<p>I’m at a ~3.0 UW, 3.88 W (ADHD, wasn’t diagnosed until late last year) with 35 ACT/NMSF/Nat’l Hispanic. I’ve got a reasonably difficult schedule, with 5 AP courses, and there’s a good chance I’ll have 5 A’s and 2 B’s (or, perhaps, better); if I’m applying RD to Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, etc., how much will such a vast improvement–while on medication, mind you–help my cause? If you need any sort of reference, check my previous chancing posts for a look at my EC’s and such, because they’re really of a caliber much closer to that of my test scores than my grades. Thanks!</p>
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<p>really?</p>
<p>Considering the majority of all students applying to Ivy League and top name colleges have a 4.0, a 3.88 seems really low.</p>
<p>^Most applying to Ivy League seem to have a 4.0 UW and a crazy high W. I’d definitely call him very low GPA for the schools he listed.</p>
<p>Honestly, OP, you might want to look a little bit lower. You can apply to one or two reaches, but you have to keep in mind that schools like Dartmouth can admit an entire class of students with 35 ACTs, with the grades to match as well. If you apply to a school where your GPA is below average but your test scores are above the 75th percentile, you stand a much better chance of admission.</p>
<p>my test scores ARE above the 75th for dartmouth, though… their 25-75 is 31-34. and yes, please refer to my 3.0 UW–but i do have a solid medical reason, not an excuse, for why i struggled for three years and why this year has been so much different.</p>
<p>A 3.0 UW and 3.88 W makes it an big uphill battle – even with your great ACT. Not saying you shouldn’t apply – it can well work. But don’t have undue expectations and make sure you have a good list of other colleges you’ll love attending.</p>
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<p>Oh, please. Yes, the GPA is low by virtue of the 3.0 UW, but most means over half the applicants have a 4.0 UW. That’s quite clearly not the case, given that their average <em>admitted</em> GPA isn’t anywhere near that and the average applicant is rejected.</p>
<p>^ While that poster may have not been explicitly correct in what was stated the intent was correct. The Ivies do get a lot of 4.0 applicants (many schools have 4.0 students who apply and are not really competitive for the Ivies). For instance, UPenn only has 1% of admitted students with a 3.0 or lower (<a href=“http://www.upenn.edu/ir/Common%20Data%20Set/UPenn%20Common%20Data%20Set%202010-11.pdf[/url]”>http://www.upenn.edu/ir/Common%20Data%20Set/UPenn%20Common%20Data%20Set%202010-11.pdf</a>) and the CDS data uses UW GPA. That would make it a reach for the OP.</p>
<p>Apply to a couple of those “reach” schools but don’t get hung up on them. Look into other schools which are not as selective. You need to make sure that you like them and would like to attend but you might find that you will do better there than in a reach school.</p>
<p>If you have ~ 3.0GPA and you indeed get 5 As and 2 Bs this semester, your cumulative GPA goes up to 3.102.</p>
<p>It’s not that much of a boost.</p>
<p>Is your counselor really letting you apply to Dartmouth with a 3.0?</p>
<p>In all honestly, your first reader will roll their eyes and move on to the next application. Lots and lots and lots of kids have a sudden rise in grades when getting into college becomes real to them. Admissions committees don’t read past the GPA.</p>
<p>Even with a GREAT medical reason, there’s just NO way. They have many candidates it breaks their hearts not to take. Yours just not competitive.</p>
<p>It all depends on how competitive and well-known your HS is. My HS is known for being very strong, so it’s not uncommon to see people with sub-3.5 GPAs getting into top 30 schools. For example, just by looking on naviance, I see over 7 people who got into Carnegie Mellon with below a 3.4 UW. In addition, 3 or 4 people got into Vandy with below a 3.5 UW. Plus, someone got into Dartmouth with a 3.5 last year. I’m pretty sure those people are unhooked, since my school has barely any URMS/1st gen and isn’t really good at sports. </p>
<p>If your HS is known for being very competitive, you MIGHT have a shot at some top 30 schools. However if it isn’t, then… goodluck</p>
<p>I would keep those reaches on there, add a lot of match and safeties (maybe apply to more schools than your peers, since you have a unique situation). You really never know what will happen with admissions, so don’t rule anything out. Usually, senior year GPA isn’t factored in, but with your situation, admissions will see your semester grades and see that you are indeed capable of doing well</p>
<p>@Waverly, I wasn’t aware that a counselor had to sign off on a college choice. Are you serious? And no, college didn’t “become real” for me this year–Adderall, actually, became real. I’ve never been able to actually sit down at my desk and do homework, or pay attention in class without the constant urge to play a game on my phone or talk to my classmates until now. Stuff works magic, and I’m now realizing the potential I’ve always shown on tests but struggled with displaying in school.</p>
<p>And to all, my list is at 17 right now–I’ve got a full ride to Alabama for NMFs, and I also applied EA to Fordham, SMU, Illinois (in-state), Miami of Ohio, and Clemson, all of whom I’m quite sure will accept me. I have a few privates RD I’m pretty good for, and then some reachier ones. Despite what one might infer from my mediocre marks, I really am quite aware of the intricacies of the college application process.</p>
<p>Wiz, if you have a good counselor, they will meet with you and your parents and establish reach, match, safety and the ridiculous. During the last decade as a counselor myself, I considered it a major failure if could not help my students/families to arrive at a realistic list.</p>
<p>I’m sorry you couldn’t get your ADD under control in time to position yourself for top college admission. But trust me, I’ve been an admissions officer at two uber top college, you will not get into one with a 3.0 no matter what the reason.</p>
<p>Apply to schools where you stand a chance. The reason counselors need to lead the way is that if you apply to out of reach schools, you’ll generally end up at a far lesser school than you need to have.</p>
<p>I do have a counselor, quite a good one at that, and she never said Dartmouth was ridiculous. It’s an obvious reach, yes, but it’s not impossible. Ask yourself if you’ve had a student with this sort of list:</p>
<p>Academics:
GPA–3.02 unweighted, 3.88 weighted (see ADHD/LD)
Class rigor–All honors/AP
AP schedule–English Lang., US His. (jun.); Calc. AB, Biology, US Gov’t, English Lit., Economics (sen.)
Class Rank: Surprisingly enough, top 16% (class of ~650)</p>
<p>Scores:
SAT–2220 cold (just for NM)
ACT–35 composite (36 R, E; 35 M; 33 S) <== only took the test once
AP–English Lang. (5), US History (5)
SAT Subj.–US History (760), Literature (waiting…)</p>
<p>Leadership/extracurricular activities:
Varsity scholastic bowl–Co-captain (9-12); MVP (9-11); top scorer (9-10, but only because my coach liked pulling me out of Saturday morning tournaments for falling asleep)
Jeopardy!–Finalist, invited to and completed audition in Kansas City. Didn’t make the show, but I used the experience for my CA essay
School newspaper–Copy editor (established position, 12); production editor (11); staff writer (10)
Blogger–I spend, and this is a pure guesstimation, about 15 hours per week researching, interviewing, and writing for two incredibly popular hip-hop/music/fashion blogs
Chicago Tribune–Staff writer for teen newspaper (11-12)
Varsity baseball–Hurt junior year, but came back during summer (LHP, 10-12)
Travel baseball–Co-captain/member (LHP/OF, 10-12)
Freshmen swim team–Member (9)
Wind symphony–1st chair, alto sax (9-10)
Jazz band–Alto sax (9-10)
Marching band–Alto sax (9-10)
Saxophone lessons–Alto/tenor sax (9-10)
Parish volunteer–Eucharistic minister/misc. volunteer (9-12)
Assistant teacher–Surprisingly selective program for a summer job (only 40 applicants were picked out of a pool of around 150, 11-12)
French Club–Member (9-10)
Italian Club–Member (11-12)</p>
<p>Awards:
National Merit Semifinalist (223 PSAT)
National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar
Illinois State Scholar
Prairie State Achievement Award in Math, Science, English, Writing
Tri-M Music Honors Society
Northwestern Midwest Academic Talent Search Award Winner (36 ACT R/E, presented freshman year)
Honor roll member every semester</p>
<p>… who also happened to be half-Jewish, half-Puerto Rican, have two learning disabilities and ADHD, and still manage to do the kind of shyt I did.</p>
<p>It’s ridiculous to say that I couldn’t get into a school with a 3.0 (actually, by the time they have everything, I’d have about a 3.1, but that’s beside the point) when Penn’s data set CLEARLY STATES that they’ve had a few kids with <3.0, when Vandy’s data set CLEARLY STATES that over 8% of their enrolled students had a 3.25 or below and that only 7% of their undergraduate population is of my same ethnicity. Clearly, you’re dead wrong–at least, that’s according merely to specifically articulated, calculated facts. But that’s obviously in contrast to your experiences as an admissions officer, so I must be incorrect.</p>
<p>I’ll just be frank. You have ZERO chance at Dartmouth unless you have a Phenomenal hook you’re not telling us about. If your counselor was good, honest and experienced, she would have told you so.</p>
<p>Yes, these schools have some with the stats you point to. Every school does. They are impact athletes, children of profs they want to steal from Harvard, the college president’s kids, those with names on buildings and those who can donate many millions.</p>
<p>^ Penn’s data says 0% <3.0. And do you play football??</p>
<p>Xposted with Waverly</p>
<p>Baseball–I’d briefly talked with D coaches, but I know my arm couldn’t last through freshman year. I apologize, Erin’s Dad, i was referring to a previous poster who’d said there were a few with ~3.0’s.</p>
<p>The thing is, not all of the people in the X% of students with <3.Y GPA are hooked. It’s pretty insulting to assume that all of the low stat people are the athletes, URMs, 1st gens, and legacies. At least as far as my school goes, most recruited athletes graduate with pretty high GPAs (3.7+ I’m guessing) while taking easier courseloads (except for a few who somehow excel in athletics and take tons of AP classes at the same time). </p>
<p>Everyone can agree on the fact that OP’s chances at Dartmouth are slim at best. However, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that he has zero chance, especially since he does have a hook, URM. But I’m just a senior so I could be completely wrong =/</p>