Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 21:42     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know moms hate non-DMV information.

At our non-DMV, the gpa lower limit for each T20 is different. Chicago will take 3.5 kids. JHU will take 3.7 kids. Rice 3.6. Ivies take 3.8+ kids. Surprisingly WashU and Vandy only take 3.8+ kids. For JHU and Rice you need very high test score if low gpa.


DMV "Big3" GPA minimums for the unhooked.. These are mostly for ED. RD is just a total crap shoot.

JHU 3.9
Chicago 3.4-3.6 depending on the year
Rice 3.8
Ivies (except for Cornell) generally 3.92+ except an occasional unhooked 3.85 slips through
Cornell 3.8
WashU 3.85


Which school?


A 3.5 GPA ( in high school) will flunk in Uchicago Unlike some Ivies ..


Harvard Westlake sends 3.2 kids to Chicago.


Winter springs Private sent 2 3.1 kids last year to Harvard.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 20:52     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know moms hate non-DMV information.

At our non-DMV, the gpa lower limit for each T20 is different. Chicago will take 3.5 kids. JHU will take 3.7 kids. Rice 3.6. Ivies take 3.8+ kids. Surprisingly WashU and Vandy only take 3.8+ kids. For JHU and Rice you need very high test score if low gpa.


DMV "Big3" GPA minimums for the unhooked.. These are mostly for ED. RD is just a total crap shoot.

JHU 3.9
Chicago 3.4-3.6 depending on the year
Rice 3.8
Ivies (except for Cornell) generally 3.92+ except an occasional unhooked 3.85 slips through
Cornell 3.8
WashU 3.85


Which school?


A 3.5 GPA ( in high school) will flunk in Uchicago Unlike some Ivies ..


Harvard Westlake sends 3.2 kids to Chicago.


Only a smidge higher for Penn
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 20:49     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know moms hate non-DMV information.

At our non-DMV, the gpa lower limit for each T20 is different. Chicago will take 3.5 kids. JHU will take 3.7 kids. Rice 3.6. Ivies take 3.8+ kids. Surprisingly WashU and Vandy only take 3.8+ kids. For JHU and Rice you need very high test score if low gpa.


DMV "Big3" GPA minimums for the unhooked.. These are mostly for ED. RD is just a total crap shoot.

JHU 3.9
Chicago 3.4-3.6 depending on the year
Rice 3.8
Ivies (except for Cornell) generally 3.92+ except an occasional unhooked 3.85 slips through
Cornell 3.8
WashU 3.85


Which school?


A 3.5 GPA ( in high school) will flunk in Uchicago Unlike some Ivies ..


Harvard Westlake sends 3.2 kids to Chicago.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 20:38     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:3.7 uw is “lowish”? What is a 3.8 uw considered?


OP said low-ish not low. Probably he's been reading all the hyperbole on this thread about bright lines in the sand for higher gpa. It's all nonsense.



3.7 = lowish
3.8 = middling
3.9 = average
4.0= high

3.6 uw or less are competitive for some trade schools.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 19:41     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:3.7 uw is “lowish”? What is a 3.8 uw considered?


OP said low-ish not low. Probably he's been reading all the hyperbole on this thread about bright lines in the sand for higher gpa. It's all nonsense.

Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 19:25     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
3.7 uw is “lowish”? What is a 3.8 uw considered?
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 19:19     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know moms hate non-DMV information.

At our non-DMV, the gpa lower limit for each T20 is different. Chicago will take 3.5 kids. JHU will take 3.7 kids. Rice 3.6. Ivies take 3.8+ kids. Surprisingly WashU and Vandy only take 3.8+ kids. For JHU and Rice you need very high test score if low gpa.


DMV "Big3" GPA minimums for the unhooked.. These are mostly for ED. RD is just a total crap shoot.

JHU 3.9
Chicago 3.4-3.6 depending on the year
Rice 3.8
Ivies (except for Cornell) generally 3.92+ except an occasional unhooked 3.85 slips through
Cornell 3.8
WashU 3.85


Which school?


A 3.5 GPA ( in high school) will flunk in Uchicago Unlike some Ivies ..


True. I was amazed by the mediocrity I saw in Brown, Columbia and UPenn. Are these midwits sporting 4.0 inflated grades at high school? What a travesty!
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 19:12     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know moms hate non-DMV information.

At our non-DMV, the gpa lower limit for each T20 is different. Chicago will take 3.5 kids. JHU will take 3.7 kids. Rice 3.6. Ivies take 3.8+ kids. Surprisingly WashU and Vandy only take 3.8+ kids. For JHU and Rice you need very high test score if low gpa.


DMV "Big3" GPA minimums for the unhooked.. These are mostly for ED. RD is just a total crap shoot.

JHU 3.9
Chicago 3.4-3.6 depending on the year
Rice 3.8
Ivies (except for Cornell) generally 3.92+ except an occasional unhooked 3.85 slips through
Cornell 3.8
WashU 3.85


Which school?


A 3.5 GPA ( in high school) will flunk in Uchicago Unlike some Ivies ..
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 15:45     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:3.82uw/33 ACT works at Cornell CALS
(OOS)
Private HS
Strong application narrative/story and pre-professional evidence


What state? And male or female?
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 15:16     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know moms hate non-DMV information.

At our non-DMV, the gpa lower limit for each T20 is different. Chicago will take 3.5 kids. JHU will take 3.7 kids. Rice 3.6. Ivies take 3.8+ kids. Surprisingly WashU and Vandy only take 3.8+ kids. For JHU and Rice you need very high test score if low gpa.


DMV "Big3" GPA minimums for the unhooked.. These are mostly for ED. RD is just a total crap shoot.

JHU 3.9
Chicago 3.4-3.6 depending on the year
Rice 3.8
Ivies (except for Cornell) generally 3.92+ except an occasional unhooked 3.85 slips through
Cornell 3.8
WashU 3.85


Which school?
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 15:09     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:I know moms hate non-DMV information.

At our non-DMV, the gpa lower limit for each T20 is different. Chicago will take 3.5 kids. JHU will take 3.7 kids. Rice 3.6. Ivies take 3.8+ kids. Surprisingly WashU and Vandy only take 3.8+ kids. For JHU and Rice you need very high test score if low gpa.


DMV "Big3" GPA minimums for the unhooked.. These are mostly for ED. RD is just a total crap shoot.

JHU 3.9
Chicago 3.4-3.6 depending on the year
Rice 3.8
Ivies (except for Cornell) generally 3.92+ except an occasional unhooked 3.85 slips through
Cornell 3.8
WashU 3.85
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 14:42     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
OP: My DS25 had identical stats at a small private HS. Did not get any T20 admits, but he is very happy at Santa Clara University studying finance. I don't know what the history or poli sci programs are like at SCU, but the school has generated a number of students who have been successful in politics
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 13:26     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
I know moms hate non-DMV information.

At our non-DMV, the gpa lower limit for each T20 is different. Chicago will take 3.5 kids. JHU will take 3.7 kids. Rice 3.6. Ivies take 3.8+ kids. Surprisingly WashU and Vandy only take 3.8+ kids. For JHU and Rice you need very high test score if low gpa.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 13:08     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Hi all,

Trying to gather some anecdata. Has anyone's DC had good or surprisingly good results in RD for a male student with a low-ish GPA and a high-ish SAT and solid ECs? We're trying to figure out what's possible.

Tiny private school so scoir data feels unhelpful.
GPA: uw 3.7-ish, weighted 4.1-ish, good rigor. no grades ever below B+.
SAT: 1510
ECs: 3-season varsity athlete (not a captain), senior leader on newspaper, some other school leadership, community service
Major: Poli sci or History
Interested in mid-sized campuses, urban or suburban (not rural).
Male
Good references from math/humanities teachers.
Interested primarily in East Coast or West Coast because of family.
Good writer so essays will be strong.


3.7 / 1510 / good rigor are good stats.
These stats would pass academic bar at any schools, particularly at T20s which practice holistic review.
Once you pass the academic bar, no one cares about 3.7 or 1510 anymore.

Other parts of the application are more important than you'd think.
Work on your essays to make you stand out.


No, the line in the sand to top20's from our top DC private is a 3.8. I wish it were lower. I watched this very, very closely last year. 3.8 maintains opportunities, 3.7 shuts almost all doors. This is this the UVA line in the sand from our school as well as the Ivy line.


There are so many great colleges outside of the so-called top 20. Get over that fake "list," and you will see that "all doors" are not shut.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2026 13:06     Subject: Low-ish GPA/High-ish SAT success stories for male in RD?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The line in the sand is just counselor gatekeeping. And where to draw the line is different from school to school.


Absolutely not. In our school's data you can see all rejections below a certain GPA. They allow anyone to apply anywhere and they do.


Gatekeeping in the recommendation.