Not really. Course level matters every bit as much, even more so depending on the school. If you go through collegeboard.com, schools have a list of their most important factors, and for a lot, GPA isn't even in the highest category. It doesn't matter that much.

Actually, I've been to several college seminars (Duke, Harvard, Penn, UChicago, Georgetown), and each college has said that the high school transcript is the most important aspect of the application. A good GPA alone, however, cannot guarantee admissions.

What I've noticed- and I'm not looking at schools of that standard, but still- is that GPA usually isn't at the top of the importance list. It's hardly that it doesn't matter, but it doesn't always matter most.

Emory, for example, has the GPA at the bottom of the "very important" list:
Application Essay
Extracurricular Activities
Recommendations
Rigor of secondary school record
Standardized Test Scores
Academic GPA

UGA has Rigor of secondary school record and then Academic GPA as "very important," then followed by Standardized Test Scores. That's pretty much what I was told when I visited the campus too, so I'm asuming those lists are fairly accurate.

Ah, but is a transcript the GPA, or a combination of a GPA, and the classes you took and honors you received?

^ Your course schedule and your GPA. Prestigious colleges look mainly at your GPA and your grade trends; almost all applicants already have a tough course schedule. What's more important than GPA is your RANK. Unfortunately, my school doesn't rank, so colleges will only see my GPA.

And wrong, Nicki. From the College Board:

All of those are "very important factors"; the college does not rank them within the category of "very important".

Oh. Dammit. I thought they did, because UGA's admissions seminar actually did say that class rigor and GPA were on the same level, with the GPA meaning little without the rigor, and then the standardized test scores would come after that, which is essentially have it listed there, so I thought it'd generally be that way.

just as mipadi says.

I think you're taking that whole list a little too seriously. I mean, look--there's a lot more than "GPA", even on that list. And yes, GPA is important; if a school is given two relatively identical students, but one has a 3.33 whereas the other has a 4.0, they're probably going to take the 4.0. But there's a lot of factors that contribute to picking and getting into college.

First, no college wants a stressed-out student who does nothing but study, and a student isn't going to do well if she's always stressed-out about grades. At any rate, that doesn't help long-term health. So a student shouldn't get hung up about not quite having a 4.0.

Secondly, you're going to get in somewhere, and a "prestigious" college isn't everything, except when it comes to gloating rights. Some employers might be impressed if an applicant is an Ivy League graduate, but most aren't going to deny a student simply because they didn't go to an Ivy unless they are crazy. Basically, as long as you went to a nice school and did well, you're going to get a job. Employers are much more interested in the transcript as a whole. They focus on courses taken, accolades received, organizations the student belonged to, and, yes, grades--but if you got a 3.66 or a 3.33 in a few classes, rather than a 4.0, they're not going to hold it against you. I can assure you that my experience with colleges have shown them to behave similarly.

Colleges want a student who is well-rounded, a student who was active in a few organizations (mind you, that doesn't mean belonged to a lot of organizations but never did anything; it means helped out in important ways to a few organizations), and did relatively well in high school (relatively well means that it's okay to get less than a 4.0), and took challenging courses--meaning the student wants a challenge.

Additionally, undergraduate programs aren't key. Going to some place good is good enough; graduate programs are where things really start to matter. Having a BA or BS from Harvard or a school like mine isn't a big difference; having a Ph.D. from Harvard or a school like mine is.

And finally, as we all know, getting into big-name universities is often times as much about who you know as what you know. Colleges don't officially say that, but just like anyone else, nepotism and favoritism plays a big role in college admissions.



I'm going to take a moment to take a personal assessment here. I know you're not a huge fan of me and you're probably going to think I am being unfair or just plain mean, but I do have a few words of wisdom: I think you're getting a bit too hung up on the "prestigious schools" thing. Even schools that don't regularly make the front page of The New York Times have good programs and good research programs. I, for example, go to a small school that gets little recognition (aside from our basketball program), but we have some great professors who have graduated from Ivies and other prestigious universities, and we have a lot of alumni who are very successful and maintain strong contacts with the school for things like jobs and internships. Sure, I did well on my SAT's, but I assure you I was a pretty lazy and unchallenged high school student.

I wouldn't spend all your time stressing out about grades. I'm sure your grades are very competitive, even if they aren't 4.0's, and I'm sure you have a strong shot at getting into a place like Harvard or UPenn, and I definitely think you should apply there if that's what you want to do. I'm just saying not to get discouraged by your grades, or hung up on raw performance figures. There are a lot of other things that matter. And even if you don't get into some place like Harvard, you still have a good shot at other strong, competitive, respected schools that will challenge you academically and intellectually, and will give you a good leg up on getting a job. Again, just because a school does not consistently make the papers, does not mean it is unknown and lacking of respect in the academic, government, and corporate sectors. College isn't something worth stressing about over that much.

Anyway, that's my $0.02. I apologize if I came off as harsh or cruel. I was just trying to be helpful.

just keep trying =P

Pay me.
D:

I'm hungry.

I need a 4.0 GPA too, my 3.5 GPA wouldn't help me much. :/

It absolutely makes a difference, especially in terms of merit scholarships. And since I have a declining trend, it simply works against me.


Obviously. But I wish I would've stressed out more about grades this year. What bothers me the most is that, well, I just slacked off. It's entirely my fault. If I had turned in a couple more homework assignments (I'm serious), I would have straight A's. Plus, you have no idea whom I'm competing against. My county lives and breathes the Ivy League. There are so many legacies here.. and just amazing students in general. It's incredibly intense.


I want a college that will provide me with all the resources necessary. But I also want to feel at home on campus. Georgetown SFS was originally my first choice (DC is freaking amazing), until I visited... I want to study with the best and surround myself with truly talented people. Yes, "good" colleges have "amazing" people, too.. but you can really tell the difference between the student body at UVA (great college, btw) and the student body at Harvard. I want to be amazed. I want the right programs (e.g. Huntsman, CID Undergrad Associates, etc.). And most importantly: I must be in a major city.


"Colleges" want students who are well-rounded. For prestigious colleges, well-roundedness just doesn't cut it anymore. I'm extremely confident about my extracurricular activities because I have spent twice as much time on extracurriculars as I have on academics.


I think it makes a significant difference. To me, at least. If my parents are paying big bucks for my college education, I have to go somewhere freaking amazing. For example, it's much easier for Wharton undergrad students to be accepted into the Wharton MBA program.


Sometimes; not necessarily. Give me some statistics, and maybe I'll be convinced.



Not true; I'm not that ignorant.


Once again, schools are prestigious for a reason. I have done a significant amount of research; don't assume that I'm applying solely on the basis of prestige. Also, financial aid is a huge issue for me. I need a college with an extremely generous financial aid program.


I think it's definitely worth stressing over. I mean, this is the first major decision of my life, and there's so much at stake. Since you don't know me, I think that you're making many assumptions about my current situation. I know that I will get into a "good" college (UMich Ann Arbor and Cornell are almost guarantees because of my summer program), but there are specific things about these colleges that I'm extremely attached to.

u can buy my 4.0 for 50 bucks :)

what 4.0?

Sold! Heck yes.

Come to Belgium. You don't need GPA or whatever. Here, schools BEG you to enroll. They send you brochures, they PERSUADE you to come to their school/college.

mindy, are you agood test taker?

if so, its a shame.. you would be so well suited to the british system... i slack all year, work a bit near the summer, and get all A's in my exams, and im golden.

I get brochoures from plenty of colleges that likely won't accept me.

I'm a good test-taker if the test doesn't involve tons of memorization. I have no time for that. The SAT was very easy, but subject tests.. not so much.

wel, you would have time, because there is no other work. homeowrk and everyday class work accounts for 0% of the final grade, so if you dont need to, dont do it.

my politics final is 100% of my grade, so is my spanish.

yeah seriously. if my parents are paying 45k/year for a college, would i rather go (out of state) to somewhere less "prestigous" or a top ivy? there is no way my parents would pay full tuition to just a good out of state college.

That's the difference between the USA and Belgium.

the difference is that us universities are much better than those in belgium.

Get me one too please, thanks :D!