<p>Hi, I’m a junior at an extremely competitive high school (kids go to ivies left and right, while I myself am not confident at all). After moving from Korea, to Brazil, and to the U.S, I screwed up my sophomore year completely (I think I got a 3.0 GPA that year), my freshman year, I did pretty okay. I’m feeling more secure and confident this year as a junior, and I got a decent grade this quarter. </p>
<p>However, after checking Naviance, it showed that my GPA is a 3.4 (both weighted and unweighted). Is it too late to raise this, even to a 3.5 (provided I do well this year)? And being one who wants to major in writing/english/screenwriting, how low are my chances to get into schools like NYU, Emory, Wesleyan, and Brown (the last one is highly unlikely of course)?</p>
<p>A 3.4 - presuming that it’s unweighted - is not a bad GPA at all, but it probably won’t be competitive at the most selective colleges unless your test scores and extracurricular resume are truly dazzling. Are you looking at BFA programs or regular BA colleges? The Screenwriting programs at selective schools like NYU/Tisch place a great emphasis on your portfolio. They consider academic criteria, but a 3.4 is adequate if your writing samples blow them away. Wesleyan is very GPA-focused, since they are now a test-optional school. They review applications holistically, but they are less likely than other colleges to weigh test scores over grades. Bard has an interesting option, now, whereby you can submit four prompted essays in lieu of a transcript. </p>
<p>Wait to see your test scores and junior grades. A strong upward trend, with a rigorous course-load and good scores, will compensate for a rough start. </p>
<p>Great test scores and an upward trend are definitely the angle to shoot for here. Sign up for both the SAT and ACT early next year to get a fix on where you stand, then see where your junior year grades come in. That should give you a strong idea about what will be possible.</p>
<p>Being extremely competitive could make a difference. It all depends on your ranking and naviance, you should consult your school counselor to find out your chances at the competitive Unis. </p>
<p>More important than your GPA in determining where you will go to college is what your family can afford. You need to talk financing with mom and dad and get their help running the net price calculator at each school in which you’re interested. You’re not going to a college you cannot afford.</p>
<p>In a situation where a student is playing the rising trend card, Naviance and ranking can be misleading and cause a student to not apply to schools they may otherwise be qualified for. A skilled GC is the answer in this case, not some automated system that doesn’t take OPs specific situation into account. But @jkeil911 is correct - you aren’t going anywhere you can’t afford.</p>
<p>The key thing that you CAN control now, is to show that now that you are settled, you can get good grades on challenging courses. SO worry about junior year and get extra help if you need it and do great!</p>