I am currently a junior at TJHSST, which is a highly ranked STEM school in northern Virginia. My school is well known for having very rigorous academics, and a good portion of students get into ivies and other prestigious schools every year. My problem is that I’m not sure about my chances of getting into my dream school which is either UVA, Brown or Duke (I haven’t decided which yet) because my grades aren’t ideal. I currently have a 4.19 W GPA (3.79 UW), and I started my freshman and sophomore years off not so great (got a couple of B’s each year, and a C+ in a semester math class during sophomore year, which is known to be notoriously hard) but turned things around junior year and managed to get all A’s junior year. I have also taken 5 APs, up until now, and will be taking 4 next year. I think part of the reason that my grades were lower early on was because I had a really tough time adjusting to the extremely high-pressure academic and social environment at TJ.
I think my extracurriculars are pretty good (I am an eagle scout, did an internship at a non-profit last summer and will be doing another internship this summer, row on the crew team, am active in clubs, etc) and I think my SAT and other scores are good. Do I still stand a chance for these schools, even with my GPA? Do colleges ever overlook an average GPA if an applicant has other good factors? I’m just really stressed because everyone around me is getting such good grades and doing big things, and I always see upperclassmen getting into their dream schools. I have worked so hard, but unfortunately my grades dont reflect that. Thank you so much for the input!
An upward trend is good. Is that 3.79 uwGPA cumulative? If it is, it would be better than 3.79 with no trend or downward trend.
Oh yeah I forgot to mention the 4.19/3.79 is my cumulative GPA including junior year grades
surely the counselors at your “highly ranked STEM school” are as familiar with admissions to top schools as random posters on this forum?
What is your SAT score?
The problem with Duke and Brown, is that you will be competing with kids (perhaps some from your own school) who don’t have C+ and B grades. Those schools routinely reject valedictorians and kids with perfect grades, so you need to consider them as real reaches.
No one can reassure you will get into your dream schools.
You’re already doing the best you can with school and EC’s. Time to work just as hard on your college list so it has reach, match, and safety schools. A good list of schools is truly the most important part of the admissions process.
There are more than three good colleges out there and many, many paths for academic, career, and personal success. Go find some more choices that you will be happy with.
@AroundHere nails it.
Having a dream school just feeds the beast. It’s a setup for a huge disappointment and and entire industry exists to get you to want them.
Don’t have a dream school, have a dream life. Figure out the person you want to be and how you can get there. Then you go about picking schools that might help you achieve that dream life.
Apply to reaches, matches and at least 2 safeties. If you do that you will have at least 2 acceptances to choose from and will have to disappoint a very good college.
You are the prize not the college. Treat the process that way. Schools that don’t accept you lose any chance of you going there. It’s their loss.
Get rid of dream schools, especially when you are going to be facing an uphill battle as it is. Why on earth aren’t you trying to figure out what schools you have a real shot of getting into, that you can afford, and will be happy to attend? Here’s some truth: no one will care one iota where you are going to college, except for you and your family.
It’s nice to have a dream, but reality comes first. Make a list of realistic schools, then add a dream or two. As far as working hard, there are literally tens of thousands of kids all over the country who work harder than their parents ever had to to get into a good college. You will get your reward based on the package you present. You won’t get extra points for effort, because virtually everyone who gets into the top schools has put in a ton of effort too.
Duke is definitely a reach with a 3.79 GPA.
What did you say your SAT was again? You only said it was “good”, without any actual numbers.
The issue at TJ is that pretty much the whole graduating class could be admitted to UVa on a competitive basis. Reach out to your GC and get their take on where you stand. They’ve seen how college admissions has worked out for TJ students for years and can give you good guidance on your chances and probably other options you could start to consider. Even if you had absolutely stellar grades, your dream schools couldn’t be considered safeties coming out of TJ. You will be able to get into a good school, maybe even the schools you’ve listed. But definitely cast your net a lot wider and make sure you have other good options from an academic and financial perspective. Good luck!