Comments on: Admission to College: Does my high school matter?

By: deanflagel

deanflagel — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:24:20 +0000

There are really many parts to your question. The first is how you define a good school, since generally speaking outcomes based on which school you attend (job placement and income) have more to do with connections and how you do at a college/university (and how many connections and what income your family had whatever college/university you attended). With 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. there are plenty of wonderful schools for everyone to attend.
If you are asking whether a 3.0 is a competitive GPA, that will depend on what your curriculum looked, your trends in grades, your school (at some schools a 3.0 is fairly high, at others among the lowest in the class), etc – all the factors that go into looking at your academic record.

By: Maryam

Maryam — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:18:42 +0000

can I join a good school with a GPA of 3?

By: Tunde

Tunde — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:55:19 +0000

If i apply to a college and i am denied. Does that work against me in the future or the next year if i apply to that same college again?

By: RaiulBaztepo

RaiulBaztepo — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:38:20 +0000

Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo

By: miles s

miles s — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:14:22 +0000

Numbers do matter yes, and what college you go to matters some what. But think.

You will be happy at a myriad of colleges, and one of them is going to let you in, EVEN IF YOU GET C’s.

Right now everyone needs to calm down and think about being happy more.

By: deanflagel

deanflagel — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:42:41 +0000

Hmmm – let’s start with the assumtoion that there is such a thing as a “less smart school” (one hopes some kind of foundation will be established – you really feel for those schools that are smart challenged).

What I’m trying to say is that smart (which really can’t be applied to a school) is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case the opinion, whim, emotional state of the admissions committee. Yes, there are schools where grade inflation runs rampant, and when I see a 4.0 with a slew of C’s and D’s (and yes, I have seen that) I laugh and laugh. There are also schools where a 3.6 in really tough courses is an incredible grade. But whether one looks to how hard it was to do well in the school, how much a student is challenged, or just what kind of GPA average the school wants to report – well you just can’t possibly know. I can’t even tell you for sure with Mason without knowing a specific school, what we’re looking for that cycle, and the specific courses involved.

Again, on the downside you’re pretty much going to stay in the dark on how we regard you school. On the upside, you really can’t worry about it all that much since you really can’t control or predict it. Right? Of couse I’m right!

By: johnny

johnny — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:59:07 +0000

which is better and what do you guys favor more. a student with a 4.0 in a less smart school or a student with a 3.6 in a smart school.

By: deanflagel

deanflagel — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:10:47 +0000

I wouldn’t say “much” …I’d say that students are viewed in the context of their schools, which is the response colleges give to let you know they know about your school. So…which is better, a competitive school that the college knows gives great preparation, or a less highly regarded school where you can stand out?

Beats me. My take is that it changes not only by university, but by reader, and by application cycle. There’s just no way to know in any given year what part your high school will play in the process. Say your school has done a great job getting students into some school you really want (let’s call it Ivy U), so you apply this year thinking, “they love my school. we rock.” But the school now has a ton of applicants from your high school, so it becomes a little harder to get admitted in that cycle.

Here the bad news – you’ll never know, before or after you apply, how your high school played in your admissions decision. Here’s the good news – you’ll never know – so stop worrying about it! If you have the chance to pick your school, pick it by what kind of atmosphere you think will be best for you (or your son or daughter) not by what some college may or may not do.

By: angela

angela — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:28:40 +0000

So colleges do not really look at high schools as much? But if you had the opportunity to attend a very good high school such as Cardozo High School in comparison to some college in surburban washington with low education standards, which would you choose. Wouldn’t it be advantageous to attend a high school that is challenging or would it be too competitive and difficult for you to stand out?

By: deanflagel

deanflagel — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 01:51:57 +0000

One of my favorite questions. I’ll answer with a story. I had a mom in my office after her daughter had appealed her admission decision twice and was still denied. The mom said, “You just don’t know my daughter the way I do.” Right. That would be because she is, and I can’t emphasize this enough, not my daughter. Remember, when an admissions officer is reading thousands of applications and trying to find a way to pick from among really great applicants, he or she doesn’t KNOW you. Even if they’ve met you at your school, at a campus visit, and done an interview, you’re still going to be mostly the information in your file. Out of what we have, those numbers are the best, and fairest, way we have to compare. That doesn’t mean we don’t look at more, like passion, involvement, or leadership, especially those of us with score optional admissions. But at the end of the day, numbers are a huge part of the evaluation, and things that make you “stand out” may work well at one school, and terribly at another. I’ll try to remember to post a bit about the dangers of humor in an upcoming blog. Hang in there – even though they don’t know you, there are LOTS of great schools (of course, the best one is Mason…but I’m notoriously biased).

By: Rachael

Rachael — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:58:54 +0000

SAT scores, GPA, which numbers are most likely to have an impact in admissions? All I ever hear about is numbers.. What eles makes one standout? Seem’s unfair that your future lays in the hands of someone who is looking for numbers, or see’s you as a number……
what about the person?