Semi/Finalist chances with lowish GPA?

pmtdst
Fri, 13 Dec 2019 15:06:49 +0000

My S21 has been bopping along in the “I’ll go to the local community college and then transfer after two years” track, or perhaps the “I’ll go to a small school that offers me full tuition somewhere down south” track. He’s very bright but goes to an intense public high school in an intense area and had a rough school year last year. He bombed his finals which brought his GPA down to a weighted 3.7. He had a C in one class. After some parental encouragement to reduce the workload and increase work/life balance (he’s only taking 2 APs this year), he’s much, much happier and it is reflected in his grades. We’re content.

Then along comes the PSAT. His selection score is 223. Our state’s cutoff has been 222 the last couple of years so unless there’s a major shift for an already high cutoff state, I’m guessing he’ll make semi.

Realistically, what are his chances for finalist with his grades? The recommendation won’t be a problem, he’s a good writer, and we’ll know about the SATs after he takes them in March, but he’s always been a great test taker (as he says, multiple choice is his jam). He’s done no test prep and has no plans to do any until we see how his first round of SATs go.

If he becomes NMF, is admission to some of these ‘full ride’ schools (UCF and U of Alabama most specifically) a guarantee?

This is an intimidating new world to us.