<p>Okay, so I’m a junior and want to get all my college visiting done this year. I have a pretty good idea of what I want for a college, the only problem is I don’t really know where I fit.</p>
<p>I really screwed myself over sophomore year. Half mono + half test anxiety and stupid stuff=B/B- avg and horrible GPA (but taking hardest courseload possible for that year). But this year is different, even harder classes and basically all As.</p>
<p>Considering that, plus my reasonable ECs (3 sports, yearbook, lots of cello, other stuff), leadership stuff (i’ll be xc captain, probably head editor of yearbook, etc), and good test scores (I already have 5 on APUSH, 730 SAT II USH, my SAT should be 1400+, or should I say 2100+), how will my gpa/class rank affect me overall? </p>
<p>Obviously the improvement is good, but GPA is such a big part of admissions consideration, I worry they’ll see my GPA right away and not want to look any further. So, considering I’m interested in schools like Northwestern, Duke, many of the USNews Top 25 (and maybe Cornell/Upenn/or Brown, which would be reaches anyway), should I worry?</p>
<p>There is no value in worrying today about your status at Top 25 schools next winter. Just do the best you can in this year’s classes and continue your good testing efforts. </p>
<p>For regular decision apps, the only GPA that counts is the cumulative GPA you have after your first semester senior year. For early decision, it’s the GPA you have after your junior year. The tough schedule will help you a lot, as will the positive trend. </p>
<p>However, if you end up with mid-1400s SAT Is with a 3.5/3.6 UW GPA the most selective schools will be reaches. HYPS and a few others are reaches for students with better academic records. It’s concievable that you would be accepted at a reaach, but you should spend time now puting together a list of schools that meet your academic, career and social interests and spans a reasonable range of selectivity. Concentrate on fit, not rankings. That way you will get into a school where you will thrive, no matter what number US News sticks on it.</p>
<p>I was just using the rankings as an easy way to give an idea the type of schools I’m looking at–I really don’t value those rankings at all, it just happens many of the schools I’m interested in are in that category. I’m not interested in HYPS or the other ivies anyway, but my parents still want me to look at Cornell and a couple others, even though they don’t really offer what I want, and they’re huge reaches.</p>
<p>I know it’s early, but I have to do colleges visits this year, and my school’s consuelor is quite possible the most worthless person to ever exist. Think the guidance consuelor from the old show Doug.</p>
<p>I would apply ED somewhere if I were you and come up with a reason for the gradesscores. You MIGHT get into one of the Ivies but without a doubt Cornell is your best shot. Emory is a sureshot ED, and likely RD. I think basically if you pull off steller grades Northwestern, WUSTL, and Cornell ED is your best shot to get into a reach. These schools all heavily favor ED applicants at least in terms of percentage admitted. After these you are probably right in the UNC-CH, Rice, Vanderbilt for reach/ matches. Matches for you are Michigan (early in the app cycle), Wake, etc. As for LACs look into Vassar and Middlebury as match/ reaches. Match would be Colby/ Colgate, etc.</p>