My son, a senior at a very competitive private HS, has a 3.0 GPA (no APs) and a 33 ACT score. He has decent ECs, but no leadership positions.
He wants to major in Computer Science. We do not want to take out loans, etc, and are hoping for scholarships/aid. His ACT score qualifies for many, but the grades drag him down.
He did have rough sophomore and junior years, with major jaw surgeries both years. Any advice? I’d love it if he could get the Alabama scholarship – is there any way to ‘explain’ his low GPA in order to qualify?
Thanks so much for any leads!
Very doubtful an explanation will help with a scholarship. What is your home state? He might qualify for something at a directional U.
so his act is really good, I think that obviously a major jaw surgery is going to be a significant setback. I do know that there are a bunch of scholarships that look specifically at how high your scores are. I think that it really just depends on where he wants to go. he can apply to these score specific scholarships, and others that require essay writing, but I think that if his essay is really really good, his GPA should be supplemented.
the essays basically could be the difference of a $5000 scholarship vs a full ride
@siobhan5 I think his story will make the difference in admissions at many schools, but unfortunately, no, I don’t think it will make any difference in terms of scholarship $$ unless they are automatic for the test score/GPA. For example, he would qualify for an automatic $2000 scholarship at Truman State. http://www.truman.edu/admission-cost/cost-aid/scholarships/automatic-scholarships/ Or the $2000 Copper scholarship at NM Tech https://www.nmt.edu/finaid/freshmen.php
Fwiw, I disagree with @taloolab. I don’t think a fabulous essay is going to make any difference in terms of competitive scholarship $$, definitely not a full ride.
I was just saying in terms of applying to a school, they have scholarships for achieving students. The full ride thing doesn’t necessarily apply to this instance
Thank you for your answers. We live in CA. We’d be thrilled if he could get into one of the CSU’s that he wants (Pomona, SDSU, SJSU, Sonoma), but I’m very doubtful that he can get in w/ his grades. A partial scholarship somewhere might be okay too, but I just wish I knew where! His school is Jesuit, so I understand that Jesuit schools may give him some money, but we’d need a lot for an expensive school.
33 ACT would be like 1460 SAT in the CB/ACT concordance table, but CSU may have slightly different equivalencies.
Is the 3.0 GPA based on the CSU/UC weighted-capped recalculation shown at https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/ ?
If so, his ACT-based eligibility index would be 930, while his SAT-based eligibility index using 1460 SAT would be 3860.
SJSU shows historical thresholds at http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/ . Last year, the threshold was 4725 for CS and 4200 for software engineering, so it would be a reach.
SSU says that local applicants will be admitted with 694 or 2950, but threshold will be higher for non-local applicants, and it does not show historical thresholds: https://admissions.sonoma.edu/how-apply/requirements/first-time-freshmen/first-time-freshman-eligibility-index .
CPP does not publish past thresholds. CS is an impacted major, so the provision of admission for local area applicants with 694 or 2950 does not apply. https://www.cpp.edu/~admissions/undergraduate/freshmen/before/impacted-majors.shtml
SDSU does not publish past thresholds. https://admissions.sdsu.edu/freshmen/apply/eligibility lists the average admit GPA and test scores which imply that 1056 or 4408 is the average, but minimum admit thresholds will be lower.
He may want to include other CSUs like SFSU where CS is not impacted and the campus is either not impacted or relatively lesser impaction. Also, your local CSU may give an admission preference (see https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/freshman/documents/csulocaladmission-serviceareas.pdf ).
https://www2.calstate.edu/attend/counselor-resources/Documents/freshmen-2017-admission-impaction-chart.pdf has some additional historical information from the fall 2017 admissions cycle.
Another option is to start at a community college, do well there in frosh/soph-level courses, and then transfer as a junior to a desired CSU or UC. This may allow for a better choice of CSUs and UCs if the issues impacting his high school GPA are no longer a problem now, since high school GPA will no longer be considered if he applies as a junior-level transfer student.
However, check on http://www.assist.org to see if the community college’s CS course offerings match up with those at the target CSUs and UCs.
If his CSU/UC weighted-capped GPA is at least 3.0, some UCs may be possibilities (UCM probably high match, UCR and UCSC reaches) if he can write good essays for admission readers to be impressed with. http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/personal-questions/freshman/index.html lists 8 prompts; choose 4. Prompts #4 and #5 may be especially relevant for him.
The Cal states you mention all admit based on CSU Capped Weighted GPA and test scores which calculates out to an Eligibility index. A lower GPA can be compensated with a high ACT which your son has with an ACT of 33.
ACT 33 conversion to SAT is around 1470.
EI= (CSU GPA x800) + (SAT Math+EBRW)= (3.0x800)+(1470)= 3870.
For CS:
SDSU EI is around 4200+ so a Reach school.
SJSU EI was 4725 so again a Reach school.
For CPP, he might have a chance so I would definitely apply.
Sonoma State is a solid Match.
Other options would CSU Fullerton, East Bay and San Francisco State.
Except for CSU Long Beach, SDSU, Cal Poly SLO, SJSU and maybe CPP, he would have a good chance at the rest of the CSU’s.
Below is the CSU impacted matrix. Have him apply to 1 or 2 non-impacted CSU’s as safeties. SFSU is not impacted for CS.
https://www2.calstate.edu/attend/degrees-certificates-credentials/Pages/impacted-degrees.aspx
Best of luck to him.