I was post #566 on January 3rd. I have an addition to make!
3.6 W [as many APs as humanly possible] 2160 SAT
[QUOTE=""]
got into Tulane (won’t be attending, rejected offer)
Ohio State (full tuition scholarship, considered for full ride, will hear back tomorrow or Saturday for interview)
Miami U (full tuition scholarship, will not attend)
U of Minnesota
Southern Methodist (w/ $20k a year and honors, applied for additional money).
[/QUOTE]
I really, really want to attend Minnesota. Unfortunately, Minnesota doesn’t really seem to want me (but I understand why… I’m not the type of student they need/want, and making enrollment more competitive or whatnot doesn’t include lower-GPA students like me. This is my dilemma- conventionally successful enough to get in, but not enough so for the shiny scholarships. Those which I have gotten have been largely subjective, i.e; relating to my ECs.)
Also, here’s the thing… a lot of kids who excitedly click on this are going to be in the same sort of emotional rut I’ve experienced for much of my schooling. GPA is a weird, inaccurate way to measure intelligence in the first place, and has no bearing whatsoever on your overall worthiness as a person. Your “friends” and “family” who suggest that your grades or GPA make you any lesser than them are entirely wrong.
Here’s my stats:
3.1 UW
Accept: Grinnell with Founder’s scholarship (Will go), University of Minnesota, UMD, Iowa, couple other little ones…
Deferred: UChicago, UMichigan
Reject: Northwestern
I’m a level four and I’ve (so far) been admitted to Northern Arizona University, Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Fullerton. Sociology/Social Work major.
While it is good to know that a “B” level GPA is not going to tank an application, this thread is slightly misleading. If you have stellar SAT/ACT scores adcoms seem willing to overlook a less than stellar GPA. I just don’t think you can unlink the GPA and test scores and get an accurate picture of admission chances.
@Rhidian scored a 33 on the ACT which went a long way to helping earn a deferral from U of Chicago and @Freezycool’s test scores and course rigor adequately make up for her GPA.
I hope the thread serves to calm the fears of applicants who are worried about their GPA. I am going to keep it bookmarked, I enjoy the raw data.
@Labegg I understand where you’re coming from, but you need to have at least one of the three - ACT, GPA, or Rigor, to even compete in the same pool as UChicago applicants. College is an investment, I have rarely heard of cases where high rigor schools like UChicago take students with low GPA, ACT, & low rigor. It’s not realistic, no matter how great your essays may have been; those students most likely would not make it at UChicago or someplace like that.
@labegg Re post #574: DD was admitted to those schools without submitting any SAT or ACT scores. Entirely test optional. She did, however, have fine ECs to go along with her GPA.
@jrm815 for score optional schools of course the GPA is one of the few things they have to go on I’ll bet your DD had some good course rigor, strong recommendations and a solid essay in addition to her EC’s. It was good to hear that those test optional schools are actually test optional. I have wondered if they really are looking at apps holistically. Congrats to her on her acceptances!
I would hate for some junior to be looking at this thread and get the impression their 3.2 UW GPA coupled with a mid range SAT score and no APs and minimal EC involvement is going to be enough to be them in the door at places that are not test optional like U of Chicago or Vanderbilt etc. I absolutely hope that kids take away from this thread that a 3.2 GPA isn’t an application killer.
My completely average D16 has 11 acceptances with her 3.46 UW, 1650 SAT score. 6 months ago we were panicking that she would be lucky to be accepted anywhere, but she also has 11 APs and several strong ECs.
@labegg As I mentioned DD had some solid, service-oriented ECs to go along with her GPA, and I presume she had some great recommendations, but she didn’t take any APs – only 3 or 4 honors level courses.
Congrats on your daughter’s acceptances. My DD had a couple of what I thought were safeties, but I know that uneasiness feeling wondering if she would get into her top choice school (particularly without submitting test scores.) We are all glad she did.
I also want to add in that school is not the biggest facet of my life. I have extensive outside involvement (I used to think I couldn’t do any ECs because my family wasn’t well-off… I got my start by sending e-mails out left and right. Now I have a job, internship, etc. & it was largely self-motivated) & did my best to communicate through my apps that academics on their own are not my priority.
Which sounds bad when I condense it like that, but ferserious! I was discouraged from even trying to go to a 4-year as early as 7th grade because my teachers thought I just wasn’t up to par. If anyone reading doesn’t have those conventionally glittery stats, or access to resources/workshops, please reach out to me. I want to help!
Level 3 (2.88 UW)
ACT Comp: 30
VCU
Montclair
Penn State University Park (Main Campus) …It’s amusing to watch all of the others squirm over their 3.7+ GPAs
hey guys I’m level 4 (gpa 3.2) and got accepted to CSU Chico for mechanical engineering but I’m still waiting on my decision for Cal Poly Pomona, CSU Sacraamento, and the college I really want to get into, CSU Fullerton. Some friends already got accepted to Fullerton and I feel like I’m only going to receive a rejection letter, this is a scary moment, just waiting for the admission notice.
(but I understand why… I’m not the type of student they need/want, and making enrollment more competitive or whatnot doesn’t include lower-GPA students like me. This is my dilemma- conventionally successful enough to get in, but not enough so for the shiny scholarships. Those which I have gotten have been largely subjective, i.e; relating to my ECs.)