What Does Gpa Mean In Education?
Used by high schools, colleges, and graduate schools alike, a grade point average (GPA) is a single cumulative number that represents your entire academic performance. Schools calculate GPA by translating letter grades onto a numerical scale that typically ranges from 0.0-4.0.
This guide takes an in-depth look at the importance of GPA for getting into college, winning scholarships, and even finding a job after graduation. BestColleges.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us.
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Contents
- 1 Is A 3.5 A Good GPA?
- 2 What is a 4.0 GPA?
- 3 How good is a 4.0 GPA?
- 4 What is the highest GPA?
- 5 How can I get a 7.0 GPA?
- 6 How do I calculate my GPA myself?
- 7 What GPA is an 80%?
- 8 What GPA do you need to get into Harvard?
- 9 Do you need 100% for a 4.0 GPA?
- 10 What college accepts 3.5 GPA?
- 11 Is a 3.5 an A or B?
Is A 3.5 A Good GPA?
Is a 3.5 GPA in high school considered good? – A 3.5 GPA correlates to a B+ average and indicates that you have consistently earned above-average grades and makes you eligible to apply for a wide range of colleges, so yes! Objectively, a 3.5 GPA is considered good.
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Is a GPA of 5.0 good?
How to get a 5.0 GPA?- A Complete Guide | Turito US Blog Your GPA, which is a numerical representation of your grades throughout high school, allows colleges to see how well you’ve done academically throughout your academic career. GPA is just as important as SATs, extracurriculars, and volunteer work when deciding what to do after high school.
Colleges value your grade point average (GPA) because it demonstrates how serious you are about your studies. Admission to the most prestigious schools is typically limited to students who rank in the top 5% of their class and have high GPAs. Therefore, this article is about one of the highest scores, 5.0 GPA,
It is an outstanding score a handful of students can achieve. To be one of them, you must know certain things about this score, such as what is 5.0 GPA, how a 5.0 GPA scale is different from the 4.0 GPA scale, how to calculate GPA on 5.0 scale, If you are an average or below-average student concerned about this upcoming academic career, don’t worry because we will also be revealing how to get a 5.0 GPA,
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How is GPA calculated?
Jump to navigation The grade-point-average is the arithmetic mean of the grade points earned for all credits taken at the University of Arizona for University Credit or by Special Examination for Grade, where regular grades are awarded. Ordinarily cumulative GPAs are calculated using only the courses at the career level of the student.
Grade: | Grade Points: |
---|---|
A | 4 points |
B | 3 points |
C | 2 points |
D | 1 point |
E | 0 points |
To calculate the GPA, the unit value for each course in which a student receives one of the above grades is multiplied by the number of grade points for that grade. The sum of these products is then divided by the sum of the units. For example, to calculate the cumulative GPA for these completed courses:
Fall: | Spring: | ||
---|---|---|---|
BIOC 182 (5 units) | Grade: A | ANTH 195A (1 unit) | Grade: A |
SOC 101 (3 units) | Grade: B | INDV 101 (3 units) | Grade: B |
ENGL 101 (3 units) | Grade: B | ||
MATH 110 (4 units) | Grade: C |
Multiply the units represented by each grade by the number of points for that grade:
Grade: | Units: | Points: | Grade Points (quality points): | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | 6 | x | 4 | = | 24 grade points |
B | 9 | x | 3 | = | 27 grade points |
C | 4 | x | 2 | = | 8 grade points |
Total: | 19 units | x | 59 grade points |
The cumulative GPA is the sum of the grade points divided by the sum of the units. In this case: 59/19 = 3.105
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What is a 4.0 GPA?
High schools often report GPA (grade point average) on a 4.0 scale. The top grade is an A, which equals 4.0. You calculate your overall GPA by averaging the scores of all your classes. This is a common scale used at most colleges, and many high schools also use it. To convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale:
Letter Grade | Percent Grade | 4.0 Scale |
---|---|---|
A+ | 97-100 | 4.0 |
A | 93-96 | 4.0 |
A- | 90-92 | 3.7 |
B+ | 87-89 | 3.3 |
B | 83-86 | 3.0 |
B- | 80-82 | 2.7 |
C+ | 77-79 | 2.3 |
C | 73-76 | 2.0 |
C- | 70-72 | 1.7 |
D+ | 67-69 | 1.3 |
D | 65-66 | 1.0 |
E/F | Below 65 | 0.0 |
The chart is an example to assist in understanding the components to calculate a GPA. Your school may use a different grading scale. Keep in mind that your high school reports your GPA to your prospective colleges. The GPA listed on your high school transcript might not be what is used by college admissions, since there is a lot of variation in high school grading scales, additional points added for honors, advanced, AP, IB courses.
- For admissions, many colleges will recalculate student GPA so there is consistency/equity across applicants based on institutional standards and may not include all high school coursework or weights.
- Contact your high school counselor or colleges on your list to learn more about GPA and use in the admissions process.
You can also look up the academic requirements of your favorite colleges using College Search and see how your GPA compares to students who got in and enrolled.
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How good is a 4.0 GPA?
Is a 4.0 GPA Good? GPA is measured on a 4.0 scale, with 4.0 as the highest achievable score with a regular class load, otherwise known as an unweighted GPA. It demonstrates academic excellence and the ability to earn the highest possible grade in every class.
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What is the highest GPA?
BRIEF SUMMARY – A grade point average is a number representing the average value of the accumulated final grades earned in courses over time. More commonly called a GPA, a student’s grade point average is calculated by adding up all accumulated final grades and dividing that figure by the number of grades awarded.
- High school GPAs are measured on one of two scales: weighted or unweighted.
- The unweighted scale is most common, and the highest possible GPA on this scale is a 4.0.
- The unweighted scale doesn’t take the difficulty of a student’s classes into account.
- Weighted scales are also used at many high schools.
Typically, they go up to a 5.0. A weighted scale will factor in the difficulty of the student’s classes, so an A in an honors class translates to a full grade point higher than an A in a low-level class. A student’s grade point average is very important as a specific or minimum grade point average may be required for high school graduation, for eligibility for high school sports and extracurricular activities, for eligibility for financial aid (including scholarships and grants), as well as maintaining access to financial aid once awarded.
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What is a 7.0 GPA?
Your grade point average (GPA) is the average result of all your grades and is calculated on a 7-point grading scale.7 being the highest (HD), and 0 is the lowest (fail). The GPA calculator can help you determine if you are eligible for scholarships, programs such as Honours or admission to other universities.
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How can I get a 7.0 GPA?
What Is The Highest GPA You Can Earn On The Weighted Scale – As the chart above demonstrates, a 5.3 (or a 5.0 at some schools) is the best GPA score you can earn on the weighted scale. Keep in mind, however, that a 5.3 requires taking only advanced classes, which is not possible at many schools.
To earn a perfect GPA on the weighted scale, a student must take all Advanced Placement or Dual Enrolled courses and earn an A+ in every class. Given that many schools require Regular Economics and/or several years of Regular Gym/P.E., a perfect 5.3 GPA may not be possible for you. Likewise, some schools have limited options for taking AP/DE courses, further hindering students from achieving this perfect GPA.
Remember that colleges are looking at your GPA compared to your peers’ GPAs for this very reason — colleges want to see you taking advantage of the courses that have been offered to you, and excelling in that context.
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What is a 10.0 GPA?
Steps to converting 10 point CGPA to 4 point GPA – While most universities require candidates to submit their scores on a 10 point CGPA scale, some universities ask candidates to put forward their scores in the four-point GPA scale format. Candidates are not required to do the conversions by themselves and are taken care of by third-party agencies, candidates can still do a rough calculation for reference purposes only.
Candidates can use the formula provided below to convert 10 point CGPA to 4 point GPA : if the statement of marks provided by the university says you have got a CGPA of 7.0 and your batch topper’s CGPA is 8.0, then you can calculate your score as: (7.0/8.0) X 4 = 3.5 NOTE: There are substantial queries regarding the GPA obtained by the topper to calculate the 4-point GPA from CGPA.
Candidates should note that the above-mentioned formula is only for the candidates to estimate their chances during the application process. Candidates would NOT be required to convert CGPA to GPA. Such conversions (if at all) would be handled by universities or university-appointed organisations.
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How do I calculate my GPA myself?
If your transcript does not provide a cumulative GPA, here’s how to calculate it yourself –
- Multiply the point value of the letter grade (see values below) by the number of credit hours (credits, units). The result is the quality points (grade points) earned for the course.
- Total the quality points for all terms.
- Total the credit hours for all terms.
- Divide the total quality points for all terms by the total credit hours for all terms.
- The result is your cumulative GPA.
What is the easiest way to calculate GPA?
How To Calculate Your Own GPA – To calculate your GPA, divide the total number of grade points earned by the total number of letter graded units undertaken. For each unit of credit the following grade points are earned:
A+ = 4 A = 4 A- = 3.7 B+ = 3.3 B = 3 B- = 2.7 C+ = 2.3 C = 2 C- = 1.7 D+ = 1.3 D = 1 D- = 0.7 F = 0
To count the grade points on your record, multiply the grade points for each grade received by the number of units in the course (consult your college’s handbook concerning repeated course and Incomplete grades). : GPA Calculator
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What GPA is an 80%?
2.7 GPA is a B- Letter Grade or 80–82% – GPA Calculator A 2.7 GPA, or Grade Point Average, is equivalent to a B- letter grade on a 4.0 GPA scale, and a percentage grade of 80–82, A 2.7 GPA is noticeably lower than a 3.0 GPA, which is the national average. It’s almost decent, but still a little low. Luckily, a 2.7 is certainly a GPA that can be pulled up to a solid number.
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What is the lowest GPA you can get?
What Is the Lowest GPA You Can Get? – Most high schools measure grades on a scale of 0.0 to 4.0. The highest unweighted grade point average you can earn is a 4.0, which is an A average. While a 0.0 is technically the lowest GPA possible, with an F average, a 1.0 is generally considered the lowest passing grade.
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What is the highest GPA you can get in university?
What Is GPA and How Is It Calculated? – Yale was the first U.S. school to apply grading methods that resemble the system currently in place. The university tracked student progress in a “book of averages” that set procedures for exams and mentions a 4-point scale.
- Today, the GPA system is widely used by middle schools, high schools, and colleges throughout the U.S.
- Most schools calculate GPA on a 0.0-4.0 scale,
- Each of your letter grades (or percentage grades, depending on the school) receives a numeric equivalent.
- The average of those equivalencies becomes your cumulative GPA.
The following chart shows how letter and percentage grades correspond to a 4.0 GPA scale.
Letter Grade | Percentage Grade | GPA (4.0 Scale) |
---|---|---|
A+ | 97-100 | 4.0 |
A | 93-96 | 4.0 |
A- | 90-92 | 3.7 |
B+ | 87-89 | 3.3 |
B | 83-86 | 3.0 |
B- | 80-82 | 2.7 |
C+ | 77-79 | 2.3 |
C | 73-76 | 2.0 |
C- | 70-72 | 1.7 |
D+ | 67-69 | 1.3 |
D | 65-66 | 1.0 |
F | Below 65 | 0.0 |
Source: College Board
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Why GPA is important?
Having a good GPA can also help you earn academic honors, and it provides the college administration with a method of ranking performance in a particular course or program. Additionally, if you have reoccurring financial awards, scholarships or loans, you may need to maintain a certain GPA to keep them.
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Is A 10 GPA good?
While applying for undergraduate or graduate programs (in some cases) abroad, students often get confused when it comes to understanding the difference between GPA and CGPA, The major reason for this is that in India, the percentage system is used prominently for calculating grades.
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What GPA do you need to get into Harvard?
Harvard Requirements : GPA – So, what do you need to get into Harvard? Many schools mention a minimum GPA requirement. This is usually a basic prerequisite to avoid getting your application rejected right away. You can estimate the Harvard requirements by looking at the school’s current students’ average GPA.
Most students admitted to Harvard have an unweighted GPA of 4.18 or above, so you’ll need to have at least a 4.2 to be seriously evaluated. To meet the Harvard requirements, you’ll have to score primarily A’s on your high school courses. It would help if you also enrolled in challenging subjects, such as AP or IB courses, to demonstrate that college-level academics are simple.
There are certain acceptance rate for Harvard Undergraduate Level. If you’re a junior or senior, changing your GPA in time for college applications is difficult. You’ll need a better SAT or ACT score to compensate if your GPA is below Harvard university’s requirements.
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Do you need 100% for a 4.0 GPA?
4.0 GPA Scale Calculator Many schools report your GPA on a 4.0 scale. Obtaining this grade at the end of the semester would be the equivalent of getting all A’s or perfect scores in all your classes. If you have perfect scores all around then there is no need to use this calculator as your GPA is obviously 4.0.
For the rest of us mortals, determining our grades is simple with this tool. The “4.0” in the 4.0 GPA scale is identifying the highest possible grade that can be achieved for a course. In our calculator an A is equal to 4.0. If you needed to determine your grade on say a 5.0 GPA scale then an A or a perfect score would be 5.0 for a particular course.
The lowest possible grade is usually equal to a 0.0 on any scale and most times correlates to an “F” or the failing grade for the course. The scale coverts linearly from the 0.0 to 4.0 with your grade whether you are on a number or letter grading system for the class.
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Does college GPA matter?
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Your college GPA can impact your marketability when seeking employment. A solid GPA is essential if you plan to attend graduate school. Employers do care about your GPA in competitive fields. Students with low GPAs can find other ways to highlight their skills.
Whether you enter the job market or enroll in a graduate program after college, GPA matters. A good GPA can be a selling point to employers, demonstrating a strong work ethic. While the number of employers who assess college GPA during hiring is dropping, 56% of employers still screen college applicants using GPA, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers,
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Can you get a 6.0 GPA?
Take Harder Classes – If you can meet the challenge, you could also take honors or advanced placement courses. Those course grades are typically weighted and are usually graded on a five-point scale instead of four points, so if you get a “B, it equates to a 4.0, and an “A” would give you a grade of 5.0.
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How common is a 3.5 GPA?
Understanding the College GPA –
- What is average college GPA? The average college GPA is 3.15, or a “B” average. That’s a huge increase from an average GPA of 2.52 in the 1950s. Did you know : GPAs now are 0.63 higher than sixty years ago. GPAs are expected to keep increasing as colleges are being more generous with their grades. Nowadays, nearly half of all college grades given are A’s.
- Is a 3.0 considered a “good” GPA in college? A 3.0 GPA is a “B” average. This is often the lowest GPA allowed to continue in certain majors. Colleges allowing a lower GPA will often require at least a “B” average in major classes.
- Is a 3.5 GPA “good” in college? A 3.5 GPA is equal to a 90% average. Many employers and graduate programs use a 3.5 GPA as the benchmark. However, outside of the top 10 graduate schools, the average GPA for law, medical, and business graduate school are as much as 0.74 below 3.5.
- Is a 3.7 GPA “good” in college? On an unweighted GPA scale, a 3.7 GPA means you obtained mostly A’s. The weight this puts on your future depends on your course load. Students taking mostly high-level classes will fare well with a 3.7 GPA. Students with an average course load still look good, but it’s more expected with the less intense classes.
- What is average community college GPA? Community college students seem to fall into two categories.
- Students with a GPA less than 2.5
- Students with a GPA above 3.5
Of those with a GPA less than 2.5, almost half of the students didn’t pursue a 2- or 4-year degree. Of the community college students with a GPA over 3.5, though, 69% went onto graduate with either a 2- or 4-year degree.
- What is average college transfer GPA? As a general benchmark, 4-year institutions require at least a 2.0 GPA from transfer students. This varies from school to school, though. However, a majority of colleges accepting students with a 2.0 GPA did not allow their credits to transfer.67% of transfer students with a 2.0 GPA transferred with zero credits.39% of students with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.9 did not have any credits transferred at all.31% of students with a 3.0 or higher also didn’t have transferred credits.
- How much has the average GPA risen in the last 60 years? Grade inflation is the term used for today’s higher grades. Grade point averages have increased around 0.1 points every 10 years. In the 1950s, the average grade point average was just 2.52.
- Which major has the lowest average GPA in college? Chemistry majors have the lowest GPA in college. Science tends to be more of a “right or wrong” type subject. This can be part of the reason for the lower average GPA of 2.78.
- Which major has the highest average GPA in college? Education has the highest average GPA of 3.36. Some believe this is because education is more of an “interpretive” course, with fewer right or wrong answers.
- What are the top factors colleges consider for admission? An overwhelming 79% of colleges look foremost at grades in college prep courses. Next in line is the difficulty of the coursework and overall grades. Finally, colleges also put emphasis on the entrance exam scores.
What college accepts 3.5 GPA?
What Schools Can You Get into With a 3.5 GPA? – Please keep in mind that in the college admissions process, your GPA is not the only determining factor for you being accepted or not. Admissions boards also consider things like your essays, standardize test scores, letters of recommendation, and what extracurricular activities you’ve been involved in. Reach SchoolsBelow are some schools that will be harder to get into based on your 3.5 GPA alone. Remember, these are not all of the schools that can be a reach school for you; they’re just a sampling I’ve put together.
School Name | Location | SAT (2400) | SAT (1600) | ACT | GPA |
American University | Washington, DC | 1882 | 1340 | 28 | 3.72 |
Binghamton University | Vestal, NY | 1910 | 1350 | 29 | 3.6 |
Boston University | Boston, MA | 1930 | 1370 | 29 | 3.59 |
Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA | 2117 | 1470 | 32 | 3.72 |
Chapman University | Orange, CA | 1820 | 1300 | 27 | 3.68 |
New York University | New York, NY | 2015 | 1420 | 30 | 3.71 |
Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, NY | 1837 | 1310 | 28 | 3.76 |
United States Military Academy | West Point, NY | 1894 | 1350 | 29 | 3.74 |
University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT | 1840 | 1310 | 27 | 3.67 |
University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA | 1208 | 900 | 27 | 3.73 |
University of Texas at Dallas | Richardson, TX | 1853 | 1320 | 28 | 3.69 |
Match Schools Now, your Match Schools are the ones that you and your GPA are a good fit for. Below are a few schools to get you started with your college search. They’re by no means the only ones!
School Name | Location | SAT (2400) | SAT (1600) | ACT | GPA |
Auburn University | Auburn University, AL | 1736 | 1240 | 27 | 3.74 |
Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA | 1788 | 1280 | 26 | 3.44 |
Hofstra University | Hempstead, NY | 1150 | 860 | 25 | 3.51 |
Penn State University Park | University Park, PA | 1762 | 1260 | 27 | 3.57 |
Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, NY | 1790 | 1280 | 28 | 3.7 |
Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY | 1730 | 1240 | 26 | 3.6 |
Texas A&M University | College Station, TX | 1734 | 1240 | 26 | 3.55 |
Texas Christian University | Fort Worth, TX | 1770 | 1260 | 27 | 3.59 |
University of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | 1682 | 1210 | 25 | 3.44 |
University of Houston | Houston, TX | 1139 | 850 | 24 | 3.51 |
University of Oklahoma | Norman, OK | 1160 | 860 | 26 | 3.59 |
Safety Schools These are the schools that will look at your 3.5 GPA and probably send you an acceptance letter on the spot. You have a much higher chance of getting into these schools than the others we’ve discussed, but they’re just a starting point for you!
School Name | Location | SAT (2400) | SAT (1600) | ACT | GPA |
California State University Long Beach | Long Beach, CA | 1027 | 780 | 21 | 3.5 |
Ohio University | Athens, OH | 1618 | 1170 | 24 | 3.42 |
Pace University | New York, NY | 1090 | 820 | 24 | 3.31 |
Quinnipiac University | Hamden, CT | 1640 | 1180 | 24 | 3.4 |
Seton Hall University | South Orange, NJ | 1670 | 1200 | 25 | 3.45 |
Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | 1682 | 1210 | 24 | 3.44 |
Texas Tech University | Lubbock, TX | 1631 | 1170 | 25 | 3.42 |
University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1679 | 1210 | 26 | 3.6 |
University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1625 | 1170 | 24 | 3.4 |
University of North Texas | Denton, TX | 1620 | 1170 | 23 | 3.41 |
University of Oregon | Eugene, OR | 1664 | 1200 | 24 | 3.6 |
Is a 3.5 an A or B?
A 3.5 GPA, or Grade Point Average, is equivalent to an B+ letter grade on a 4.0 GPA scale. This means is equivalent to 87-89%. The national average GPA is 3.0 which means a 3.5 above average.
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Is a 3.5 GPA low in college?
Is a 3.5 GPA Good? – Overall, a 3.5 GPA is above the average of 3.38. It equates to about an A- average, but is slightly lower (3.67 is an A-). It’s not the best GPA, and it doesn’t make you competitive for the very best schools, but it’s still above average, and you should still be competitive for many schools.
- Whether a GPA is good or not is a difficult question to answer given that GPA is not standardized.
- Most schools and colleges use a 4.0 scale, with a 4.0 equaling a solid A.
- There are also weighted and unweighted GPAs, with weighted GPAs giving AP/IB courses a GPA value of 1 point higher than on the standard scale.
Some schools may also weight honors courses 1 or,5 points higher, while others don’t weight honors courses at all. Other schools may not even use the 4.0 scale altogether. The best way to determine the strength of your GPA is to consider 3 factors: how you compare to others at your school, the rigor of your classes, and the average GPA of the colleges you want to attend.
If your high school ranks, you’ll be able to get a better idea of how your GPA stands amongst that of your peers. Colleges like to compare students from the same high school, as they’re more likely to have been given similar opportunities. If your school doesn’t rank, that’s okay. You can still determine how strong your GPA is based on two other factors.
When evaluating your GPA, colleges care a lot about the rigor of your classes. A 4.0 GPA isn’t impressive if the student only took easy classes. On the flip side, a 3.5 GPA is pretty good if the student started taking AP classes freshman year, and also took some post-secondary classes.
In this case, colleges would be more likely to appreciate the student with the lower GPA but the more rigorous transcript. Finally, you should take a look at the average GPAs of the schools on your list. If a college has an average GPA that is significantly higher than yours (in this case, something close to a 4.0), you can assume it’s probably a reach for you.
For example, Harvard’s freshman class had an average weighted GPA of 4.18 in 2019, Likewise, if your GPA is well above the freshman class average for a given college (closer to a 3.0, for example), the college is likely a safety for you. Still, you should keep in mind the many other aspects of your profile that come into play, like SAT/ACT scores, extracurriculars, and essays.
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