top 10% is accepted by prestigious universities. A girl with a 4.3 (out of 5.3 or so) GPA and not the hardest course load was accepted by MIT. She was Asian and had no legacy.
Also, this is no prestigious prep school.</p>
<p>Let me clarify. Certainly no one can take every AP class their school offers if it offers many. The point is that if a student chooses honors level classes when APs were offered as the OP is asking about, the school counselor will not check the box that says he took the most rigorous classes.</p>
<p>When I worked in admissions at an ivy, we didn’t consider unhooked applicants when that box was not checked.</p>