Isn't GPA overrated?

YeloPen
Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:49:46 +0000

However, when we took the PSATs in freshman year, she scored a 154, while I scored a 232. Yet, even my own grandparents say if I continue on the path I’m going, I will become a plumber due to my less-than-asian GPA of 3.5. GPA is overrated to the max.



Has it occurred to you that your grandparents probably know more about the real world than you do? In the real world your PSAT means nothing and your work ethic means almost everything …



I believe that if a slacker like myself were given the opportunity to attend a top notch institute of higher learning, he/she would rise to the occasion and be finally able to realize and utilize their full potential.



You can believe that all you want, but adcoms are never going to make that assumption. Why should anyone believe that, after 18 years of slacking, you’re suddenly going to rise to the occasion? Adcoms aren’t your parents, they won’t trust you and give you a second chance if they have no reason to. And for the record, adcoms at top schools don’t generally have to choose between intelligent slackers and less-intelligent hard-workers … why? Because there are plenty of people who are both intelligent and hard-working.

I hate to be hostile, but it’s really silly when people say they’re smarter than others and back it up using SAT scores. I mean, if you’re so intelligent, why did you even need to work hard in high school to get good grades? There’s no reason for you to feel entitled to a top school if you’ve slacked off in high school … I mean, there are a lot of people out there who have better grades and scores than you and hardly feel like they deserve to attend a top school.