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@iandorrer
3 answers, 7 votes
 • 17 days ago •
Admissions Advice

Is it worth paying to apply to very competitive schools with a not perfect GPA?
Answered

Hi,

Lately I have been stressing a lot over the idea that my not perfect 3.96 GPA will already remove every possibility of me getting into this school.

Northwestern is my dream school and I really want to go here. Do you think I would have a chance of getting in by applying here. In 8th grade I got 2 B+'s and ruined my highschool GPA before I knew what a GPA was. Since then I took the hardest possible curriculum available to me, reached 3 grades of math ahead of me taking AP Calculus BC in 10th Grade.

Do you think my GPA is competitive enough for this school, be honest.

Thanks,

Ian

:|
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🎉 First post
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@_KC_17 days ago

AP Cal BC in 10th grade, that is insane! I believe that your weighted gpa is going to be really high, if you school does them.

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Accepted Answer
@jessika
8 answers, 6 votes
 • 17 days ago

Your 8th grade grades should not be a factor in college admissions. Colleges will not look at 8th grade. They will, however, look at how challenging your curriculum is. So to answer your question of whether or not it's worth it to apply, I would say yes it is worth applying.

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[🎤 AUTHOR]@iandorrer17 days ago

I took Algebra 1 and Earth Science in 8th grade and it went on my transcript as an 88 and 89

@jessika16 days ago

Colleges will not consider grades before high school. Although your school may use them when calculating your GPA, the universities will recalculate your GPA without them. In fact, some schools, like the UC and Cal State systems, don't even look at 9th grade. They also remove non-core classes, like PE. Different schools recalculate GPAs differently, but I am confident that none of them will factor in your grades from 8th grade.

[🎤 AUTHOR]@iandorrer16 days ago

Wow thanks so much, I was really stressing about this because I was a new student to my school in 8th grade after a move and had a tough time and did a bit worse than other years.

@jessika16 days ago

And keep in mind that colleges want to see growth, so if your grades start off lower, as long as they go up and not down you will be alright. Also, schools like Northwestern put a lot of stock in your course selection and it seems like you have been taking the most challenging courses available to you, which is great. Definitely give it a shot!!

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@Brookemyluv
17 answers, 38 votes
 • 17 days ago

Hey :)

Even without a “perfect” GPA that’s not ALL colleges look at. Apply to Northwestern and one other college just in case, but if you don’t get in, your GPA and coursework aren’t the reason. Your GPA is definitely in range to be competitive though, even at Northwestern.

Good luck and I wish you all the best!!

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@sahanap30
2 answers, 12 votes
 • 17 days ago

Hi! Your GPA is really good for a school like Northwestern. You show a lot of growth which is something Northwestern likes to see.

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@SleepDeprived
12 answers, 7 votes
 • 15 days ago

Honestly, thats a pretty respectable GPA, so you shouldn't sweat that. The bigger things you wanna focus on are ECs and getting good sat/act scores. Other than that you're looking pretty good :p

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@yami.de.mares
1 answer, 0 votes
 • 16 days ago

If 3.96 is your -unweighted- GPA, that's incredibly impressive! Don't forget that schools aren't just looking for academic achievements but also extracurricular activities outside of school. Applications are also pretty pricey, so I say watch out for how much you're willing to spend on them! Your GPA is absolutely competitive enough. I wish you the best of luck at your dream school Ian.

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