I was wondering if it is possible to get into an Ivy league without straight As?
It is my goal to become valedictorian and get straight As. I am currently a 1st semester junior. For the past two years, I got straight As (4.0), but this year has obviously become harder (since it is junior year). Currently, I have all As except one high B in AP English (tears). I have been trying to raise it up all semester but it has been moving very slowly (and finals are coming soon in December). I am confident about my other As, but this is the one class that will ruin my chances of becoming valedictorian. (That was just a quick backstory.)
Anyways, do you guys think that it is possible to get into an ivy league with that B? I mean, obviously it could be possible if I get recruited or do something extremely spectacular like create a new drug or something. I mean, I’m definitely doing a lot of extracurriculars, but nothing extreme like my example of creating a new drug. Is it possible for me to get in?
Thanks!
Definitely yes!
ONE B will not kill your app.
There’s no guarantees even if you become a valedictorian. I thought I read somewhere that Brown rejected something like 80% of the valedictorians who applied and I saw on their website that something like 75% of perfect ACT scorers were rejected. Work on making yourself stand out in ways beyond just good grades or test scores. Good luck!
Yeah, it definitely shouldn’t affect your chances. But keep working to bring it up, as valedictorian is nice to have on your transcript.
No. The Ivy League schools’ GPA ranges are all 4.0 (25th percentile) to 4.0 (75th percentile). Look it up.
Occasional B students and kids with a mere 2390 on the SAT (Or, worse yet, 2380) just aren’t cut out for that kind of environment. That’s why most of them end up at community colleges.
@thenewstyped Harvard GPA/SAT/ACT chart: http://collegeapps.about.com/od/GPA-SAT-ACT-Graphs/ss/harvard-admission-gpa-sat-act.htm
There are green and blue points below the 4.0 line; therefore it is possible. End of story.
Edit: According to that chart, someone with a 2.0 GPA and <1350 SAT got accepted. Weird.
^^ How do we know the data are clean? I haven’t looked into it but I presume they don’t get their data directly from the colleges which would be the only reliable source of information. Then again, if John Paulson’s kid had a 2.0 and 1350, would he be rejected? I’m hoping the answer is yes but $400m buys a lot of paperclips…
Schools tend to favor a top 10 class leader, athlete, volunteer and/or good backstory with great essays and recommendations over valedictorians. If you think a B is going to keep you out of a highly competitive school, you don’t appreciate the competition.
It’s certainly not true that you need straight A’s for the Ivy League. I’m currently at Cornell and had a lot of B’s freshman and sophomore year, granted I really worked hard and got straight A’s the final two years. My friend also didn’t have straight A’s and even had a C on his transcript and an 1800 on the SAT and still got into Cornell. Ivies are definitely about grades, but there’s so much more like personality, ECs, overall fit and contribution to the school, essay, and interest that matter just as much.
@MITer94 how did somebody with a 15 on the ACT and a 3.0 get in?!
@awesomepolyglot I’d bet money that applicant was the dean’s kid.
@awesomepolyglot Legacy. Never underestimate the power of having a building with your name on it.
@NotVerySmart, I don’t know how smart you are but you make quality posts.