how to get into top colleges with bad grades or low gpa or low SAT I my true story + mistakes

sit down and get ready for some facts.
YOU DON’T NEED PERFECT GRADES to get into top colleges.
I got into a very low acceptance rate (~5%) school with Fs and Cs in my transcript. I also currently work part-time in college admissions consulting, and I wish someone told me everything I’m telling you. Today I share my stats (grades, gpa, SAT score), realistic application secrets & strategies, my big mistake (and how you can avoid it), and how to uniquely stand out in your college applications to get into top schools like the Ivy League, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, UCLA, UC Berkeley, NYU, and more.

If you’re applying this year, all the best. You’re almost there!!!

Emily 😊

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - *cries*
00:12 - My story
00:32 - Stats (exposing my bad grades ooP)
01:10 - The Triangle
01:45 - Secret + Strategy #1
02:55 - Secret + Strategy #2
04:35 - Secret + Strategy #3
05:16 - My BIG mistake (don’t do this)
06:15 - Why bad grades are GOOD

MUSIC AND ATTRIBUTIONS

[emilytan]

Hi there! This video is first in a series of applying to colleges in the US (I wish someone told me all of these things when I was applying) I have SO much advice to share with you on college applications so do subscribe if would like to see more on that. If you are currently applying this year...all the best you are almost there! :)

DISCLAIMER: How "good" or "bad" grades & test scores are differs for every student + depends on where you are applying! The reason my grades, gpa, and SAT score are "low" is because stats are always evaluated IN CONTEXT and I was trying to get into the ULTRA competitive schools like Yale & Yale-NUS (which don't accept many students with my stats) My contextual factors: I am an (1) international applicant (2) Asian (enough said lol). Many applicants from my demographic apply to places like Yale with near perfect stats, and even they get rejected. Beyond the already low acceptance rates, it's even lower for international applicants like me because they have an unwritten quota for internationals. I did make it in the end, but I definitely am an atypical case for a place like Yale-NUS because ultimately college is an academic endeavor, and the more competitive the school, the higher the bar for entry with your academic ability and achievement. I remember watching a sea of "how i got into the Ivy League" videos, with virtually everyone having 3.9+gpa/1550+ SAT and feeling super discouraged about my own scores then talked myself out of applying to Yale (my dream school). I really wanted to make this video to help anyone currently in the same same situation and having doubts about applying to your dream school just because of not having perfect stats. Colleges with very low acceptance rates have thousands of applicants with virtually indistinguishable levels of achievement, and at the end of the day it comes to down to a bit of luck...You should DEFINITELY just try!

[byronvillagran]

For those who clicked expecting something “bad” it’s a 3.4 gpa which is decent and a 1450 sat which is incredible

[jackthemlits]

“I only had a 1460”

*me crying with my 1080*

[NekoMeow]

“If studying isn’t your thing, then make it up with your extracurriculars.” YESSS!!!!

[vestapeiravani]

I can not say how grateful i am for this video i recently moved to the usa and am in a very competitive school with kids taking 4-5 ap classes with 4.0 gpa’s and it has really been taking a toll on my mental health. But after this video i feel much more confident about my goals and the colleges i want to apply too. So thank you for taking your time to make this video. You have no idea how helpful this was 🙏🏽

[osujijane-francis]

The part where you said you "self-selected" yourself out of your dream school made me tear up just a bit because I'm doing the same now. And really, I did suck at math in high school; I think my C on the final exams were a miracle. It's not easy for me now yet, but I've managed a decent score on the SAT math. Thing is I want to major in Computer Science and I keep telling myself no one would accept me. I'll try to stop being so self-defeatist, so thanks so much for this.

[brack]

SAT 1460 out of 1600 is great score not an “okay” score, depending on what year the test was taken that’s in the 98th percentile

[Daniel-zlqq]

Thank you, you really really really gave me the courage to apply to MIT. Academically I’ve done the best I can but I got a 2 on my AP Calc and Chem tests so I’ve been filled with self doubt about if I’m even a good fit. We’ll see what happens next. I wish you the best

[aureliarose]

I usually don’t post but felt like telling you guys this! About the people saying Emily’s grades are high and thus the vid is not applicable them, this may be a valid point, but something to think about is that for Asians it is extremely competitive, perhaps even more difficult than usual, to get into top colleges since they are competing directly against other Asians, who almost all have crazy high grades as well.
As an Asian myself who prefers artistic subjects over academics and have “lower” grades, I could relate to this video and found it very helpful :) 
Not to say getting into college as a non Asian isn’t difficult of course, but because of the diversity factor, colleges definitely have to narrow down the amount of accepted students, even if they have high grades and stuff, and it is just something to consider. It’s a pretty interesting topic, you can read more about it online. Also please keep an open mind, and this isn’t meant to be like condescending or anything, just to possibly inform about why she calls her grades “low” and to spread some awareness about yet some more societal problems… 
Thank you for reading ❤️ And thanks for the informative video!

[foodie]

"only had a 1460" I got into a school with a 10% acceptance rate with that score lol 1460 is an amazing score for top schools.

[shunkandenini]

i’m really grateful that i clicked and watched this video :, ), i’ve never been the smartest student but i have the drive to thrive. thank you for motivating me!!! ❤️

[dragonninja]

Thx Emi, now I have a lot of courage to do better in school and not give up. I felt kinda hopeless when I usually averaged in C's and failed while my friends were getting 90s (even people in my class in a lower grade), but you've shown me that if I try harder and at least try to get into my dream university, it's very possible so thank u, ur truly a God-send! :)

[juliancamiloromeropenagos]

If bad grades is 1450 then I should I be dropping out rn 😭

[simonesharmaa]

emily hi! I'm watching this today (5/22) and I started my college application for sept 2023 and am in the 12th grade now. when I sat down to calculate my GPA I am on a scale of 3.4 tentative and I was so so devasted, my story is similar to yours I went from 60% to 88% to 91% in 11th grade. my extracurriculars are good and I'm rlly working my ass to score well on my SAT and I still thought none of this would make up because of my GPA but after seeing this today I want you to know that you have built a confidence in me and that I shouldn't hold back from applying to my dream unis just because of my GPA. I want to apply to Stanford and after I realized they need a min of 3.7 I lost it and went all crying but now I believe i can do it and get thru!
you're one of the few people i look up to and appreciate sm thank you emily!

[lattesongs]

I LOVE YOU! YOU GAVE ME HOPE instead of seeing other people's stats that are like crazy geniuses I'm so happy that I've seen this video, thank you!

[zen_end]

Hey Emily! This video gave me so much inspiration and hope to getting into my dream school. I'm currently a junior at my neighborhood high school and currently have 5 B's, my worst year... Planning on majoring in Architecture :3

[liuyulian]

So cool to see how far you've come!!!

[lemonlime]

very happy i got this reccomended, currently going through mental health problems and have terrible grades but before my grades were almost straight as, and i know if i get help for my last 2 years of highschool i can get almost back to where i was before

[YOWASSUPHIIIII]

You’re so pretty AND so talented! You’re my new role model

[King_TeaS]

I have a weighted 3.7 GPA and just finished junior year. I’m really bad at math and got a D in it, and a C in ApBio. I’m pretty sure a lot of colleges mainly look at junior year and now I’m scared that I may have worsened my chances exponentially.