Hello. I didn’t get into my ED school and I am ok with that but my next top choice is Amherst College (which honestly, I wish I ED(EDed? - haha) there - hindsight 2020).
That being said I am working my butt off this first semester to have the best grades I’ve ever had in HS to send out to this school (and others).
Here’s my breakdown:
I currently have a 4.35 weighted (ew - i know), 3.7 weighted. However, that is because I had a 4.1 freshman year, a 4.45 sophomore, and a 4.5 junior. My 4.1 was the result of a major change in my family environment at home (parents went through a sudden and rough divorce–oh well). I am hoping to end quarter 2 with a 5.0 (which averaged with my q1 gpa (a 4.66) is a 4.83).
I am really hoping that this will be enough to make up for my pretty low GPA. For example, if i averaged the 4.83 and the 4.35 my GPA overall is a 4.59 (much more appealing).
Am I speculating too much? Is doing well this quarter enough to make up for my grossness in the rest of my GPA?
Other than that I think my application is really great. I have a great essay, great personal statement, great recommendations, and great ECs (started 2 clubs, a bunch of MUN awards, captain of my track team, etc.)
I am just trying to understand the role that senior year plays and hoping that it is a significant one. If anyone has any advice that would be great… thanks!
Your senior year grades are very important and can make a difference, especially if you are taking the most challenging courses. A lot of kids get hit by senioritus, so if you don’t succumb to it, you are that much ahead of the crowd.
Having said all of that, Amherst is a really tough school to gain acceptance. Like one of the most selective. It’s a small school , to boot, so they simply do not have many seats. You don’t have any hooks. Even with top test scores, it’s going to be a tough hurdle for you ( Or anyone else ) to gain acceptance to this highly selective school. I’ve known kids accepted to Harvard and Yale over Amherst.
It’s fine to have a favorite school, and Amherst ranks way up there with me. Wish I’d applied there, fine there. So, yes, it’s on your list, but it’s a super reach. Do start looking for some schools that are not as selective that you can like too. Too much focus on one school often excluded other possibilities in ones mind and that can lead to a whole lot of hurt and lack of emotional investment in other schools More realistic for you. Picking off schools that are on highly selective lists is a lot easier than doing research on schools less known. Don’t leave out that part of the college search process. “Finding” Amherst is not a big deal. Finding a school likely to take you …, and affordable is.
Will your divorced parents cooperate with the CSS Profile and contributing to your college costs? Amherst requires both of their financial information to determine financial aid.
https://www.amherst.edu/offices/financialaid/firstyear_transfer/applying
As far as GPA goes, others will understand you better if you list unweighted GPA.
Fwiw, you can’t average your GPA from 2 grading periods for Senior year with your cumulate GPA from 3 years of school to get a new GPA.
Full years of 4.1, 4.45, 4.5 and one semester of 4.83 yields a 4.42.
The current 3.7(0?) unweighted would likely be around a 3.77.
As noted above, an upward trend is always better than the alternatives, and grades from Freshman year tend to be discounted a bit, and completely discarded by some schools.