Few B's are very helpful.

nonconformity
Tue, 12 Apr 2005 18:38:22 +0000

I had a 3.4 UW and am going to McGill…a kid with a 3.4 UW in my grade got into BC. Another with a 3.4 UW got into U Chicago. My cousin got into Cooper Union with a 3.3. So depending on the program you apply for, the rigor of your course load, your ECs, your high achievement in your future major, your SAT grades and the level of competition in your high school, I’d argue that you can go lower than 3.75, though probably not more than 3 or 4 points lower than that.

Coureur–I was kind of being sarcastic. I mean I struggled for those C’s, because I have a great deal of difficulty in math and science. I’m not trying to be cool and individualist. If I could get A’s in math and science, believe me, I would. You have no idea how discouraging it was to get 68 after 68 on math tests, to get phone calls from teachers saying that I was a potential failure in math. Trying to juggle my complete lack of understanding in math while still maintaining good grades in AP humanities was difficult for me. Finally, it was getting to be ridiculous, so senior year I signed up for math course that was below “regular” math and is basically designed for future liberal arts majors. Now I’m getting A’s, and my GPA went from a 3.4 to a 3.7 from junior to senior year, though it’s back down to a 3.4 now due to being a second semester senior.
As for science, I struggled in chemistry to maintain an 85 average so that I could be placed in AP Environmental my senior year. And in AP Environmental I don’t get A’s. But in science I decided to challenge myself because my grades met the criteria and I wanted colleges to see that I was making an effort in science.
So what about my agreement with the author of this post who said that not having a 4.0 differentiates you from the crowd? Well, why not agree with that? And why not have a sense of humor about it after four years. I’m tired of beating myself up because I excell in some areas and am only “average” in others…it’s about time I recognize that I’m not a crappy student just because I suck at math.