Bad grades at super-competitive STEM school

College Search & Lists
1

<p>I’m a white, female, junior at arguably the best (and most competitive) residential high school in my state. I’m wondering if there are any good schools that I’d have a chance at with terrible grades but solid standing in other aspects of app?</p>

<p>GRADES:
I went to a normal public school my freshman year and pulled a 4.89 WGPA (3.89 UW) taking the most advanced classes offered. My extra-curriculars have only gotten stronger since freshman year, but my grades have unfortunately…well, died. 3.0 GPA, no weighting since all classes are considered honors or college level. Junior year is not going well due to my issue with meeting deadlines (will pull 3.1 this semester–if lucky). </p>

<p>SCORES:
I have been a reasonably good test taker all my life and goal SAT (which seems reasonable based on practice tests) is 2200, ACT 33.</p>

<p>ECs:
-Swimming (Fresh/soph 9th grade, Varsity 10-12, captain 11-12, 2 school records so far, conference champion, year round club commitment; interest in swimming club or D3 in college)
-Soccer (freshman team starter 9th grade, Varsity starter 10th grade, hopefully varsity starter 11-12, possibly captain 11, most likely captain 12)
-Cello (Youth Symphony Orchestra 9th-12th grade, School orchestra 10th grade–had to discontinue involvement in school orchestra due to schedule conflicts with classes)
-Co-social media coordinator for school Sports Promotions Club (exec. board member) 11th
-Running (5k’s, 10k’s, first half marathon this March) 9th-12th
-plans to co-found an on-campus running club next year (will be president)
-Triathlon (Sprint distance, first olympic distance this summer) 10-12th
-Youth group (yearly mission trips, mission work within church and around community) 9th-12th
-Christian club at school (on top of weekly Bible study and worship, regular volunteer work like Feed My Starving Children) 10th-12th
-Taught swim lessons 9th-summer of 10th
-Taught swim lessons to children with special needs 11th, will do 12th
-Key Club 11th-12th
-Indian Students Association (much of my school is Indian and I love learning about other cultures) 11th-12th
-Babysit often 7th-12th
-Care for grandmother with Alzheimer’s on Sundays 10th-11th (12th if she’s not in a home by then)</p>

<p>RANDOM:
-Northwestern’s Summer Program for college credit (earned an A in the class I took)
-Doing on campus research with teacher and a professor from a local university
-Going to Au Pair in Germany for distant relatives this summer and take Deutsch fur Auslanders
-Plans to take Calculus this summer
-live with single mother and her mother with Alzheimer’s (on the weekends)
-low income</p>

<p>Is this a safe list? As in do I have enough reaches, matches, safeties? I’m thinking Kinesiology, BME, or both.
-Rice
-Duke
-Northwestern
-UNC ch
-UT Austin
-U Virginia
-Emory
-Georgia Tech
-Trinity in San Antonio
-UIUC
-U South Carolina
-U Mich</p>

2

<p>What I would say about your resume and your intentions is that money spent on a professional college advisor would be very well spent. Anything I would suggest would be amateurish. I read your self-assessment and see you have reason to be concerned, but I don’t have the wisdom to see you to a solution.</p>

3

<p>“What I would say about your resume and your intentions is that money spent on a professional college advisor would be very well spent.”</p>

<p>What money? This student states flat-out that she is low income! In any case, at a “super-competitive STEM” high school, the guidance counselors know exactly which colleges and universities admit their graduates every year, and are better poised to advise KQVYcdf5 than any of us are.</p>

<p>That said, here is my advice for KQVYcdf5:
There may be some admissions safeties on your list, but none are clearly financially safe for a low income student. Over the winter break, sit down with your mom and run the Net Price Calculator at the website of each college and university on your list. Most of the out-of-state publics aren’t going to give you a cent of aid other than what you will qualify for by filing the FAFSA. Have a nice long conversation with your mom about just exactly how she expects you to pay for your education. Is it all on you? Is it all on her? Is it something in between? Then take a good long look at these threads. There is serious money out there for a student with a 3.0 and a 2200/33.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;
And do get some help with your “issue with meeting deadlines”. There will be a whole lot of that in college and in life after college. Do your best to master this skill now.</p>

4

<p>I’m low income now but money was saved before my mom lost her job (she has an MBA–it was a good job). Financial aid is definitely a factor, but not as large as it could be. Without considering financial aid though, is this a good list based on my resume? Or are Duke, Rice and NWU just way to reach-y?</p>

5

<p>Also, I’m head lifeguard for my school’s open-swim program and I play piano for fun (and write music too)</p>

6

<p>Yes, I think your list is composed of too many reaches. You are not URM and not first generation, so I think with your GPA and still unknown SAT scores, you are aiming at too many reaches and not enough matches or safeties. And unless your mom has $250,000 in the bank for privates, you will need financial aid. Highly competitive privates might meet full need but they give it to really high stats students. Par down the reaches and add safeties.</p>

7

<p>What would be your major. Some schools want female engineering students and may lower the threshold for admissions and aid.</p>

8

<p>so what would be good safeties for me?</p>

9

<p>@goingnutsmom my major would be biomedical engineering or kinesiology</p>

10

<p>Remember, safeties must be affordable. Run the net price calculators on your proposed safeties’ web sites to check that they are affordable. Also make sure that you will be admitted (does your school have Naviance or some such to check recent past admits and rejects?).</p>

<p>If you are unsure, look in the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-20.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-20.html&lt;/a&gt; for safety candidates. 3.0 HS GPA with 33 ACT will give you tuition, fees, room, and board at Louisiana Tech, for example.</p>

11

<p>Have a really serious talk with your mom about the finances and how much aid you would need. Look at your schools Naviance to get a really good gauge of what colleges are accepting students from your school. This will give you an idea of what will be reaches, matches, safeties for you. What do you want to do with a BioMed Engineering degree? Also, why kinesiology? What state are you in?</p>

12

<p>Trinity in SA looks like it might be a match- look up their acceptance stats. They are known to give good scholarships/merit aid. Does it have your majors?</p>

13

<p>What is your home state? You have public Us from 7 different states. Those schools don’t offer aid to OOS students (except for UNC and UVA, both of which are big long shots).</p>

14

<p>If you’re in Illinois, then your high school is familiar to many long-time posters here. </p>

<p>You need to talk to the college counselor at your high school to find out where students with your stats have been admitted. Colleges know your high school, so your lower GPA will be taken in context to a certain degree. This will be true even if you don’t attend the specific high school I’m thinking of. You’ll also want to talk with your counselor about the need for affordable schools so that you have true affordable safeties.</p>

<p>How did you do on the PSAT? If you’re a possible NMSF that opens up other possibilities.</p>