I’m currently looking at top 30 schools… Some schools like columbia value work experience while others disregard it. What kinds of these colleges value work experience like internships a lot? I worked at Intel and Microsoft and had an internship at a research facility at a university and was a co-author in several research papers over the past couple years. However, I only have a 3.5 because I find classes useless and boring and you just don’t learn things like cloud computing in a silly python class so I just took 0’s for homework. Now when it comes to apps, I realize I’m pretty screwed because of GPA. I’m still wondering what kinds of schools value internships or extracurriculars more than grades and tests. My other extracurriculars are good like I created my own social enterprise and won 30,000 dollars in a competition… I also created my own NGO for volunteering, and a bunch of other things. I’m still wondering if I have a chance at some good schools.
Work experience and extracurriculars do not compensate for a sub-par GPA at a super-selective college.
For super-selective colleges, you generally need top-end GPA in the most rigorous courses and top-end test scores and top-end extracurriculars and/or work experience and top-end recommendations and top-end essays.
^ @ucbalumnus is right (unless, of course your EC makes you a recruited athlete or you won an Oscar), but try to make up for the GPA by presenting yourself as best as you can.
I got into Michigan (class of 2019) with a 3.5-3.6 unweighted GPA - maybe perhaps due to the rest of my application being relatively strong (including test scores).
All top schools weigh GPA heavily.
If you find most classes to be useless, then you should consider whether college is even worth the time & expense for you.
" I’m still wondering what kinds of schools value internships or extracurriculars more than grades and tests" None. Transcripts are prime and are their best indicators of how you’d handle their workload.
Try the SuperMatch tool on the left. See what options it suggests. Good luck
I don’t think any top 30 school is looking for this.
Where are people getting these ridiculous ideas? Let’s be clear: NO schools “disregard” work experience, and there’s no real evidence that Columbia values work experience more highly than any other schools.
No top 30 schools do this. None.
Agree that unless your ECs provide a hook such as being a recruited athlete or you did something truly extraordinary (ex. Olympic medalist, famous actor etc.) top tier schools will not value work experience and ECs over academics. These schools will get more applicants than they can accept who have challenged themselves in the classroom and met with success and have excellent ECs as well.
@MurphyBrown - I think @CheddarcheeseMN was referring to the second part of that sentence (“I find classes useless and boring”), which I think we can all agree isn’t a quality any schools are looking for.
Why do you want to go to college if most of the content is “useless” to you?
Why do you want to go to college? What do you hope to get out of it?
OP finds classes “useless and boring.”
OP desires admission to a “top 30” school.
Where have we gone wrong here?