3.0 gpa help!?

SnowflakeVT
Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:38:08 +0000

Your stats are very similar to my son. The site that seems to give pretty accurate estimates of where you’ll be in the target range is cappex dot com. My son has been accepted to 6 out of 6 schools so far and received very good merit at 4 of them. I never would have expected that. He is waiting on his reach and his high target schools. He applied to 9 schools total: 3 safety, 4 target, 1 high target, and 1 reach. For his reach, his SAT was still above the average, but his GPA was below the average. My son’s ECs are strong and show a continued focus and leadership in his areas of interest (outdoor related).

With your stats, consider the following to increase your chances of getting into a school that is a good target or possibly a reach:

1. Consider trying out for crew and applying ED (let the the coach know who you are this year)

2. Consider looking at schools that are state flagships, but out of your state.

3. Retake the SAT (and ACT) as early in the fall Sr. year so you know if your stats will stay the same or increase. My son’s SAT went up > 100 pts and his ACT went up 1 point overall.

4. Make sure you are taking a challenging courseload, especially your senior year. You want to show colleges that you are ready for college level material, and you want to get as many A’s as you can. Show them you know the material and are serious.

5. Adjust your GPA up a few notches on cappex dot com to consider schools where your SAT is in the middle 50% of accepted students, even if your GPA is low. You will be surprised how some schools consider applicants that are interesting and a good fit for their school.

Good luck!