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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]For our MCPS school, here's some schools where average accepted student GPA (unweighted) is between 3.4-3.6.

Catholic University
George Mason University
Ithaca College
James Madison University
Juniata College
Loyola University Maryland
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Penn State (might include multiple campuses)
St. Joseph's University (Philadelphia)
St. Mary's College of Maryland
Temple University
University of North Carolina Wilmington[/quote]

I think, other than the really huge schools (I don't see him at Penn State or JMU for example, and he's not going anywhere with "technology" in the name) that he'd be fine at any of those schools.

How different would that be from a 3.7 list?  I think that's what I'm trying to get at. 
[/quote]

My kid was 3.7 (UW, 4.2 W). She got generous scholarships from some of the schools on that list, and it also got her into Dickinson, Mount Holyoke, Franklin & Marshall (off the waitlist). So, if he does a bit better, he will have more options and probably more merit aid. I would not say to become some fake version of himself, to move up three places on the USNWR ranking. [b]But you want him to learn how to prioritize school, so he will be in that habit for college[/b] (where there are even more distractions: including sex and alcohol/drugs).

Let him pick what he is willing to cut. [/quote]

Similar profile with my kid who has applied to several schools on that list. It seemed to me in researching schools that difference between the 3.4 and the 3.7 is less about the types of school you can get admitted to than the amount you are going to pay.

And also agree that it is great to have a lot of different interests but ultimately, school should be the priority. If he can't get at least a balance of As and Bs then he's not focusing on school enough and he should decide where to cut back. Those are all great things to do but not necessarily all at the same time. If he's in a play, maybe he doesn't do a sport that season. If it's an intense time for a sport, maybe he scales back the volunteer work. And, a job is great but harder to flex so maybe focus on working just in the summer.

And, he should be gradually increasing rigor throughout HS. The first thing any college looks at is the transcript - what classes did you choose to take, where did you step up the rigor, what grades did you get.[/quote]

For schools that publish merit scholarship tables, the difference between 3.4 and 3.7 can be a lot of money. If you are full pay and he doesn't care where he ends up, then there is no reason not to be happy with a 3.5 [/quote]

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