I may just be overanxious because it’s AP season, but recently I’ve been worrying over the possibility of getting a B or a <4.0 UW GPA this year. So far I’ve had straight A’s and all 5’s/800’s on APs and SAT IIs. I feel a little nervous about my stats this year, though, because I will be applying for CS/E or bioE next year, and I think they might hold my numbers against me if I don’t have the full 4.0/5/800 accompaniment that everyone else has.
Also, my school district has a bit of a cheating problem, so there will still be plenty of 4.0’s no matter what happens. We don’t rank, but the number of kids who have perfect stats is already artificially inflated.
I know that a lot of schools has holistic views on EC’s, grades, and whatnot, but I feel that the super-selective schools (HYPMS-level) won’t be so forgiving. I have pretty decent EC’s and recs, but overall I’m just worried I’ll end up being screwed over by an errant B in second semester junior year.
Any thoughts on this, CC? Specifically, if any seniors have been in a similar situation - did taking the B/4/790 kill your Harvard app? How good do your EC’s have to be to offset something like this?
The super selective schools are MORE forgiving once a certain threshold of GPA/Transcript & test scores is reached. They’ll look for stunning character. You ARE overanxious – an “errant B” in your mind equals a felony conviction, it seems.
But here’s another HUGE fallacy: “did taking the B/4/790 kill your Harvard app?” No-- for most people, hitting the SUBMIT button killed their Harvard app. You’re nuts to think that an institution w/ ~5% accept rate can be distilled to something so simplistic as a single grade. You say you believe they’re holistic but you sure don’t act like it. Please try to relax – submit the best version of yourself as possible and then let it go.
You clearly haven’t looked at the results threads on CC, OP. I recommend doing that. You’ll see lots and lots of people with perfect scores getting rejected and lots and lots of people without them getting in.
Mmkay, sounds good. I’ve just known too many kids in my district with perfect scores not getting in anywhere - made me wonder if a person without perfect scores even has a chance. But yeah, I’ll go take a look at some results threads. Thanks!
Yes they do have a chance because perfect scores are not necessarily what they are looking for. Seriously one B has no disadvantage in the big picture. But if you think you are getting ‘screwed over’ if you don’t get into HYPSM has me thinking you are in for a rude awakening. As has been said elsewhere here, making a list of tippy top colleges is the easy part. Spend the time on the rest of your list, assuming that you don’t get an admit, what admits would you like to be looking at in that case?
Most of the most-selective LACs and National Research Universities spend inordinate time and effort to conduct their admissions processes holistically. While it is generally fair to indicate that highly competitive “numbers” are required, they seek INDIVIDUALS who will help create a “perfectly rounded class.” It’s doubtful if a B/4/770 will – alone – be the decision determinant.
Chirality,
The kids with perfect scores that didn’t get in “anywhere” made the mistake of not applying to safety schools - schools that accept a higher percentage of applicants, and that have slightly lower GPA/score averages. Kids with perfect scores sometimes make the false assumption that their perfect scores guarantee them admission to the top schools. However, there are more perfect students than there are slots in those top schools, so not everyone will be accepted.
Apply to the top schools, but be sure that you also apply to some a little down the ladder, and at least one that you can be pretty sure of being accepted by.
Also, for some careers, Harvard or another Ivy may not be your best choice. What is your intended major? We might have other suggestions for you to consider.
I echo the comments above, but I also understand where @Chirality is coming from.
My son hasn’t taken SAT II’s yet, but he has 800s on the SAT I and a straight 4.0 GPA as he nears the end of his junior year. For his first two years, life was a breeze - he pursued his interests, engaged in school, did all those good things regular posters on here advise. But as his junior year nears its close, he’s beginning to feel pressure.
He now knows he’s a viable HYP candidate (while recognizing it’s still a crap shoot) thus far, and is suddenly apprehensive about taking that one false step, blowing that one final exam or whatever, that will suddenly render moot all the hard work he’s done until now to get himself in position.
We keep telling him to do everything he’s done all along, but I can also appreciate why he feels increasingly stressed. He doesn’t want to come all this way, only to have it fall apart at the end. So, like we tell him - you are doing great, keep doing what you’re doing, and focus on the moment, not on where you’re going to go to college.