<p>Does anyone know which one out of Dartmouth, Columbia, and Brown is most forgiving about a lower GPA, assuming that everything else surpasses expectations or meets requirements? </p>
<p>The B’s were in sophomore and junior year after changing schools. The most important years.</p>
<p>Um, these are all Ivy League schools. I don’t think any of them will be particularly forgiving about a low GPA.</p>
<p>Then again, this is CC, so “low” could mean anything for 1.0 to 3.8.</p>
<p>ETA: This is my way of saying “I don’t know.”</p>
<p>Relatively speaking. And we’re looking at a 3.76, but the B’s were in bad years to get B’s. in the toughest courseload at a school that’s at least top 5 in the state (says its #1 but idk…). With a change of schools between freshman and sophomore year, and death in the family.</p>
<p>If there’s a good reason for the lower grades – such as a death in the family – virtually all schools are forgiving. However, given the competition for top schools like Ivies, that still won’t guarantee an acceptance, so apply wherever you wish, but have at least one safety that you love and can afford.</p>
<p>How could anybody be applying to Columbia and Dartmouth/Brown? Columbia is radically different from the other two…a more logical pairing would be “Columbia or UChcago” and “Brown or Dartmouth or Amherst”</p>
<p>ilovebagels, your groupings are even more messed up. 
There are people who consider Brown and Dartmouth to be comparable? Seriously?</p>
<p>In general, I think it’s fair to say that Columbia is more selective than Brown and Dartmouth, although it’s not a big difference.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/567740-selective-colleges-admitting-students-below-3-75-gpa.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/567740-selective-colleges-admitting-students-below-3-75-gpa.html</a></p>
<p>Bs are not bad grades. They are good grades. A 3.76 is not a low GPA. You know it’s a bad sign when a good high school student comes on here to say something about a 3.76! That’s a near-perfect GPA, if 4.0 is the metric. We come from a time that grades are so inflated because every class that has slightly harder requirements than regular classes gets an extra half-point or full point, so we end up with people with weighted GPAs of 4.86. They’re meaningless now.</p>
<p>They’re a couple of Bs. You’ll be okay.</p>
<p>thanks tokenadult, i checked out that post a couple days ago and found it extremely encouraging - especially dartmouth’s stats. it’s not about the GPA though, really. It’s the fact that I’ve almost shown a decrease in grades rather than that increasing trend they like to see. Also, none of my grades match up with my AP scores. I got 5’s in classes I have B’s in and 4’s in classes I have A’s in. What does that say, if anything?</p>
<p>Forgiving doesn’t really mean much when the schools get a crap load of applicants who don’t need any forgiving to begin with.</p>
<p>The question is, what do you have that will make them take you seriously?</p>
<p>I would think a lot of stuff. enough stuff. The grades suck, everything else more than meets requirements.</p>
<p>Then don’t worry about the grades. If you won’t get in by the strength of other stuff, then GPA probably wouldn’t tip the scales either way.</p>
<p>The comparison between Dartmouth, Brown, and Columbia-- my top 3:</p>
<p>I want to major in economics and go into international law or business. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Columbia- New York City. Great law school admissions, amazing opportunities in the city. Excellent academics, broad core curriculum to truly develop an individual’s mind. Oh, and New York City. </p></li>
<li><p>Brown - the liberalness of the course options can let a student choose a broad spectrum of knowledge, without dealing with classes they don’t care about. Great law school admissions, great relaxed feel to the campus. </p></li>
<li><p>Dartmouth - It’s great at law, great study abroad programs, has some of the most successful, both as humans and as masters at the art of making money, people walk out of its doors because of the excellent academics - and well, people are just happy there.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>As far as the GPA, I hope that the colleges understand my circumstances and give me some special consideration… though obviously, I’m going to be compared to many, many, more qualified students in the mix.</p>