<p>hey guys..i was wondering if yale uses GPA cut-offs for admissions. Is there a certain minimum for their GPA or do they accept those with lower GPA's. For example, I have a 3.77 GPA in a prestigious magnet program in a very well-known high school. Do I even have a change of getting into Yale (or any other Ivy League)? In addition, I got straight A's junior year. My GPA is low because I messed up freshman and sophomore year. Will the admission officers take this into consideration?</p>
<p>Here are my other stats:
SAT - 2380 (780 in writing, 800 math and CR)</p>
<p>SAT II's - 800 Math 2, 770 Bio</p>
<p>Ap's -
Calc BC - 5
Computer Science AB - 5
World History - 5
Statistics - 5
Language and Composition - 5
Psychology - 5
Biology - 5
Government - 4</p>
<p>Here are my EC's (These are the seven that I am going to put on my common app)
Varsity Volleyball - starting middle player - team ranked second in Maryland
Webmaster and founding member of a non-profit organization
French Honor Society - elected position: social chair - organized a charity for an impoverished school in Mali
Student Government Association (SGA) memeber - organized a county-wide leadership conference - organized school wide blood drive
Debate team member - qualified for county semifinals
University of Maryland internship (biology related)
Catholic University of America internship (physics/engineering related)</p>
<p>Community Service Hours - 300+</p>
<p>So what do you guys think? are my test scores good enough to compensate for my GPA?</p>
<p>well yeah i sort of already know i’m out of the running for yale…but do i have a change at any other top school: dartmouth, brown, upenn, rice, or MIT? or should i aim much lower lol</p>
<p>and some-one please answer my question: will my positive grade trend (straight A’s in junior year) help me in admissions?</p>
<p>Still apply to Yale!!! Sure, your ECs are not unique, but you have good stats and no one should expect to get in.</p>
<p>It is fine to apply to the schools you mentioned, but be sure that you have safety schools and midlevel schools as well… all the schools you listed are in the super competitive range! You need to apply to about 4 schools like USC, UVA, Tufts, etc in the “midrange” to balance out your list! I think if you apply to enough midrange schools they can effectively function as “safeties.” Be sure to have 1 or 2 guaranteed safeties though.</p>
<p>1) You should never think that if you’re not worthy of Yale that its peers will be easier for you to get into. Because that’s really backwards. Dartmouth, Brown, MIT…all just as hard to get into as Yale. </p>
<p>2) Just raise your grades regardless of what Yale thinks. If Yale told you today they don’t want because of what your grades used to be like would you really just stop striving for top marks simply because Yale didn’t approve? I hope not. You should just do it for yourself.
You know that horrible quotation, “Love like you’ve never been hurt before, dance like no one’s watching ( gag gag gag, etc.)”? Well, dance like no one’s watching—get good grades like Yale doesn’t care. Regardless of whether or not it’ll help you get in (which no one can foresee anyways) you should just do it for yourself, for the satisfaction of knowing that you have the ability to turn your high school career around just by sheer motivation not because you’re trying to impress a room full of admissions officers.</p>
<p>you’ve got a great shot for the top schools- Yale and the other schools you mentioned… your AP scores and SATs are fantastic- you might want to consider WUSTL because they value high test scores more than some other schools. Also throw in your state university- unless you live in WV or maybe MT, WY, ID, NV, you can get a top notch education (ivy equivalent) in the honors section of your state school.</p>
<p>here’s the thing, if you’re worried about the GPA holding you back- apply to a top school early decision that gives an edge to kids applying early- I think Penn, Dartmouth, Brown and Rice would all give your application a boost in the early round, especially Penn, which publicly states its preference for applicants who want to go there.</p>
<p>this really scares me than if the average yale applicants have internships. I started one with biology at Hamilton College and was hoping it would look good on my college app and wanted to enter a science fair with my research there</p>
<p>@ssgol - I think the top schools will take into consideration the positive grade trend provided that you explain what happened freshman and sophomore year to them. With those grades, esp at a top magnet school, you are definitely capable of the most rigorous work, but hopefully you can at least justify what happened earlier, and assure them it won’t happen again.</p>
<p>As others have said (and @sohiabshaikh) yes most Yale applicants are going to have those kinds of ECs, but I think your academic turnaround plus the junior year GPA/ scores should make up for it. You have as good a shot as most CCers if not better I think</p>
<p>I think there is a section on the common app that lets you explain any other circumstances in the add on part. I forget exactly where that is though. And if the interview person asks yes that is a good time to do it.</p>
<p>Having that the rest of your stats look stellar though. Hope to see you at Yale next year!</p>