What schools would you be considering?

[Anonymous]

Big 3. 800 Math Level 2. 35 ACT. Not an athlete, but lots of art and stem extracurriculars. Only a 3.1 GPA. What 2 or 3 reach schools and 4 or 5 reasonable chance places would you consider?

[Anonymous]

Why is GPA so low compared to SAT and ACT tests?

That said, I would look at the land grant state universities in the mid-west (Iowa State, Kansas State....). Great stem options and easier to get into - especially from the east coast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Big 3. 800 Math Level 2. 35 ACT. Not an athlete, but lots of art and stem extracurriculars. Only a 3.1 GPA. What 2 or 3 reach schools and 4 or 5 reasonable chance places would you consider?

Is the gpa weighted or unweighted? Any SAT I score? Any other SAT II subject test scores? Any national awards or recognition?

[Anonymous]

Big 3 = you're going to be happier with private. Look at US News Liberal Arts ranking, further down than the top 7.

[Anonymous]

And US News National Universities ranking, further down than the top 10

[Anonymous]

Have you asked your Big 3 school college guidance department? They will have the best resources for your child. Look at Naviance.

[Anonymous]

Art schools?

[Anonymous]

A lot depends on why the lower GPA, and what kind of college environment he's looking for. But in general, I would look at schools ranked between, say, 25 and 60 in the usnwr rankings. A lot of these schools welcome kids with uneven stats. There are many options. DS needs to decide what size school he wants.

[Anonymous]

^^and if this is a DD instead of a DS, definitely consider a women's college like Wellesley for a reach. Women's colleges have fewer applicants than comparable co-ed schools, so chances of admission are higher. I assume you will be full pay? If so, that definitely works to your advantage at need aware schools (which most are outside the top schools).

[Anonymous]

What state do you live in?

[Anonymous]

DS is in somewhat of a similar situation. Since you are at a big 3 that is probably an unweighted GPA. DS is looking a bit at UC Schools because they drop freshman year grades and will weight his tough course load. In DS situation, there is probably quite a bit riding on his grades this year -- junior year. 9th grade year was B/Cs, sophomore year was mostly Bs with an A or two, and if junior year tilts towards more A's it will probably make a big difference in his college choices. Can you postpone the college search until you are assigned a counselor and get a clearer picture of the situation?

[Anonymous]

I think your DC will be easily able to get into a top 30 school (either national or liberal arts) providing their schedule shows rigor. That said, I know that our school has counseled kids that colleges don't love to see high standardized scores with lower-than-expected grades because it looks as though there wasn't as much effort put into school as there could have been.

[Anonymous]

OP - I posted early one complimenting your kid on such fantastic scores. A 35 on the ACT is amazing, as is an 800. I guess it was interpreted as snark. But, seriously, those are amazing scores and you should be proud of that and able to apply to scools that emphasize test scores first. Great job!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think your DC will be easily able to get into a top 30 school (either national or liberal arts) providing their schedule shows rigor. That said, I know that our school has counseled kids that colleges don't love to see high standardized scores with lower-than-expected grades because it looks as though there wasn't as much effort put into school as there could have been.

My child has a 3.3 unweighted GPA (8 APs) and 2330 SATs. The gap is about a diagnosed learning disability.

I imagine that top 30 schools might interpret the gap to mean "smart; doesn't work hard," but lower-ranked schools, especially SLACs (which attract students who need smaller classes and more personal attention for a variety of reasons including LDs) are less likely to see it that way, especially if it is explained in this light.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think your DC will be easily able to get into a top 30 school (either national or liberal arts) providing their schedule shows rigor. That said, I know that our school has counseled kids that colleges don't love to see high standardized scores with lower-than-expected grades because it looks as though there wasn't as much effort put into school as there could have been.

My child has a 3.3 unweighted GPA (8 APs) and 2330 SATs. The gap is about a diagnosed learning disability.

I imagine that top 30 schools might interpret the gap to mean "smart; doesn't work hard," but lower-ranked schools, especially SLACs (which attract students who need smaller classes and more personal attention for a variety of reasons including LDs) are less likely to see it that way, especially if it is explained in this light.

This is interesting. My DC is the opposite, excellent grades, will also take 8 APs or post APs, has an unweighted average of 3.99, but his SAT scores are barely 2000. APs are 5s so far. He had several LDs.