Is a 3.6 GPA good for Yale?
Asked by: Dena Considine | Last update: February 11, 2026Score: 4.7/5 (15 votes)
A 3.6 GPA is generally below Yale's average for admitted students, who typically have GPAs closer to 4.0 or higher, but it's not impossible, especially with a strong upward trend, challenging coursework (AP/IB), exceptional essays, extracurriculars, and test scores that compensate for the lower GPA. Yale looks at the whole student, so demonstrating significant growth or exceptional achievements outside academics can make a difference.
Is a 3.6 GPA good enough for the Ivy League?
While Ivy League schools don't have a specific ``minimum'' GPA requirement, they do have high standards when it comes to academic performance. Most admitted students typically have a GPA above a 4.0 (weighted) or around a 3.85-4.0 (unweighted), but keep in mind that even these numbers are not a guarantee of admission.
Is a 3.5 GPA good for Yale?
Yale University reports a weighted average GPA of 4.18, with the 25th percentile at 4.0 and the 75th percentile at 4.3. The unweighted average GPA is 3.8, with a 25th percentile of 3.5 and a 75th percentile of 4.0. These figures indicate a highly competitive applicant pool with strong academic performance.
Is a 3.6 GPA considered good?
Yes, a 3.6 GPA is generally considered very good, well above the national average (around 3.0) and competitive for many selective colleges, reflecting mostly A/B grades and strong academic performance, though it might be a "reach" for the most elite Ivy League schools where higher averages are common, but other factors like course rigor and extracurriculars play a big role.
What is a good GPA at Yale?
Final Admissions Verdict
To be safe, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1560 SAT and a 4.17 GPA or higher to be above average. This is only part of the challenge - after this, you'll need to impress them beyond your academic scores, with your accomplishments and extracurriculars.
How Ivy League Schools Evaluate GPA!
Is Yale or MIT harder to get into?
It's extremely difficult to get into both Yale and MIT, with recent acceptance rates hovering around 3-4%, but Yale might be slightly harder based on recent acceptance rates, while MIT is known for intense STEM competition, so difficulty depends on your strengths; if you're a top STEM applicant, MIT's subject-specific demands are immense, while Yale's holistic review favors diverse excellence, making both exceptionally challenging.
What's the lowest GPA someone got into Yale with?
Yale does not set a strict minimum GPA requirement for admission; however, the average GPA of admitted students is typically around 4.0.
Is 3.6 GPA Dean's list?
To qualify for the Dean's List, students typically need to maintain a high grade point average (GPA) of 3.6-3.9 highlighting their dedication to scholarly excellence and their commitment to academic success.
Can I get into Princeton with a 3.6 GPA?
While there are no official Princeton GPA requirements, the bulk of applicants—usually around 90%—have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.75.
Is a 3.6 GPA worth putting on a resume?
Yes, you should put a 3.6 GPA on your resume, especially if you are a recent graduate or still in school, as it's a strong academic indicator, but you can omit it if you have several years of significant work experience or are applying for roles where it's less relevant, although leaving it off might make employers assume it's lower. For a 3.6, it's a solid number that can boost your application, particularly when work experience is limited, so list it in your education section, often above your work history if academics are your strongest asset.
Is it harder to get into Harvard or Yale?
It's extremely difficult to get into either Yale or Harvard, with both boasting incredibly low acceptance rates, but Harvard often edges out Yale as slightly harder to get into, consistently showing a lower acceptance rate (around 3-4% range) compared to Yale (also in the low 3-4% range but sometimes slightly higher) for recent years, though these numbers fluctuate annually, making them nearly indistinguishable in competitiveness for top applicants.
Do Ivy Leagues accept 3.3 GPA?
Ivy League colleges do not expect you to have a perfect GPA, and it doesn't help as much as you think it does. Anything over a 3.8 is fine, and you can sometimes get away with a GPA down to about a 3.5.
What's the lowest GPA Harvard has ever accepted?
There's no official minimum GPA for Harvard, but successful applicants typically have near-perfect GPAs (3.9+) in rigorous courses; however, exceptions exist for extraordinary applicants with lower grades (sometimes below 3.0) who compensate with incredible achievements, unique talents, or compelling personal narratives, though these cases are rare and often involve special circumstances like athletics or legacy.
Does Cornell accept 3.6 GPA?
Average GPA: 3.6
With a GPA of 3.6, Cornell College requires you to be above average in your high school class. You'll need at least a mix of A's and B's, with more A's than B's. You can compensate for a lower GPA with harder classes, like AP or IB classes.
What GPA is top 1%?
A GPA in the top 1% generally means a near-perfect or perfect GPA, typically around 3.9 to 4.0 (or higher with weighted courses), often qualifying for the highest academic honor, summa cum laude, at many universities, though the exact number can vary by institution and class size. In high school, a 4.0 often places you in the top 2-5%, but achieving the very top percentile (1%) usually requires perfect scores or extremely high weighted scores from AP/IB classes.
Is a 3.6 GPA graduating with honors?
A GPA of at least 3.9 earns the honor of summa cum laude (meaning, with highest honors), a GPA of at least 3.7 and less than 3.9 earns magna cum laude (with high honors), and a GPA of at least 3.5 and less than 3.7 earns cum laude (with honors).
Does UCLA accept 3.6 GPA?
According to the UCLA Admissions website, there are no GPA requirements for UCLA freshman applicants. For transfers, a minimum GPA of 3.2 is required for the application to be considered.
What is the #1 university in the US?
There isn't one single #1 university, as rankings vary by source, but Princeton University often tops U.S. News' National Universities list, while Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is frequently #1 globally or in other US-specific rankings like Forbes, with Harvard University and Stanford University also consistently in the top tier across most rankings.
How rare is a 3.6 GPA?
To elaborate, the national average for GPA is around a 3.0, so a 3.6 puts you above average nationally. Keep in mind the 3.0 national average represents all students, not just students applying to college, so the average GPA of students admitted to colleges is higher than the national average.
What will an F do to a 3.5 GPA?
An 'F' (0 grade points) will significantly lower a 3.5 GPA, the exact drop depending on the course's credit hours and your total attempted credits, but it introduces a zero into your average, pulling your GPA down considerably, potentially by several tenths, though grade replacement policies at some schools might allow mitigating this by retaking the course.
What was Barack Obama's LSAT score?
Barack Obama's specific LSAT score has never been officially released, but it's widely believed he scored very highly (likely above 170, potentially near perfect) to gain admission to Harvard Law School despite a lower undergraduate GPA, suggesting he was in the top few percentile of test-takers for his application year. While no official number exists, analyses point to a score in the top tier (e.g., 94th-98th percentile) to overcome his GPA for admission to a top-ranked program like Harvard.
Which ivy has the lowest SAT?
While no Ivy League college publishes a hard cutoff, their admissions profiles tell a consistent story. Students who are admitted usually fall somewhere between 1480 and 1570 on the SAT. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT tend to sit at the higher end; Cornell, Dartmouth, and Brown trend slightly lower.
What is Yale's average SAT score?
The average SAT score at Yale hovers around 1540, out of the maximum SAT score of 1600. The 25th percentile for SAT scores at Yale lies at 1500, and the 75th percentile is a 1580. This indicates that only 25% of Yale students scored below a 1500, and 25% scored above a 1580.