Originally posted by: Pacemaker
Originally posted by: slsmnaz
Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Weighted or unweighted?
Amazing how many people are making their judgments without this piece of info.
A good GPA, test scores, AP test scores will get you a look but extracurriculars will put you over the top. I actually got into better schools than our HS valedictorian because of the things I listed. She took reg classes and had a 4.0 while I took AP and only had a 3.4 plus sports, clubs, etc. Focus on becoming a well-rounded person and you will benefit more in the long run.
Also, it seems like everyone in this thread thinks that everyone wants go to an Ivy League school. There are many good colleges you can get into with anything above a 2.5 (if you have other things going for you). Going to a state college does not mean you are never going to be successful. Just like how going to an Ivy League school does not mean you are going to be a success.
Honestly, it matters, but it depends what kidn of HS you have. I had a SLIGHT advantage over many in terms of SAT II scores and I know that the UC system weights SAT II scores very heavily (back when the old SAT I existed). Because of this, I had a lot of friends who were slightly below me in admissions in that they got into UCLA but not Cal. To this day, I know that because I paid $1500 for essay writing services, I could've sworn my application kicked ass compared to my friends' and that my slight advantage in SAT II scores got me into Berkeley as well as some private schools.
3.83 can be good or bad depending how you look at it. Unweighted, it's great. I had a weighted GPA of 4.35. That put me at rank 55 in my high school. Pretty sad huh? You needed like a 4.65 to be in the top 10.
I know you will hear people talk about how low GPAs can be made up with extracurriculars and a great essay. I know that a poor essay can kill you, and apparently a lot of people don't submit that great personal statements. I had a great essay to begin with and I went over it wiht my HS english teachers and good writer friends who helped me hammer out a pretty good essay. I was proud. I then dumped $1500 for a college prep program and those 4 StanFUrd English majors totally revamped my essay. It's one thing to write well, but it's another thing to hit the points that colleges want to see in order to say "Hey this is someone we want."
Honestly, public schools don't give a fvck about your extracurriculars. We all know the UC system uses a point system where they dump your SAT scores and your GPA in. IF you pass this basic cut, you're in. IF not, then they have to look at your other crap. Bottom line is their "comprehensive review" system is junk. If you're relying on it, it means you're at the borderline. Play it safe. gEt the scores. Get the grades, write the good personal statement. Don't let them have to deliberate over you, and you'll be in.
If you have a competetive HS, top schools aren't going to take you. I can guarantee that the top 60 people in our high school had in general higher SAT scores and higher GPAs than those in ATOT who can claim they got into MIT, Stanfurd, etc, and yet only 2 of us were accepted to Stanfurd. But oh well, Asian high schools get pwned by private schools. But then again that's why we're a top feeder school for the UC system. There's like 53 of us who went to Cal and around 40 who went to UCLA. More at SD and Davis. Sum that up and that's like half of our graduating class already
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