Low GPA/High ACT
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Anonymous
| DD has a 3.2 UW GPA and 31 ACT score as a junior. Does go to a private, so GPA is not abysmal, but probably at the 20th-25th percentile. She wants to go to a small or mid sized school. Interested in studying Chemistry, and if that doesn’t work out, Economics. She’s pretty quiet and interested in visual arts (painting) and outdoor activities (skiing, backpacking, & climbing) - wants to continue in college. I have no idea what schools would be targets for her. I feel like UVM, Denver, and St. Lawrence might be good ones? It’s hard because her GPA and ACT don’t align. We can contribute 50k a year to college but may not get aid, so schools that give merit would be appreciated. |
Anonymous
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Based on ACT:
College of Wooster Denison Dickinson Gettysburg Lawrence Muhlenberg Oberlin St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Olaf Her ACT would be on the higher side for: Agnes Scott Allegheny Goucher Juniata Kalamazoo Salisbury University of the South (Sewanee) GPA would be more typical and ACT would be very high for: McDaniel Hood Susquehanna I'd focus on choices in several tiers (e.g like those above) and really show them some love with demonstrated interest. And also put in some higher shots, because you never know! What's her weighted GPA like? |
Anonymous
Thanks for the suggestions. She has a 3.5ish weighted this year - she's taking two APs, will be sitting for the tests at the end of year. She's a better test taker than everyday student so hopefully gets 4 or 5. |
Anonymous
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University of Delaware, Towson. Maybe JMU if 3.2 has rigor. Also visual arts: VCU, I think. Maybe Temple. Probably not UVM based on another thread going on right now, looks like some high stat kids were deferred. If outdoorsy type WVU, although I don’t know about visual arts there. Maybe Indiana University?
My similar dd with higher (not much) gpa but lower (not much) test scores was accepted to all places I mentioned, except UVM. |
Anonymous
| We loved the University of Denver and she might be a match for that school |
Anonymous
| Providence, Loyola Baltimore, Dayton, college of Charleston |
Anonymous
| 31 is not a high score in DMV area. only if you are looking at national percentile. |
Anonymous
Just stop. It is a very good score. |
Anonymous
| Elon? |
Anonymous
| St Joe's in Philly if Jesuit school is OK for her. |
Anonymous
It's a very high score compared to the GPA |
Anonymous
I actually think they do align. Particularly coming from a private school. |
Anonymous
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My son had a similar unweighted GPA at a private school, but no APS, because you needed an A in the prior honors course to take an AP class. He also had a high SAT score. He is at VCU now.
I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think the high SAT helped him very much (though I suspect it helped a little and certainly did not hurt). He was rejected from JMU, CNU and UMW. |
Anonymous
+1 They align because of being a private school, particularly if it’s a good private school. |
Anonymous
She can do better than all of these schools, in case you didn't know. And by "better" I mean those "'A' schools for 'B' students" like Indiana, Rutgers, Delaware, Syracuse, Temple, South Carolina. These are large state schools - and I think most of those I mentioned give some money, except Rutgers. I know of kids with worse stats, including my own, who were accepted at those schools (except they did not apply to Syracuse or USC). |