Reply to What is a good GPA at Sidwell?

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "What is a good GPA at Sidwell?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]If you're claiming a 3.5 unhooked kid has a shot at HYPS, you're crazy.  What are you considering a "top" school?[/quote]

I would agree, although I wouldn't express it quite so forcefully!  I would also agree those 3.5 students can get into some great schools that I'd consider "top" in the big picture.  However, if folks think that a student with a 3.5 GPA who does not have one of the big hooks (such as legacy, recruited athlete) has a good chance at the most sought-after schools (HYPS, Duke, other Ivies) I do think they are setting themselves up for disappointment.  Obviously there are exceptions, but people need to be realistic, and the sooner they realize that a top 10 school isn't the only "top" school, the happier and more relaxed the student (and parents) will be.  Plenty of wonderful schools such as Davidson, Pomona, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Amherst, Williams, UVA, UNC, U. Michigan, Wake Forest, Macalester, Carleton, Claremont McKenna, the Service Academies, Haverford, Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Rice, Wash. U, Georgetown, Notre Dame, just to name some.[/quote]

Generally agree, though, a rigorous courseload can be a critical plus factor for an unhooked kid.     [/quote]

Agreed.  I have also over the years occasionally seen acceptances by the HYPS type schools student who was truly brilliant (creative genius type) in one discipline (e.g., humanities), but not so strong in the other discipline (which was reflected in the GPA).   This would be the type of student whose teacher would write something like "one of the best writers I have ever taught in my career."   Sometimes real and exciting brilliance in one subject can offset a lack of academic excellence across the board.  I have seen MIT do this for STEM students and Yale for the humanities, and the University of Chicago also seems quite interested in students with very interesting minds (and correspondingly more willing to depart from just accepting those with the highest GPA\test score axis). [/quote]

Yes -- agree that recommendations can also be a major plus for this type of kid.  This is particularly true for Chicago -- and the "unCommon" essay there can also allow this type of student to shine.     [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics