guragura

Hi, im applying to fairly competitive schools but my gpa is pretty low for the majority of them, chance me please?

Colleges: (I'm only posting the competitive ones)

Cornell University (Early Decision)
Georgetown University
University of Michigan
New York University

GPA: 3.45 (low i know!)
SAT: 2150 (730 CR, 720 M, 700 W)
AP's: 5 in English, 5 in Bio, 5 in Psychology

Extracurriculars (just listing those of importance):
Lead Role in School Play, Captain of Mock Trial Team, President of Film Club, Head Writer Sketch Comedy Club

Volunteered abroad in India to tutor illiterate tibetan refugees
Internship at Public Defenders office

guragura

bump 10char

ArtsyGirl13

What is your class rank and do you have a good reason for the low GPA?

guragura

class rank is around 30%, and i really dont have a good reason. What im trying to highlight in my essays and explanation section is that i kept trying to take high math/science level courses and not faring well in them while i always got A's in humanities-related stuff, basically trying to show that in my field of study ill be strong

ArtsyGirl13

Honestly if you don't have a good reason with that GPA and class rank your chances are extremely low/bordering on unrealistic. You have no ECs that are amazing enough to compensate, same with your SAT score which is average to slightly low for schools that are so competitive..

Sikorsky

NYU might work out, or might not. About a third of NYU freshmen have high-school GPA < 3.49. Can you afford it? They're notorious for horrible need-based aid.

But I'm quite sure the other three are unrealistic reaches. A 3.45 is well into "hooked applicant" territory at Cornell, Georgetown and Michigan. (I assume that if you could dunk a basketball with two hands, you would have listed that under extracurriculars, right?) Most of the class will be students who were very near the top of their high school class.

Does you list of colleges include some matches and, most importantly, at least one or two colleges or universities that are safe, both financially and in terms of admissions?

zamonster

Your SAT makes up for the GPA but your extracurriculars are not very outstanding. Hopefully excellent recommendations and essays will help but it seems tough.

Sikorsky

With due respect, I disagree. (Sorry 'bout that, guragura. I know it's not an opinion that's favorable to you.)

First of all, SAT rarely makes up for GPA, nor should it. On one Saturday morning, you might demonstrate that you're dripping with academic ability, but what good is having the ability if year after year you don't use it to produce high grades? Colleges and universities aren't admitting people to take a test on a weekend morning; they're admitting people to study and learn for four years. And the people they want the most are the people who've demonstrated clearly that they do that well.

Second of all, at least at Georgetown, Cornell and Michigan, SAT doesn't make up for both because the successful applicants have both. NYU might be somewhat more forgiving, but I don't really know NYU well enough to offer an informed opinion about that.

perazziman

Those three 5s on AP Tests, when did you take them? Also, are you planning on taking the SAT Subject Tests?

I am not sure, but if those AP scores correspond to courses you took in junior year and you score above 700 on all SAT subject tests corresponding to the remaining subjects in junior year, you might be able to pull off a late bloomer curiosity/ interest in some school.