With college admissions decisions in the U.S. nearing, many applicants are wondering what their chances are of getting into certain schools.
Gaining acceptance into the Ivy League is something that many students believe to be out of reach due to their high GPA standards. But if you are motivated and determined, then it may not be as hard as it appears.
Don’t let your GPA be the only thing standing in your way of achieving this goal.
A man recently shared a success story of how a young girl was able to make it into Brown University, an esteemed Ivy League institution in Rhode Island, despite her GPA of 2.4.
According to PrepScholar, Brown University favors applicants who have a GPA of 4.08 or above. Those with lower GPAs can still get accepted by demonstrating their strengths in other areas such as SAT or ACT scores and extracurricular activities.
That stated, Brown is still one of the toughest universities to get accepted into, with only a 5.5% acceptance rate. Thus, although you may have a great application, it still may not be enough to secure your admission.
The aforementioned student had applied to a total of nine universities – Brown University, UC Berkeley, UCSB, USC, University of Arizona, ASU, University of Chicago, CalTeach, and USD. And with a 2.4 out of 4.0 unweighted GPA, the young lady was accepted into most of the above institutions.
So, how did the student with a 2.4 GPA manage to get accepted into Brown and several of those other top schools?
For starters, she rocked her college exams. She scored 1270 out of 1600 on her SAT and 32 out of 36 on her ACT. However, it was the student’s extracurricular activities and work experience that stuck out the most.
During her four years in high school, she was an active member of the Varsity Chess Team, serving as President and Captain. She won numerous awards for her accomplishments and joined Tech Club in her senior year.
And during her senior year, the student not only joined DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) but was also nominated as the Senior Representative of the AP Social Studies Club. She had a passion for helping others, evidenced by her tutoring of math during high school and history during her final year.
Beyond the academic environment, the student demonstrated her ability to juggle various tasks and responsibilities.
And we’re not finished yet… For two years, she worked as a CSA for Jackson Hewitt Tax Company and was responsible for direct marketing. She then became an IT manager and computer tech expert with the same company during her senior year. Additionally, she taught Chess in the summer before her junior year.
All the effort the student put in had a tangible result. Despite having a fairly low GPA, she received admission offers from Brown University, the University of Arizona, ASU, the University of Chicago, and USD.
The young lady plans on double majoring in Astrophysics and Computer Science. In high school, she completed two AP-level courses for college credit.
@limmytalks Stay tuned for part 2 to see his actual results!! #applyingtocollege #collegeapps #ivyleague #collegeadmissions ♬ Cumbia Buena – Grupo La Cumbia