The Unofficial SMART Scholarship Forum

My understanding is that grades are mostly like the high jump, did you make it over the threshold?

I believe they look more for extracurricular (ie. research and leadership within your specific area).

There are a lot of people with great grades that apply, the question is more about what sets you apart. I got the scholarship because I had a first author publication in an area that my lab was directly interested in pursuing.

I came across the statistics of previously admitted applicants somewhere and it stated that the average GPA of recipients was something like 3.75 (can't recall the exact number). I have a fairly average GPA of 3.4 for all my college coursework but I have a considerably higher GPA for my major relevant coursework as well as my coursework that I've taken for the last 2.5 years. Will my low overall GPA put me at a great disadvantage or will the admission comittee be more concerned with my overall trend and the fact that the grades related to my major have been good?