What's a Good Plan of Action for a 90 GPA?

Hi peeps. My GPA is currently around 90 and I'm feeling a bit uncertain. Is this good for competitive schools? Do I have a shot at top universities with a GPA like this?

In U.S. education, a 90 GPA typically translates to an A- or approximately a 3.7 on a 4.0 scale, which is generally considered competitive. That being said, for highly selective schools, the average GPA of admitted students tends to hover around a 3.9 unweighted or higher, so your application might be at a slight disadvantage if we're only considering GPA.

However, keep in mind that colleges aren't just looking at your GPA in isolation. Your overall application will also be considered, including your standardized test scores, recommendation letters, and especially your extracurricular involvements. For example, if you fall into one of the top Tiers of Extracurriculars, this could potentially help to offset a GPA that's slightly lower than the average.

Furthermore, the strength of your high school schedule is another crucial factor. Colleges will consider how rigorous your course load was. A student with a 3.7 GPA taking various AP or IB honors classes would be viewed more favorably than a student with a higher GPA who only took standard level courses.

Finally, it’s valuable to remember the effect of college essays. If you can write compelling essays that really showcase your unique perspective and experiences, it could make an impression.

So in summary, while GPA is important, it's not the only factor that admissions officers consider. Make the other parts of your application as strong as they can be and remember, there’s a wide range of colleges out there, many of which would consider a 90 GPA outstanding.