Highschooler With 4.1 GPA Explains Why She Was Rejected From 'Every College She Applied To'
Many high school students are pushing back against the importance of test scores.
Marc Calleja Lopez from Getty Images, Canva Pro A high school student shared her experience being rejected from many colleges despite having a 4.1 GPA, she is far from alone. Awaiting responses from colleges on whether you were accepted or rejected can be quite stressful. That stress can quickly turn to disappointment when having been rejected from colleges that were high on your priority list.
For one high schooler, despite her high overall average when she sent out college applications, she was shocked to receive more rejections in the mail than she had been anticipating.
A high school student with a 4.1 GPA explains why she thinks she was rejected from 'every college' she had applied to.
The teenage girl, C'Lette, filmed all of the rejection letters she had received in the mail from schools that she didn't think wouldn't be accepting her, especially since she had a grade point average of 4.1.
"I was club president, in [National Honor Society], had my 'trauma' story, did nine AP classes, [and] did a NASA program," C'Lette wrote in overlay text as she recorded herself putting all of the rejection letters she had received into a trash bag.
C'Lette claimed that the reason she had been rejected was that her SAT scores weren't high enough for some of the schools, and despite her having excellent grades, it apparently wasn't enough.
For some time now, many high school students have been vocal about the unfair expectations placed on standardized tests, like the SATs and ACTs. For teenagers who aren't good test-takers, these important exams determine their future.
While some colleges offer applicants the choice to opt out of sending in their SAT and/or ACT scores, many of the top colleges and universities in the country, including Ivy Leagues, aren't.
It's even worse when applicants, such as C'Lette, work hard throughout all four years of high school, only to be rejected based on a single test.
According to research gathered by NBC News, colleges that chose to go test-optional show that students admitted without test scores come from more diverse backgrounds and do about as well in their classes once they arrive as peers who did submit test scores.
C'Lette revealed that she did get accepted to some schools, but they weren't her top choices.
In a follow-up video, C'Lette responded to some questions she had gotten in her other video, including if she had received any acceptances at all. "I did actually get into a school," she shared. "I didn't like it because it wasn't for my major." C'Lette noted that she had applied to schools under their STEM programs.
As a safety option, C'Lette had applied to other colleges, in the case that she had gotten rejected, but had been hoping it wouldn't come down to having to go to them. She explained that her SAT score had been 1100 out of 1600, and she had applied with test-optional for most of her applications.
"My belief was that if I applied with a high score, I would have gotten into the colleges that I wanted to get into," she continued.
C'Lette added that after she had gotten all of her results back, she realized that the reason she had been rejected was "because when you apply test optional, your GPA has to be a lot higher than if you applied with a test score that was up to their standards."
When it comes to STEM applicants, many colleges have higher requirements compared to other majors.
"In recent years, even as undergraduate enrollment numbers have plateaued, students enrolling in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors have continued to grow rapidly. Admission rates into selective institutions are plummeting and the competition for STEM students at our nation’s top institutions is becoming increasingly competitive," explains Katie, a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at MIT and current IvyWise College Admissions Counselor
C'Lette also revealed that she had sent out an appeal for one of the colleges that had rejected her and ended up getting an acceptance, which she noted as not being too bad of an outcome. "In the moment, it felt like the end of the world," she pointed out. "But, it really isn't. Honestly, I learned a lot from the whole process."
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.