Low GPA, am I done?

kell161718
Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:33:55 +0000

Hi everyone! I’m a junior this year and soon I’ll have to enter the dreaded process of college applications. I’ve been doing some research about colleges and the admission process, but honestly, I do not even know which colleges I have a chance of being accepted into. So I’ve finally figured out how to post a new thread and ask for you guys’ opinions.

I’m a very dedicated student, one of the rare “naturally-smarts.” But there were some obstacles that I faced during the first two years of high school that made it hard for me to excel at school (mild-depression and the stress of moving to a new location once again). I want to know if I still have a chance at what used to be my dream colleges despite my low GPA.

Race: South Asian
My GPA (unweighted)- 3.3 out of 4.0 (This is the huge bomb)
My GPA (weighted)- 3.6 out of ??
SAT score (not superscored)- 2270
Planning to take the SAT IIs for Chem and Biology

Classes that I’ve taken: (Very rigorous courses)
-8th: Spanish 1 (no honors available), Algebra Honors
-9th: Spanish 2 Honors, Geometry H, Biology H, 9th Lit H, AP Human Geography, Am Gov/Health
-10th: Spanish 3 H, PreCalc H, Chem H, 10th Lit H, AP World History, AP Statistics
-11th: Spanish 4 H, AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Language, Debate Class
-(Hopefully) 12th: AP Calculus BC, Anatomy H, AP Physics B, College English, AP MacroEconomics, Debate Class

So my questions are basically:

1. I understand that colleges consider the rigor of an applicant’s course, but how much does this mitigate a low GPA?

2) Can high SAT scores, a very rigorous schedule, and really good extracurriculars trump a low GPA?