Low GPA vs. High SAT?

sarah_lg
Tue, 12 Apr 2016 04:04:37 +0000

I’m a high school junior, and I’m planning on applying to a lot of competitive colleges. I would consider myself a fairly rigorous student, but unfortunately my GPA does not seem to reflect that. I have a total GPA of 4.24 (weighted) and 3.85 (unweighted), and a 10-12 GPA of 4.29/3.76 (for UC schools). Although this is a little low, I have good a good/average SAT score – 2230 overall (NOT superscored). I also got an 800 in math, which is notable, an 11 on my essay, and 710 in writing and 730 in critical reading. I also expect to do well on the ACT, as I took a practice one with absolutely no prior studying and got a 33, so I hope to get a 34 or 35.
I am also relatively well rounded in terms of extracurriculars (athletics, arts, academic clubs, volunteering, etc.). Do you think I still have a shot at colleges like Georgetown, UC Berkeley, and Columbia? How much do colleges care about test scores over GPA? My low GPA can be attributed to my intensely rigorous class schedule, including AP courses, honors courses, and an accelerated math program (I’m ahead one year, i.e. I will complete Calculus BC next year)
Thanks!