Isn't GPA overrated?

dabigjimbo24
Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:17:25 +0000

The OP’s argument is legitmate, but I’m in the complete opposite camp. In my opinion GPA in a normal environment should be a FAR greater factor in any admissions decision. GPA is accumaltive and is your entire academic body of work throughout highschool. The SAT and ACT are tests that most people only take once or twice, which by the way are nowhere near an truly accurate indicator of intelligence or even strength in a particular area. Let me ask you this? Who do you think is more deserving of a rejection from a university? The person that is pretty smart and works hard in highschool to get good grades or the slacker who is a little more gifted and does better on more random, standardized testing?

Yes, GPA can be variable. The quality of your teachers, difficulty of the individual courses can both have effects on your GPA. Your highschool’s reputation and difficulty also have an effect on how colleges look at your GPA. Some type of standardized test is needed, otherwise there would be way to look at each person on a supposedly “level” field. However, the SAT and ACT simply aren’t that test.

Personally, I got a 570 math, 680 cr, and 690 w ok, but not that great. Math is my weakest area and takes me longer to get than the average person, although I still do well when taught the material. English is definitely my strength, however, it is not reflected on the SAT whatsoever. To put things in perspective, I got a 5 on the English AP exam and got nearly the same percentage correct on the reading section of that test (which is about 10x harder than the SAT). I tend to anzalyze more throughoughly and therefore on the SAT I get screwed because I go with the more anyaltical answer rather than the simple one. Essentially, my strength in English was actually a disadvantage on the SAT. Instances like these haven’t happened only to me. For example, 2 of my friends, who both are strong at English and got 5’s and got over a 1400 on their SATs got the same exact reading score as me, 680 (they’re a little more naturally gifted at math which reflects the disparity in the scores). While my friends and I all got 680s on the reading, a stoner, who isn’t dumb, but is just ok at English gets over a 700. The math section of the sat in my opinion is better reflection of a strength in that area. My friend, who also got the 680 on CR, but an 740 on math completely agree with me, so apparently it isn’t just me.

So basically I have worked my 4 years of highschool and done extremely well at one of the top private schools in my area , but am hancicapped from getting alot of my college choices simply because of a crappy standardized test score. Students with a gpa similar to mine from my school generally get into top 25 schools, but for me its a complete crapshoot of me to get into the school I’ve always wanted to attend, University of Florida (both of my parents went there) due to my sat. I know I’m going to do extremely well in college. I’m prepared because of the difficulty of the work I’ve had to do at my school, but completly handicapped by my sat.

My mom is an attorney for a major law firm and did incredibly average on he sats and lsat and finished at the top of her law class. Now alot those egotistical students who flaunted their sats are working for her.

I apologize for my rant, but I’'m just pretty frustrated with the whole college admissions process. I find out from UF friday so hopefully I’ll get in despite my sats.