Should I apply to competitive colleges?

Applying to College
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<p>Well, long story short: Throughout high school I had numerous responsibilities, I turned in my brother into the police who was mentally ill for committing many felonies when I was sixteen. Therefor throughout high school I missed a lot of school because I had to be in court, my mother does not speak English(No father), I had to be at every meeting with the lawyers and every court date. My mother also became severely depressed, quit her job, and we lost our home. So, I also had to work a lot. (I began my own online business, worked for my school’s A/V crew, and became a waitress) I know this isn’t the worst thing that could occur in my life, but it was something that required a lot of time. I chose to take care of my family over doing school work, but it’s not because I don’t genuinely enjoy education.</p>

<p>I wasn’t willing to give up my extracurricular activities because I am incapable of quitting and I held many leadership positions I would have been ashamed to walk away from. Therefor, my GPA is extremely low: 3.2 UW/ 3.8 W. (I took 2 APs my junior year, I was taking 2 APs over the summer, and I am taking 3 APs my senior year) My SAT scores are in the 2300s, my extracurricular are great, I’m fairly certain my recommendations will be good, and I can write good essays, HOWEVER, I am aware that my GPA is awful in comparison to the average applicant at competitive school. That being said, I believe I can demonstrate that I am both hard working and capable of handling college level courses. </p>

<p>So, I’m looking for honest opinions, should I really apply to competitive colleges? Part of me feels like I owe it to myself to at least try, I would prefer to try and get rejected, rather than live knowing I never tried at all. The other part of me wants to be realistic and acknowledge that I made a decision that seriously affected my chances of getting into a highly competitive college. So, what do you guys think? Do I have a chance? Should I apply?</p>

<p>P.S: I attend an extremely low performing High School, so I have friends who have gotten into Dartmouth, Princeton, Tufts, BU, etc with 3.4s- 3.6s. Even though my GPA is low, I am still in the top 5% of my class, and our average SAT score is around a 1300. I am first generation and an URM, but I don’t really want that to be a huge factor in my acceptance. </p>

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<p>You should definitely apply to anywhere you feel you would like to attend. Your SAT is great and would be more than competitive at any school. The good thing about a holistic review is that if you convey you life experiences effectively they will most likely look over your gpa. The top schools love URMs as well. I think you would be an excellent candidate for any school in the country but don’t forget to apply to some safeties. </p>

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<p>You certainly can apply. The reason for standardized testing is so they can compare how you’d do in a college setting to other students; and you score very high on that scale.</p>

<p>Play your difficulties up in your essay. Ask your GC to talk about it in their letter of recommendation. There is a reason for your low GPA, so let them know. In addition, many top universities have programs for people who have faced extenuating circumstances in high school and otherwise would not have been able to attend said college.</p>

<p>You’re actually a very strong candidate, especially because of your SAT. </p>

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<p>You have a shot for sure. Take them, I think you will have success. Make sure you tell your story and how it has molded you, and things will go well.</p>

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<p>First thing…find a “safety” school that you can afford and you like and match academically.<br>
Then apply where ever else you want. Learn about them and try to figure out if they “fit” you…not just because they have a famous name. Like others said, your GC can include information about your background.</p>

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<p>I’ll be blunt with you. Your EC involvement has been too much and likely has hurt you in the essential of your GPA. GPA/transcript is the single biggest factor in any college’s evaluation. With your 2300, you’ll have some options but you shouldn’t bank on any “competitive” admissions pools – because, by definition, they’re filled with people just like you – but just with better academic achievement as well.</p>

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<p>@T26E4‌ I don’t think the OPs involvement outside of school are by any means normal EC involvement. She described (how I understand it) basically having to support her mother and his or herself while in high school. </p>

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<p>@BaseballAndMath‌ : thank you for that. @ValentinLeti‌ I’ll retract a lot of what I said. However, you need to laser focus on your GPA and cut out all but your most essential ECs.</p>

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<p>Thank you all for your opinions and advice, I sincerely appreciate them! I realize that competitive schools are filled with kids just like me except with higher GPAs, I’m not special or entitled. That being said, you’ve all convinced me it’s worth a shot, even if the chances aren’t all that high. Hopefully I can convince college admissions that my GPA isn’t an accurate measurement of my academic abilities, or my work ethic. I will certainly be applying to safety schools, and I’ll make sure my senior grades are all A’s. (The “all A’s” statement may sound overly confident, but I’m a firm believer that if I want it bad enough and I’m willing to sacrifice, I’ll achieve it.) Once again, thanks, have a lovely day! c:</p>

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<p>I understand the desire to feel like you earned it on the “merits” but you should understand that there are tons of students that do not get in to the selective schools they want to, despite being highly qualified. Above a certain level, there are just too many qualified students for too few spots.</p>

<p>And actually it sounds like your family situation was a legitimate factor in your low GPA. This is why schools give a bit of slack to low income and 1st generation students- because many of them do not have the family support that other students have- supportive, knowledgeable parents (because they went to college also), fewer time commitments/obligations, etc.</p>

<p>Even though your GPA is quite low, your high SAT speaks to your potential to excel under different circumstances. And a 3.8 WGPA is an indication that you are not just coasting through high school. I think you are actually exactly what competitive schools are looking for.</p>

<p>And finally, you should really apply to some schools that meet 100% need. These tend to be the most selective colleges, and are almost always less expensive than any public university.</p>

<p>Also check out Questbridge:</p>

<p><a href=“QuestBridge | National College Match”>http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/ncm-national-college-match&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Questbridge considers weighted GPA and a 3.8 might be enough in combination with the high SAT to be selected for College Match. If you are selected, you can apply for free to up to 8 schools. If you are “matched” with a school it is a full scholarship.</p>

<p>The deadline is in September so if you are interested you should start working on the application right now.</p>

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<p>I’m afraid I agree with T26E4’s initial post (#5).

You chose to place your ECs above your grades. That’s fine but you’ll live with the consequences. Please look at the financial aid forum and the pinned threads at the top for some merit aid options. That weighted GPA may save you at U Alabama (full tuition). </p>