<p>My ECs and SAT are strong, relative to my GPA (3.0 with a 760v/730m/700w first attempt), but I'm wondering if my terrible GPA exempts me from attending any of the higher-caliber schools. Any input, success/horror stories, etc would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Thanks :)</p>
<p>If you are thinking of the ivies or the top twenty schools, you have very little no no chance. Why is your GPA low? You gpa is the most important thing in admissions. What do you mean by "stong ecs?" With that said, i hope you consider some schools that match your stats.</p>
<p>Haha, I just answered a very similar question about 2 minutes ago... here goes!</p>
<p>First, your GPA is nothing without a class rank. Some schools may be so tough that a GPA of 3.8 is valedictorian! If you still have a respectable class rank, then don't worry too much about your GPA.</p>
<p>Second, your courseload. If you slacked off on what kinds of courses you signed up for, then sorry! better luck next time! But if you signed up for plenty of AP, honors, etc. then it will dampen your low GPA (only a little though).</p>
<p>Your "terrible" GPA doesn't automatically kick you out, some kids with a 2.8 manage to get into schools like JHU, but that's only because they've attended killer high schools and had some huge EC accomplishment.</p>
<p>Your SAT scores are good, just make sure that colleges don't think you're a slacker (many kids in my school have a much higher SAT than I do, but don't do nearly as well as me in classes like Calculus BC because they're major slackers, and they have much lower GPAs than me). So if you're a slacker, tough. If you can somehow get your recommendations to say that you've worked your butt, then good.</p>
<p>To answer your question, it doesn't automatically rule you out. What kind of higher-caliber schools are you looking at btw?</p>
<p>At the moment, I'm looking the hardest at U/Chicago, U/Michigan, Reed, and possibly Amherst. This is all subject to change.</p>
<p>@Enjoi: What schools would you say match my stats? I'm kind of in the dark with regards to which schools match which requirements :(</p>
<p>With Reed, they really tend to look at the "whole person". Work hard on the essays, make sure you interview, and take the SAT IIs. I don't know what your chance would be there, but I do know some people got in with lower than Ivy GPAs and whatnot.</p>
<p>It's about time we see a student who says they are "so so" and really are :D Your like me with the lower GPA, so I could probably help you out since I know what it's like. What do you want to major in? Because that could help me find some good schools for you.</p>
<p>I'm probably looking at an English major, although psychology or economics aren't out of the question. Definitely a LSA-type school.</p>
<p>What is your rank? Because if it's good enough you might have a shot at UMich which has a LSA english school.</p>
<p>i dont think a 3.0 will bring up a good rank.... just being brutally honest.</p>
<p>Reason why I say that is because I had a kid from my school in the top 1/3 with a 22 ACT get in. And if your out of state, you might be able to pull it off, if you're/he's in the top 3rd.</p>
<p>Would still be a reach, even if you are in top 1/3rd.</p>
<p>I imagine I'm probably in the top 1/3. UMich is a very appealing school to me, so I guess I can try to start some dialogue with the admissions officer there and start working on an app. Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>The vagaries of college admission make predictions of acceptance pretty difficult for an individual person, especially when you are so unbalanced between GPA and SAT. That said I thiink you have to face the fact that GPA is pretty uniformly the most weighted criteria for admission. So, although your SATs would qualify you for a try at UChi or UMich or the like, you will be competing against kids with similar SATs but GPAs of 3.5-4.0. So I have to say that those colleges would be a very big reach and your odds are pretty low, although not zero. Unfortunately, the next rung of colleges like Tufts, Brandeis are still reaches. My recommendation would be to apply to 1 or 2 big reaches like Chicago and Mich, several of the next rung of reaches and then plenty of schools in the next rung like State U such as Rutgers, Penn State, UConn, Maryland, UVermont, Indiana. These schools are very good universities but not as selective and I would consider matches but not safeties. I am less familir with what private colleges would be appropriate. You still need some safeties, though.</p>
<p>The only thing I'm confused about - I often see stories about kids getting into highly selective colleges with low SAT scores and terrible extracurriculars, but the stories about kids with poor GPAs getting in seem nonexistent. Is it really weighted -that- heavily towards GPA?</p>
<p>I got into a moderately selective LAC with a 3.0 GPA or thereabouts. There is hope. :)</p>
<p>Your 3.0 is stronger than it seems if (a) you have a difficult courseload, with APs and advanced courses; and/or (b) your school has tough grading, which might make your class rank higher than other 3.0 students. At just about every school, the combination of your GPA and the difficulty of your high school courseload is the most important element of your application. </p>
<p>The best thing you can do for your application is kick a*s as a first-semester senior, to bring up your average and show a good GPA trend. This will bring extra rewards if you apply to schools that do not use freshman year in their GPA calculations. </p>
<p>Go ahead and apply to Michigan, but I recall that they have pretty fixed criteria for acceptance and you should be able to get a good idea of whether or not you will be accepted. </p>
<p>Reed and other selective LACs are more apt to look at the "whole student," and LACs are excellent places to study your subjects of interest. Do well at a solid one and you will be able to go to a top grad school. With your current record, I would make a list composed of schools that represent a wide range of selectivity, and I would make most, but not all of your choices LACs. Some to consider include Kenyon, Connecticut College, Skidmore, Denison, Beloit, Pitzer, Earlham, Knox, Ohio Wesleyan and Goucher. If you find you really like one or more of these schools make sure you visit and express your interest in attending. That could make a big difference. </p>
<p>Regardless, don't be disappointed if you don't get into a highly selective school. The most important aspect of your college career is how you take advantage of oppportunity and how well you do, not where you go. </p>
<p>One other note. . .if your ECs include athletics, and you would be able to stand out at the Division III level, support from a coach might help you secure an acceptance at one of the more selective schools in the list above, or at more selective schools like Oberlin, Bates, Grinnell or Vassar.</p>
<p>Totally off topic, but emagdinm2100, your name doesn't have anything to do with the company Mindgame does it?</p>
<p>Yeah, it is. I used to be very into skating, until I cracked my head open the summer of my freshman year and earned a nice titanium plate. Oh well.</p>
<p>ta-da! theres your essay and way into Michigan. Focus your essays on your titanium plate in your head and how its an obstacle in your life and how you're trying really hard to get over it and you think Michigan is a place where people will push you back to your feet.</p>
<p>I could do that - in the aftermath of the surgery I had to sleep 12+ hours a day, and I still feel extremely groggy on 8, not at all like my friends who run around on four hours of sleep for weeks. I also get killer migraines at time.</p>
<p>However, I'm worried about turning my essays into a sob story. If colleges actually go for that kind of thing, I have a pretty messed up set of circumstances that I could go into regarding negative situations (injury requiring extra sleep + alchoholic parent who keeps me up until 2AM once or twice a week. Not so good). Like I said, though, I think at that point it gets a little bit ridiculous.</p>
<p>What do I know? Maybe colleges go for that stuff. However, I only get one shot at each college, so it's a tough decision to make. Argh.</p>
<p>" English major"</p>
<p>try University of Virginia (UVa) :), they have awesome English department</p>