How important is your GPA?

Hiya. I'm applying to college in about a month. Unfortunately, I have a 3.4-5 gpa, which kinda scares me for the whole process.

However, I have a 1990 SAT, have been taking a full-time load at the University of Minnesota for the past two years instead of my high-school, and am extremely involved outside of school (tons of volunteering, charity work, and am the president of some science clubs and such). Basically I used to be a 4.0 student, and took a 2.5 hit my first semester at the University (I was 16 at the time, and wasn't really ready..). Anyways, since then I've been getting A's, and working my gpa up to the 3.4 it's at now. My question, is it even worth it applying to the good schools at this point, or should I stick to mid-range state universities? I really don't want to waste my money =(..

Sorry if that sounds melodramatic. I know this isn't Yahoo Answers ^^, but I hang out here, so I trust your guys' opinions more than the rest of the internets' :D!

A good state school with a 3.5 GPA is very possible.

that was my grade and I got into MSU

you should try applying to all colleges some to get into and if that fails have a back up ready leonard88

UClA/Brown/Stanford (at a stretch) were what I was hoping for. Also considering Yale. Those of course being dream schools..

To a university? Usually very important. To an employer? The last thing they look for in employees.

I personally don't understand the obsession with universities and GPA. You can be an incredibly intelligent person and have a 3.0 GPA. GPA is more a measure of how well you can memorize data than a measure of intelligence and capability to learn.

To a university? Usually very important. To an employer? The last thing they look for in employees.

I personally don't understand the obsession with universities and GPA. You can be an incredibly intelligent person and have a 3.0 GPA. GPA is more a measure of how well you can memorize data than a measure of intelligence and capability to learn.

foxhound_fox

To TC, my sister in law has transferred between Yale, Harvard, and UCLA with ease. She has a 4.0 GPA. I can say that if you are planning on getting scholarships or grants, GPA is very important, but your GPA isn't low enough to eliminate you from some of them. Most of the scholarships that I was offered cut you off if you dropped below 3.0

Here in Germany its quite important to have a decent or good GPA to get into university. Just apply everywhere you can and see what comes out.

The GPA is the first thing colleges look at when considering your application. It's not the only thing, but it is the most important. With your SAT score I'd say your have a good chance; you're in the average tier. Just apply to all the universities you like and be certain to apply to some "second choice" universities as well.

To improve your chances of acceptance, I'd do some community service. Volunteer work looks very nice on a college application.

you'll be fine

maybe not ivy league or anything, but definately college material

and once you get to college, your GPA doesnt matter so long as you keep it high enough you dont flunk out.

GPA's are over rated. GPA's are an out dated method used by a failing educational system.

One of the reasons why im glad of not living in the USA :P

GPA's are over rated. GPA's are an out dated method used by a failing educational system.

EMOEVOLUTION

Ya...screw colleges using past high school academic achievement to predict future academic achievement in college...worst idea ever :roll:

Seriously though, your GPA is a much better indicator of future performance than a single test (SAT/ACT)...those have a bigger chance of being a fluke (in either direction) than the GPA you accumulated over 4 years.

UClA/Brown/Stanford (at a stretch) were what I was hoping for. Also considering Yale. Those of course being dream schools..

p00zer

My recommendation, with your grades, is that you find a couple of schools that you're all but sure you'll get into (just to make sure you have somewhere to go), 2-4 schools you're fairly/moderately certain you'll get into, and then beyond that apply to as many of those stretch schools as you feel like. I won't lie, with that GPA you don't have much chance at getting into a place like Stanford, but you should definitely apply anyway, especially if you really want to go. The worst that happens is you get rejected; you don't want to go the rest of your life wondering if you might have gotten into your dream school if you'd just applied.

a 3.0 is essentially the magic number. If you have above that, you have so many options for schools, like hundreds of them in the US.

The whole obessesion with GPA's and SATS is stupid, theyre numbers on a sheet, and they control you like its brainwaashing.

I have a 3.1 GPA, and a 1680 on sats, thats only slightly above "average", but Im not really phased. I know Im gonna get in somewhere, and be a music student. This whole "gpa and Grades" BS is stupid

Relax, your GPA is fine. The most important thing is finding a school that has a degree program you like and working hard to get your degree. Most good jobs come to people who network and do internships in college. Getting a high GPA in college is good too, but it doesnt matter as much as you would think it does. I graduated college with High honors, but thats not what got me hired when I went looking for a job.

To a university? Usually very important. To an employer? The last thing they look for in employees.

I personally don't understand the obsession with universities and GPA. You can be an incredibly intelligent person and have a 3.0 GPA. GPA is more a measure of how well you can memorize data than a measure of intelligence and capability to learn.

foxhound_fox

Yeah colleges look at your GPA and ACT/SAT scores. It also depends on what you are going to school for. As a nursing student I have to keep a high GPA or I'll get kicked out of the program. But a lot of my friends who are going for other things don't have to have one as high.

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]

To a university? Usually very important. To an employer? The last thing they look for in employees.

I personally don't understand the obsession with universities and GPA. You can be an incredibly intelligent person and have a 3.0 GPA. GPA is more a measure of how well you can memorize data than a measure of intelligence and capability to learn.

RedWolves_

Yeah colleges look at your GPA and ACT/SAT scores. It also depends on what you are going to school for. As a nursing student I have to keep a high GPA or I'll get kicked out of the program. But a lot of my friends who are going for other things don't have to have one as high.

Also, your GPA is very important to some employers...it just depends on what degree you get.
Accounting = GPA very important
But anything you get your Masters or PhD in = not important, all they care about is that you got it (usually)

[QUOTE="RedWolves_"]

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]

To a university? Usually very important. To an employer? The last thing they look for in employees.

I personally don't understand the obsession with universities and GPA. You can be an incredibly intelligent person and have a 3.0 GPA. GPA is more a measure of how well you can memorize data than a measure of intelligence and capability to learn.

rawsavon

Yeah colleges look at your GPA and ACT/SAT scores. It also depends on what you are going to school for. As a nursing student I have to keep a high GPA or I'll get kicked out of the program. But a lot of my friends who are going for other things don't have to have one as high.

Also, your GPA is very important to some employers...it just depends on what degree you get.
Accounting = GPA very important
But anything you get your Masters or PhD in = not important, all they care about is that you got it (usually)

Same with nursing. As long as you got your RN they don't care if you made A's or C's. Now some better hospitals might because I honestly wouldn't want a C average student to be my nurse. : /

[QUOTE="rawsavon"]

[QUOTE="RedWolves_"]

Yeah colleges look at your GPA and ACT/SAT scores. It also depends on what you are going to school for. As a nursing student I have to keep a high GPA or I'll get kicked out of the program. But a lot of my friends who are going for other things don't have to have one as high.

Also, your GPA is very important to some employers...it just depends on what degree you get.
Accounting = GPA very important
But anything you get your Masters or PhD in = not important, all they care about is that you got it (usually)

Same with nursing. As long as you got your RN they don't care if you made A's or C's. Now some better hospitals might because I honestly wouldn't want a C average student to be my nurse. : /

my first semester at the University (I was 16 at the time, and wasn't really ready..)

p00zer

I'm a bit confused?? are you taking college courses now... what is this university you speak of? If you're taking college courses now, and doing well you should be able to transfer into about any college you want.

Anyway in the Academic world GPA is important, but it's not all encompassing. It looks like you've done a good job w/ extra curricular activities which is a big help. Personally I think too many students focus on the quantity of their extracurriculars and not so much the quality of them, but it seems that the admissions office doesn't see it the same way. Another thing you want to look at is references. Getting a recommendation from an influential alumni can pretty much get you into any school. Politicians and other people of influence work well also. It seems several students w/ perfect scores tend to neglect their references, and it pretty much ruins their chances of getting in.

You may want to rethink going to a prestigious private school though. From what I've heard it's basically a vanity thing, and as an undergrad other schools can often offer much much more. If you're going to continue your education than I think the Ivy League is a good place, but for an undergrad you're just wasting money. Sure some employeers will see Harvard or Yale, and hire you based on that. These people are idiots though, and trust me you don't want to waste your time w/ companies run by these types.

To a university? Usually very important. To an employer? The last thing they look for in employees.

I personally don't understand the obsession with universities and GPA. You can be an incredibly intelligent person and have a 3.0 GPA. GPA is more a measure of how well you can memorize data than a measure of intelligence and capability to learn.

foxhound_fox

Agreed. And to a larger extent work ethic. Intelligence is irrelevant in regards to grades and GPA's.

To a university? Usually very important. To an employer? The last thing they look for in employees.

I personally don't understand the obsession with universities and GPA. You can be an incredibly intelligent person and have a 3.0 GPA. GPA is more a measure of how well you can memorize data than a measure of intelligence and capability to learn.

foxhound_fox