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If you’re looking at applying to colleges and have a 3.0 GPA, you’re probably wondering what schools you can get into. With all the talk about how competitive college admissions are now and the pressure to have the highest GPA and standardized test scores, you’re probably feeling like no place will accept you.Good news! There are plenty of colleges that would be happy to have you as their student and consider a 3.0 GPA a very acceptable number to bring with you. Keep reading to learn more about what reach, match, and safety schools are available to you with a 3.0 GPA.

What Schools Can You Get into With a 3.0 GPA?

Remember: your GPA is not the only determining factor when colleges review your application. Other things are considered like your extracurricular activities, essays, standardized test scores, and letters of recommendation. But I’ve done a little research so you can get an idea of the schools available to you with a 3.0 GPA.

Reach SchoolsWith a 3.0 GPA, below are schools that will be harder to get into based on your GPA alone. Other things factor into your admission like standardized test scores and essays. These are not all of the schools that can be considered reach schools for you; they’re just a sampling.

School Name Location SAT (2400) SAT (1600) ACT GPA
Champlain College Burlington, VT 1668 1200 25 3.04
College at Brockport Brockport, NY 1600 1160 24 3.06
Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA 1639 1180 23 3.24
Hampton University Hampton, VA 1015 770 21 3.2
High Point University High Point, NC 1623 1170 23 3.23
Howard University Washington, DC 1635 1170 23 3.29
Maine Maritime Academy Castine, ME 1575 1140 23 2.9
Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 1035 780 21 3.26
University of Akron Akron, OH 1057 800 21 3.1
University of Tampa Tampa, FL 1595 1150 24 3.3
Washington State University Pullman, WA 1555 1130 23 3.3

Match Schools

Unlike your reach schools, match schools are the ones that, based on your GPA alone, you’re a good fit for. I’ve taken just a sampling of the schools that would accept a 3.0 GPA or thereabouts from their application pool and are likely to extend an admissions offer. These are definitely not all of the schools in the country, just the ones I’ve chosen to list.

School Name Location SAT (2400) SAT (1600) ACT GPA
California State University East Bay Hayward, CA 1366 1010 19 3.1
California State University Northridge Northridge, CA 920 720 19 3.18
College at Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY 1477 1080 22 3.1
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Tallahassee, FL 1419 1040 20 3.27
Penn State Harrisburg Middletown, PA 1495 1090 24 3.08
Regis College Weston, MA 1435 1050 21 3.02
St. Joseph's College of Maine Standish, ME 1430 1050 22 3
St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, NY 1413 1030 20 2.94
Thiel College Greenville, PA 1396 1030 21 3.07
University of Maine at Fort Kent Fort Kent, ME 1358 1150   3.1
University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX 925 720 20 3.15

‍Safety Schools

Unlike the other schools we’ve talked about so far, safety schools are ones that, based on GPA alone, you can be accepted into with a problem. The ones below are just a sampling, to give you an idea of the sorts of places you can apply to.

School Name Location SAT (2400) SAT (1600) ACT GPA
Alabama State University Montgomery, AL 865 670 18 2.8
Albertus Magnus College New Haven, CT 1284 950   2.9
Boston Architectural College Boston, MA 0 0   2.9
California State University Dominguez Hills Carson, CA 1274 940 17 3.07
California State University Fresno Fresno, CA 1355 1000 19 3.09
California State University Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 1315 970 18 3.18
Clark Atlanta University Atlanta, GA 861 670 19 3
Kean University Union, NJ 905 700 19 3
State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill Cobleskill, NY 880 690 19 3.04
Texas Southern University Houston, TX 1231 910 17 2.96
University of Texas at Brownsville Brownsville, TX 905 700 19 3.09

What Can You Do Next?

The answer to this question varies depending on where you are in your high school career. So I’ve broken down my answers and advice based on your grade. If you’re a…

           
  •    Freshman: You have plenty of time to improve your GPA so you can apply to more competitive colleges. Now is a great time to work with a tutor if you’re struggling with specific subjects or a personal coach if you have a time management problem.
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  •    Sophomore: Don’t worry, if you work really hard this year and your junior year, you can bring up your GPA slightly. You should concentrate on developing good study habits and working with someone to keep you accountable.
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  •    Junior: Because the GPA you have now is what will show up when you apply to college, there’s not much you can do to change your GPA. I suggest you maintain your grades and focus your efforts on test prep instead.
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  •    Senior: You’re probably in the middle of applying for schools right now! Work with a college consultant to help you identify more schools that fit your GPA and standardized test scores.

Remember, if you want to go to a more competitive school, but it’s not possible right now, you can always work towards transferring. Be sure to do your research to make sure you can coordinate classes and that the move won’t be a great strain financially.College is competitive now and leaves a lot of students feeling left out if their GPAs aren’t over a 4.0, but trust me when I say a 3.0 GPA is something to be proud of. You now have a list of reach, match, and dream schools you can apply to with a 3.0 GPA and stand a very good chance of being accepted into.Do you have a 3.0 GPA? What are your thoughts on some of the schools listed? Comment below and tell us what’s on your mind!

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