Students’ Speak: GPA is vital but not everything

By: Srinivas Goud 

We’ve outlined everything you would like to understand about a way to get into college with a GPA. It is often worrisome when your GPA is less than you'd love it to be.

You would possibly worry about whether or not you’ll be accepted by the universities that you simply want to review. But don’t worry, there are ways by which you can boost your chances such as by improving your existing GPA, explaining your situation, and applying to certain schools that accept lower GPA scores. So if you’re wondering how to get into college with a coffee GPA, we’re here to guide you along.

What is considered a coffee GPA?

You’ll feel that your score is low relative to the scores that your target school looks for. But your GPA might not be so low generally. Highly selective colleges generally consider 3.5 to get on the low end. Many other schools consider low GPA scores to be within the 2.0 range. So it all depends on the university you’re applying to. In the US, the typical high school GPA is about 3.0 (or a B), but the typical high school GPA for college kids applying to school is probably going above a 3.0. And this is often just because it’s a competitive system. A 3.5-4.0 GPA (or A- to A+) is predicted by the highest colleges. These are things that each student can enjoy knowing.

Why isn't your GPA everything?

Your GPA is vital, but it’s not everything. You’ll still be accepted into good universities if you'll bring other valuable assets to the table, like individual experience. Remember, simply because you've got a coffee GPA doesn’t mean you’re not intelligent or hard-working; there are plenty of reasons why students leave school with a coffee GPA. Maybe you took difficult classes, otherwise, you had to figure during a semester and you weren’t ready to fully specialise in your studies.

Here’s the great news: employers and universities understand this. And that’s why once you apply to employment or to a faculty, your GPA score is merely one requirement. You’ll nearly always have to submit a resume or CV, recommendations, writing samples, and other test scores. This is often an honest thing because it’s your chance to prove that you simply have tons more to supply than the amount that's your GPA.

Study hard for the SAT

SAT or ACT scores show how you rank compared to students across the country. They’re a key component of your college application. That said, an excellent score on this test will greatly improve your candidacy. For instance, let’s say you've got a GPA of 3.3, which is below your target school. And your SAT score is 1290. You’ll have a 17 percent chance of getting into it. But, if you get 1450, your chances jump up to about 50 percent. This will be calculated using an admission calculator. You would like to demonstrate why you’re a valuable student. 

About the Author:

Srinivas Goud is a student at CMR Technical Campus pursuing BTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering.