Since the college admissions process at universities in the United States is becoming more competitive due to the increased number of applicants, many high school students with a low Grade Point Average (GPA) may feel discouraged from applying to college. While admissions officers do consider GPA as an indicator of whether a student can handle the rigorous curriculum of the coursework, it is just one of the factors considered in the college application. Although having a lower GPA will require you to jump through a few extra hoops than some of your peers to impress admissions committees, it is still possible to get into a great college that meets your learning needs.
Reasons Why You Should Not Get Discouraged
When filling out a college application, it is important to remember that numerous factors will be considered beyond your grade point average. Rather than dwelling on a number, the college application is designed to highlight all of your strengths, achievements, experiences, and personality traits. College admissions officers want to find well-rounded candidates that will be a good fit for their campus community, not simply the highest academic achievers. While you may have low grades, you can still demonstrate how your experiences outside the classroom and values will be a valuable asset to their school. Instead of doting on the negative, you are given the opportunity to take advantage of the essay and college entrance interview to wipe your slate clean as well as play to the strengths of your application.
Tips For Overcoming a Low GPA to Receive an Acceptance Letter
If you are entering your junior or senior year in high school, there are still ways that you can boost your GPA in order to have more options in attending college. Since admissions officers are looking for signs of improvement when looking at your official transcript, work extra hard to improve your grades in the final years through any available tutoring or study group programs available at your school. For high school seniors, you should also consider enrolling in a test preparation course for taking the SAT or ACT examinations. Achieving a high score on one of these highly regarded tests will definitely help you offset having a low grade point average and demonstrate that you are capable of college-level curriculum.
Although you should remain optimistic through the college admissions process, it is important to stay realistic in your goals for higher education by applying to schools in which you have a good chance of getting accepted. You may want to make a list of several universities on your radar, research their college admissions requirements, and then rank the schools based on their competitiveness. Then, apply to one or two schools from your list that you have rated as very selective, moderately selective, and least selective. It is recommended that students with a lower GPA also consider enrolling in a community college, work hard to maintain good grades, and then transfer to their top pick universities in one or two years.
Overall, it is important to never let a single number define your entire high school experience when applying for admissions into higher education. While most attention is granted to the highest achieving students in a graduating class, students with a mid-range to lower GPA actually perform extremely well in college due to the increased emphasis on hands-on practical learning experiences. In fact, students with a low GPA in high school often realize the most sizeable jump in their academic achievements when put in the right college environment!
