<p>I’m currently a junior at a private school in California that claims to be in the top half of the forty schools in the country labeled most successful in placing their students into the most selective colleges and universities (I know, that’s a mouthful). I’m a Caucasian male, and I belong to a middle-class family that plans to apply for financial aid.</p>
<p>Well, I wasn’t very focused on my grades during my freshman year (two C+'s) and it wasn’t until the second semester of my sophomore year that my grades were decent (from B to A+). Though I started off week in my freshman year, my grades have always improved. This year I plan to earn above a 90% in each of my classes. (I’m not taking any AP’s or honors classes.)</p>
<p>Well, I earned a 2400 on my SAT this year. Though my teachers agree that I am an inherently talented and earnest individual, my past grades have not reflected my ambitions. So where do I stand? And more importantly, where do I go from here? It’s early, so I haven’t started narrowing down too heavily, but my college list looks something like this:</p>
<ol>
<li>Columbia (my absolute favorite … I would love to go here)</li>
<li>Cornell (Architecture)</li>
<li>Dartmouth (Comp. Sci. … legacy)</li>
<li>Rice (Architecture)</li>
<li>NYU</li>
<li>Trinity</li>
</ol>
<p>I am a very talented art student (toot toot), and I’ve been working with computers for as long as I can remember. During the week I teach adults how to use their computers, and as a hobby I maintain multiple websites (which I designed and built from scratch). I’ve also designed and built a couple of websites (none survive, sadly, but I’ve kept the source and images) for others. I’m a very good writer, so I hope and expect that my essays will turn out great. I’ve volunteered plenty and held a couple of part-time jobs just to be around what I love and to pocket some cash. Though my EC’s are not amazing at this point, there is still time for me to branch out and do some impressive things.</p>
<p>I do <em>not</em> think that I will try to use the “shotgun method” when I apply to schools; though I am leaning toward Ivy Leagues, I will apply only to those that I can truly see myself at (and Dartmouth). Is it at all likely that colleges will see where my inherent interests lie, and accept me even with my poor GPA? I studied relatively little for the SAT (though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t work my ass off in the three months preceding the SAT just to push my score over the edge). Am I kidding myself by putting Columbia and Cornell on the list? Any input is welcome, really.</p>
<p>No you definitely have hope. The 2400 will help you a lot. If you can maintain a 4.0 with really high grades (no A-') it’ll be really impressive, especially if you took a really challenging courseload. The colleges like improvement.</p>
<p>The EC’s… just work on what you like. not much else to say, I guess.</p>
<p>Out of curiosity, what high school do you go to? I live in CA too, so i was just wondering</p>
<p>Thanks for the input, cyberchondriac. I’m in Southern California, but I’d like to remain anonymous just to protect my own interests; I hope you understand. Do you think that colleges will still be impressed if I earned A’s and B’s in my first semester, then earned all A’s (no A-'s) in my second, and during my senior year undertook a challenging course-load with ~3 APs?</p>
<p>I can see where you’re coming from. You seem to be a relatively experienced adviser, and I appreciate your taking the time to respond. I understand that one’s best defense against the Ivys’ rejection stamp is to have been consistently exceptional from the beginning of one’s freshman year, but does a swift and dramatic improvement of grades leave an impression as well? All over this board, the application process for the Ivy Leagues is described as a lottery; I just want to know whether or not there’s a chance that I can even be entered in the lottery. I’m just a little more than halfway through high school and I would like to believe that there’s still opportunity for me to build up an impressive academic arsenal.</p>
<p>Just remember (we parents were told this at a very comparable private school in New England, by the assistant head of admissions from Yale) that Yale rejects 60% of the students who apply there with a 2400 score on their SATs. It’s probably true at least of Harvard as well, and of other schools. So I hope you look at and apply to schools that INTEREST you, not just Ivies because they are reputed to be the top schools in the country. </p>
<p>As I recall about 1600 students in the country, get a perfect SAT score. And guess what–they don’t all go to Ivy League schools. </p>
<p>But hey, at least you don’t have to take it again!</p>
<p>“PS And just be sure which “week” you mean, when you describe your freshman year. Couldn’t resist.”</p>
<p>Ah, nice catch. I’m normally a grammar fiend, but I didn’t take the time to proofread my post because, well, it was a tough day and I couldn’t help but relax from my usual stern demeanor. </p>
<p>Thanks for the kind and truthful words; you are certainly right about this …</p>
<p>“But hey, at least you don’t have to take it again!”</p>
<p>You are about to embark on a grand and wonderful journey (figuring out where you will end up for college) and when you look back, you will not believe how winding and full of surprises the road was. And you will end up at a great place–or if not, it WILL be your first choice college, and a wonderful place, the best, by 31 October of your first year. Trust me!</p>
<p>At most schools, especially with a 2400, it will leave them with the impression you’re looking for–the one that will get you in. At the very top colleges there are simply too many candidates they need to reject with flawless transcripts for them to take someone who has not excelled throughout.</p>
<p>If you read through the archives here or read books like ‘Gatekeepers’, you’ll see admissions officers at schools far easier to get into than ivies commenting on high scoring kids who got a couple of B’s or a single C and put them in the rejection pile. There’s just too many kids after the same few seats. And you’re from an overrepresented state and an overrepresented population they’re trying to cut (prep school kids)–they will expect more from you than most.</p>
<p>I think NYU and Trinity will welcome you and probably Rice.</p>
<p>It might help if you put your actual GPA and rank here. It’s sort of hard to tell without that. It is true that single sitting 2400 don’t grow on trees.</p>
<p>I think you may have a reasonable chance at Cornell. But we need to know your grades, not just a passing mention of a few. You also need to be taking the most rigorous schedule at your school, whatever that is.</p>