College is right around the corner and grades are everything. Many students have had their minds set on major universities since they were little, but those dreams are no longer realistic. The lowest GPA to get into Michigan State is a 3.4, when the average high school GPA is a 3.0 according to The US News and World Report.

Nowadays the “standard” GPAs are the lowest and only the academic gurus are the ones being fortunate enough to be accepted.

“I feel pressure on myself to do well in school, but this pressure is a result of my expectations for myself and the grades and test scores that I need to achieve to be accepted into the prestigious colleges that I hope to attend,” Harvard hopeful, senior Taylor Machette, said.

Harvard’s acceptance rate is 5.9 percent. Getting a 32 on the ACT sets students back two points from the average acceptance there and three from the perfect score. Colleges are, in fact,  looking for the perfect student, which means students are constantly reminded that if their grades fall, so does their futures.

“Here at Grand Valley State we do take ACT and SAT into great consideration,” college adviser, Jodi Chycinsci said. “I would say that the most important thing to do while in high school is to challenge yourself. Colleges want to see somebody who can balance their work and somebody who wants to excel in their academics.”

While colleges are looking for a student who can balance their work well, academics seem to be the final deciding factor for being accepted.

“ Academics are definitely one of the biggest factors into being accepted into colleges. By saying this, I would say that teenagers are pressured to do well in their high school experience because colleges pay attention to your excellence as a whole.” Jodi Chycinsci said.