Unless the school's admission rate is lower than 20 percent or so, don't assume that most students have near-perfect grades. At Harvard , for example, the average GPA is a 4. The takeaway is this: Don't look at the average GPA as the be-all-end-all number. It's more of an estimate since high schools vary so dramatically and colleges calculate GPAs differently.
If your GPA is lower than average for the schools that interest you, there are a couple of ways you can improve your chances of being accepted. If you're a freshman or sophomore, you still have time left to raise your GPA. Depending on what your specific struggles are, you might try revising your study habits in various ways. Read this article for advice on strategies you can use to improve your grades.
If you're already in your junior or senior year, you don't have much or any time left to raise your GPA. In this case, you may try to bolster other parts of your application to make up for it. A combined with a 4. Beyond standardized test scores, you may also be able to make up for a lower GPA with impressive extracurricular achievements that demonstrate your passions and unique interests. This could include anything from running your own Etsy shop ,to organizing a Quidditch tournament at your school, to building robots in your free time.
If you're involved in community service or are a leader of a club, you should highlight these facts on your application. Even if you just had to work a boring part-time job throughout high school, that counts as an extracurricular activity and shows that you are capable of handling real world responsibilities.
Make sure your robot doesn't gain sentience and turn against you. College GPA requirements aren't everything when it comes to admissions, but they can play a strong role in the decision-making process. To get into any four-year college, your GPA should be at least a 2.
Remember, these estimates aren't necessarily accurate for every student or every college. Look up admissions requirements for schools that you like to get a better sense of their academic standards.
Keep in mind that your high school may calculate GPA differently than other schools especially if it's recorded on a weighted scale.
Your 4. Course levels are very important. You can have a GPA that's slightly lower than a school's average and still have a chance of getting in if you earned it in by taking the most challenging classes your high school offers. Always continue to push yourself and work towards higher academic goals if you hope to be admitted to selective colleges. Pay attention to the levels in your application mix. Do you have a B average but want to improve even more to get into more selective colleges? Read this article for advice on what you should do based on your current GPA.
If you're aiming for the most competitive schools in the country, advanced classes are a must in high school. Find out how many AP classes you should take if you're applying to Ivy League schools. You can also consult this article for general advice on which classes to take in high school. We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:. Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar.
And at most high schools, freshman courses are prerequisites for more advanced classes. In addition, colleges want to see that your child has challenged themselves by taking tough courses offered by their school.
On top of that, the courses your child takes freshman year are the foundation for the courses they take in the rest of high school. Choosing courses wisely will help set your child up to take the best classes for their strengths and passions later on.
Instead, your child should enroll in it and find other ways to deepen that interest later on, through community college classes, summer programs or scholarships, or extracurricular activities. They can still bounce back by choosing to take a challenging course load during the rest of high school. Or, perhaps your child missed a freshman prerequisite for a class they would like to take. Your child can also look for summer, online, or community college options.
Many students choose to self-study for AP English Language or Literature exams, which test essay-writing ability rather than content, for instance. Thank you! Your guide is on its way. In the meantime, please let us know how we can help you crack the the college admissions code.
You can also learn more about our 1-on-1 college admissions support here. Admissions committees are far more likely to be excited about a student who had mediocre grades freshman year and went on to receive stellar grades than they are to admit a student who thrived academically freshman year and then declined. Taking the first year as a chance to scope out their new world, learn its ways, and then ace it is much better than starting strong and losing interest or momentum.
An underdog story is never a bad one! While most admissions officers will not simply forgive low freshman year grades, they will be more understanding of them than they will be of low grades in upper-level coursework.
Nevertheless, UC admission officers do take freshman and senior year course choice into account. A weak freshman GPA will not rule your child out as an applicant.
If your child is worried about their weak freshman year GPA, they should focus on improving it by excelling in their remaining high school coursework.
Many high schools weight grades in AP, IB , and other honors classes—meaning that a high grade in one of those classes will especially offset earlier lower grades. Plus, the types of classes your child takes still matter—frequently more than the grade itself. Your child might also consider enrolling in online coursework or classes at your local community college.
Suggested reading: Weighted vs. If your child is stressed about their GPA, they should use that energy to focus on other parts of their application. Yale University , for instance, tells students that an explanation from a counselor or another school official is more valuable than notes in the Common App Additional Information section.
Again, the admissions department is looking for students who were engaged in their high school coursework and are interested in learning more. Though grades are important, the level of your coursework and your demonstrated academic growth will also go a long way toward impressing admissions officers. Ithaca College. We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service.
We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools , from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. According to Stanford , what it values most in its applicants is as follows:.
We look for your preparation and potential to succeed. We expect you to challenge yourself throughout high school and to do very well.
There is no minimum GPA or test score; nor is there any specific number of AP or honors courses you must have on your transcript in order to be admitted to Stanford. As we saw with Harvard, academic excellence is a given—you obviously need to have strong grades in order to have a solid chance at getting into Stanford. That said, Stanford is clear that "there is no minimum GPA.
Stanford University. Here's what Claremont McKenna says about its admissions process:. This brings up a good point: many schools might not have GPA requirements, but they do require applicants to take certain classes in high school. Once again, this emphasizes coursework over straight GPA in the admissions process. Claremont McKenna College. Finally, UT Austin says the following on its admissions website:.
In fact, the school doesn't say much at all about GPA on its website, indicating that GPA alone is not a particularly important part of admissions—rather, the courses you take are important. Ultimately, you shouldn't worry too much about whether colleges will look at your weighted or unweighted GPA. The value of your GPA, whether weighted or unweighted, isn't the final word on whether you've demonstrated your academic potential in high school. Instead, focus on your coursework.
Have you been consistently challenging yourself and living up to your abilities? Are you making the most of the academic opportunities your school offers? If you can answer yes to these two questions, you're on your way to success in college admissions!
Worried about how your GPA will impact your chances of getting into college? Check out this list of the best colleges with less competitive GPA requirements. Not sure whether your GPA is considered high or low? Read my article on what constitutes a good and bad GPA for college admissions. For a complete overview of how GPA is calculated and what it means for you, take a look at this article.
We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score.
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