Low GPA, Test Optional Accepted to Top Business School!

Applying to College
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A lot of people on here and reddit me told me that it was going to be highly unlikely for me to get into any of my reaches. My best advice is to just shoot your shot and ignore those people.

Demographics

  • Gender: Male
  • Race/Ethnicity: Asian
  • Residence: Midwest
  • Income Bracket: Middle class
  • Type of School: Public (not really competitive)
  • Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): First gen

Intended Major(s): Business

Academics

  • GPA (UW/W): 3.75 UW but upward grade trend (super low gpa compared to people in this sub and the school i got accepted to)

Freshman: 3.5
Sophomore: 3.7
Junior: 4.0
Senior (first semester): 4.0

  • Rank (or percentile): Top 10%
  • # of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: 10 aps
  • Senior Year Course Load: 3 aps and rest are regular classes

Standardized Testing

List the highest scores earned and all scores that were reported.

  • SAT: Test Optional
  • AP/IB: APUSH (4), APES (4), APCSP (3)

Extracurriculars/Activities

List all extracurricular involvements, including leadership roles, time commitments, major achievements, etc.

Going to be vague

  1. Family Responsibility – wrote about it in common app essay and referred it in my supplemental essay
  2. Summer internship at local law firm
  3. Started two community service clubs
  4. Easily obtained business internship
  5. Taught foreign people English
  6. Student Government, was a member
  7. Leadership summer camp
  8. Volunteered at a library one summer

Awards/Honors

List all awards and honors submitted on your application.

  1. AP Scholar
  2. Finalist for a scholarship
  3. Received a scholarship twice to attend the summer camp mentioned above

Letters of Recommendation

Teacher 1: was my apush teacher, didn’t really talked to her or establish a close connection, but came to test corrections and put in a lot of work in projects and assignment and I think she definitely knows that 7/10

Teacher 2: French teacher, I think she liked me but again didn’t really personally interacted with her, but I did attend french club multiple time and she’s the advisor for it 6/10

Counselor: said I was one of the few ambitious student he met and I talked to quite a few times. He also showed up at one of my activities. 8/10

Interviews

None

Essays

My main common app essay wasn’t anything unique but I took a unique route towards structuring it. I included a few dialougues in between paragraph of commentary. I believe my supplemental essay is where I really shine. I constantly talked about the college but connected back to me. I ended it up by connecting it back to my culture and the school’s values and history, and I wholeheartedly believe that my supplemental is what got me in.

Decisions (indicate ED/EA/REA/SCEA/RD)

Acceptances:

MSU (EA), IU Bloomington (EA), SMU and direct admission to Cox (EA), and Boston College CSOM (ED2)

Waitlists:

None

Rejections:

Emory (ED1) & Villanova (EA)

Additional Information:

Talked about why my freshman grade was low

1 Like
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Congratulations!! BC and Boston will be great. What sport were you recruited for? Curious - and impressed,

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I dont play any sports, so i wasnt recruited. I received my decison early because i applied early decision

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Congratulations. It’s a very expensive school so hope the financials work so you can attend.

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I misread - you described type of hooks and I read too quickly and thought the first hook, recruited athlete was what you identified.

My daughter is first year at BC and is very happy. Has made lots of friends - people very friendly. Workload seems heavy and classes hard but profs accessible. Helps to be organized and to attend office hours etc

2 Likes
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Thank you :). When should i expect my finnacial aid package?

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What is she majoring in? And are the dorms good because i heard a lot of bad stories about them

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@Chickenskewer
Wow! Congratulations! Thank you so much for returning with an update.

I haven’t looked up your previous threads, but based on most Chance Mes I’d expect you were encouraged to apply to a balanced list of schools because everyone needs to understand the limited space available at schools with lower admit rates. Fantastic kids are rejected every year and will never know why. That does not mean not to take your shot. If you did take it that way, I’m thrilled you went for it anyway!

Sincere best wishes to you.

4 Likes
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Thinking Econ and so in MCAS. She is on Newton in a quad, was worried but turned out great. Went random for roommates and ended up with wonderful roommates and friends. I’ve only seen her dorm and it is fine. It isn’t fancy but her corner room has windows on two sides and very bright. No elevators-on third floor so workout everyday. She loves the rec center and goes to spin classes etc with her friends.

Be open and meet as many people as you can. Join clubs-that’s the advice I gave my daughter. Good luck and enjoy!

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Thank You!

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Congratulations on your ED2 acceptance to Boston College! You were accepted to many great schools.

In your previous thread, linked below, the schools you were aiming for were Emory, U. of Michigan, and Michigan State. Michigan State was projected as your likeliest acceptance, and Emory and UMich were thought unlikely. It appears you decided not to apply to UMich and Emory was a rejection. Thus, it does not appear as though the advice you were given was in conflict with what your actual results were.

As @DramaMama2021 indicated, students are generally advised to have a balanced list of schools to apply to. They can shoot their shot, but they need to have affordable sure things that they would be happy to attend. I’m very happy for you that everything worked out in your favor and wishing you the best of luck in your time at BC.

6 Likes
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Thank you. I actually got deferred from UMich. I think a major reason why i got rejected from emory is because of the supplemental essays. I reread them and they appeared very cliche. I was just stating classes and professors and seldom elaborated on “why?”

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This is my alt. I have another account and people said i wouldnt even get into MSU, which was really demotivating.

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Congratulations !

Love your list of schools.

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Closing as a result. Feel free to post under your original account. Good luck