laxdude43

Im currently a junior at a private prep school in SE PA. I had terrible freshman and sophomore years. However this year, I managed to really get it together. I am starting to compile a list of potential colleges. I am trying to determine my safeties, matches, and reaches. Should I apply to more safeties, matches, or reaches. However this seems harder because I do not know whether to look at schools in my current GPA range or future GPA range. Do any universities forgive previously bad GPA if I made up for it in my junior and senior years. I just took the ACT this previous weekend, but I do have my PSAT score.

Freshman: 2.65
Sophomore: 2.66
Junior (So Far) 3.71

PSAT: 187


That is my current GPA make up, and depending on how I finish off this year it will range from (2.95-3.05)

Also, is the difference between a 2.95 and 3.0 big, or will colleges not be too picky about that. My school also does not rank and I have good ECs and awards. I'm hoping for a top 100 university.

I also understand that I will need to apply undecided to gain admittance into my reach schools, I intend on however internally transferring into engineering or computer science.

Thanks in Advance

laxdude43

bump.......

GCLawmom

I think an upward trend can certainly help. My son's GPA went from a 3.62 junior year to a 3.7 after his first semester senior year and even that helped on his mid-year report. However, your GPA is pretty low for many top colleges. Even with an upward trend, you will need to explain why you didn't "pull it together" until recently. Hopefully, your teachers and counselor can help with that in their recs. Also, if there is something that will help you stand out, try to focus on that. Write great essays! You should also discuss this with your guidance counselor and perhaps even some of the admissions officers at the schools you are applying to. Be sure to include a fair number of safety schools in your apps and take a shot at a number of others.

Good luck.

HPuck35

IMHO, for a given GPA, an upward trend is better. It shows better understanding at the higher level classes. However, you started out in quite a hole. Your PSAT score isn't that great either (187 PSAT indicates about a 1870 SAT score). You may want to plan to take a prep course for the SATs and the actual test several times. Getting more "comfortable" with the test will only help your scores.

Engineering programs in college are tough programs to get into and tough programs to succeed in. Look to have a lot of safeties in your college selections.

laxdude43

if I continue to do just as good as this year next year my gpa will be about a 3.15-3.25. Do I have a chance at these reaches that I would like to attend. I would apply undecided

Pitt
Purdue
Northeastern
Boston U
University of Maryland
WPI
PSU

glassesarechic

Yes, upward trends are helpful. They won't put you ahead of the 4.0, but they will put you ahead of someone who consistently earned your GPA rather than a lower one the first couple years and then a much higher one later. I have a good friend attending a top 50 school after an abysmal freshman and sophomore year at our so-so public hs.

caemin

I think it does... I had a 90ish cumulative GPA at the beginning of my senior year (mix of As and Bs with one or two Cs), but I got straight As my senior year and for the colleges that got a mid-year report, I think it helped.