<p>Question for a friend</p>
<p>“My U.W. g.p.a is 3.95(my weight g.p.a is about 4.69) and my rank is 1/800+(very big school). I’m pretty sure the difference between that and someone with a 4.0 U.W. and rank 1 is very small. But my parents, who have just been reviewing my app, don’t seem to think so. Can you guys give me some reasons on who is right and why. Thanks.”</p>
<p>The difference is .05. You’re fretting over something that should be of no concern. Concern yourself with what you could change in your application, such as your essays. </p>
<p>If I was an adcom and I saw a 3.95 and rank 1 compared to a 4.00 and rank 1, I would choose the 3.95.</p>
<p>Yea, thanks, I agree with you.</p>
<p>So long as you’re above about the top 5% of your class, a higher GPA/rank provides only marginal benefit.</p>
<p>^ I disagree with that. At my school that only students to go to ivies were in the top 15(mostly ranked 1-3). The top 5% at my school is the top 40.</p>
<p>bump thanks</p>
<p>GPA is a meaningless number by itself. If the only things an applicant provided were his name and his 3.9 GPA, you would have no idea what to think. Maybe the school is some tiny grade inflated nontraditional school where he is ranked 10 / 20 because everyone above him has GPAs 3.92, 3.96, and so on. Maybe it is a grade inflated school but he is still the best student anyway, ranked 1 / 200. Maybe it is an extremely difficult school and he is ranked 1 / 200 but the salutatorian has a 3.5 GPA, meaning this guy did exceptionally well.</p>
<p>So, GPA is looked at in conjunction with class rank, school profile, and the transcript itself. To answer your question, a 4.0 is obviously better than a 3.95, but its impact would likely be marginal because it won’t change your class rank at a huge school and probably wouldn’t have a noticeable effect upon your transcript.</p>
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<p>Why? I don’t get it.</p>
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<p>But is it a causal link? Do students ranked, say, 30th in the class have extracurriculars and test scores competitive for elite college admissions? Adcoms are simply looking to determine if you are academically qualified based upon your rank and test scores - beyond that determination, they don’t mean much.</p>
<p>well the kids ranked 15-40, or top 5%, would mean they either got many B’s/C’s or they did not take the most challenging course load that they could.</p>
<p>From what I’ve read, rank trumps GPA, assuming you took the most challenging courses.</p>
<p>Do adcoms take into account the academic rigor at every school that an applicant has attended? Do we have to point this out explicitly somewhere on the application? Would they be aware of the fact that when you transfer schools, you can’t always enroll in the classes you wanted(especially electives), thus skewing your GPA?</p>
<p>^more or less</p>
<p>This obsessive parsing of hairs about negligible statistical differences is truly ridiculous. If you’re in the top 10% of your class, have taken the hardest courses available at your high school, and have a combined SAT above 2100, what Harvard’s going to look at is what you bring to the community. Focus on your essay and recommendations, not your stupid stats. My son was 7th out of 85 in his high school class, had a 3.95 GPA, a 2220 on the SAT, and no hooks. He got in because he is a truly interesting individual, not because of some minor statistical difference between him and another applicant.</p>
<p>Claudeturpin -just curious , what did your child bring to the table in terms of ECs ,or special passions ? My D is a Sophomore at Harvard . She spent 2 summers volunteering at a farm in Sweden , and was interested in Sustainable Agriculture .</p>
<p>I have to disagree with you Claudeturipin. Just statistically, look at the results threads, if you look at the percents of people being accepted who had a 2300+ SAT to a 2100 SAT, there is a clear difference. But, I’m willing to listen to you, why do you say you’re son is a truly interesting individual?</p>
<p>^Well, the results agree with every I know outside CC as well. And the sample size is much larger since the results thread go back for like 4 years.</p>
<p>Fauxmaven & Physicsboy32: I don’t want to out my son by being too specific, but I will say that his ec’s were truly unique, e.g., he wrote an extremely popular monthly column about youth environmental initiatives in a widely-read alternative newspaper (that’s only one example). But the point is that interesting ec’s will trump minor statistical differences every time. So stop worrying about the difference between a 2200 and a 2300 and focus instead on what makes you a special applicant.</p>
<p>Hi,
I am new to this forum. My son is applying to HYP Ivy Leagues (H as early action). His rank is 1/200, SAT is 2310 and weighted GPA 5.13. SAT Subject tests: 780 in Biology, 800 in US History and 750 in Math II. His ECs activities are participation in Debate tournaments, tutoring underprivileged students with a volunteer trip to Nicaragua. He spent the last two summers learning about Health disparities for minorities and doing Cancer research with MD researcher. He already had an interview with Harvard alumni and expect the results in December. Because he is a first Hispanic generation, he was told he has a chance at Harvard. Is this true?
He is also applying to Penn, UChicago, Cornell and Hopkins just in case he is not accepted at HYP. Any advise?</p>
<p>Wow, he didn’t get 800 in Math II?!?!?!?! Is he in remedial math or something? It’s over. He got no chance.</p>
<p>joking</p>
<p>@espinlh: Your son is a boss!!! Hispanic or not he has a great shot at HYP and every other place he applies too. Lets just hope he has a good personality to match!</p>