Just look at the stats. Grade point average for students admitted to the University of Virginia 4.35, Georgetown 4.01 ,Cornell 4.07 and UPenn 3.88 all out of 4.0. They all have the same ACT and SAT scores. They all seem very similar with Virginia being the highest admitted grade point average and Upenn being the lowest. I find it hard to believe that there is a distinction between any of these schools.
Double checked the grade point average listed. They are correct with the exception of Cornell. Cornell is a 3.9. So the highest GPAs of those schools are Virginia which is the highest and Georgetown is the second highest. U Penn is the lowest. Everybody including prospective employers knows the Ivy League schools do not take the smartest kids anymore.
GPA is just a small piece of the puzzle to college admittance. Every HS has its own way to calculate GPA so its not apples to apples.
Pretty sure most if not all Ivy's use an "unweighted" GPA (4.0 scale) for admissions... Many schools do in fact use a "weighted" GPA that is why some schools show higher than a 4.0.... Also, High Schools are all very different some being more competitive than others... definitely not comparing apples to apples... and, as the post above states, "GPA is just a small piece of the puzzle to college admittance".
All colleges use weighted. I think the point is that all the GPAs are so close between the top colleges and the Ivy league that prospective student should not pick a school just because it is Ivy League. There are other options that will give a student the same opportunities. One consideration with the Ivy schools that many fail to consider is the type of student that attends an Ivy may not be what a lacrosse player will fit in.It is very important to fit in and that is why maybe some other options in the top 20 - 30 would better suit a student athlete and make them more successful and happy.[/quote]
I know many, many lacrosse players who attended or are currently enrolled at Ivy League schools going back to the 1970's and the vast majority are very happy with their decisions. My son has several friends at Ivy league schools (he does not attend an Ivy) but his friends appear to be happy with their choice.[/quote]
Yes of course many are happy. My oldest who got into Ivy league schools for grades and other factors and not athletics, decided not to go to those schools after accepted students day visits. Went to another top school and is very happy. There is no one size fits all for any school or any group of Schools. I think it is mandatory to visit any school a student is considering during the fall or spring sessions. It is very helpful to see who you will be going to school with and the type of students. It is also very important when considering a cold climate, like upstate New York, to visit in the winter. We visited Cornell three times. It was absolutely beautiful in the summer and top on the list. However during the winter it was very depressing and a little better during accepted students day in the spring. But I would agree that it is very impressive going to an Ivy League school. If a student is not the strongest and getting in because of athletics it is much better getting a lower grade from an Ivy League school then one of the other top schools. There are so many factors to consider.
