... apply to a range of schools, not just ivys. There are plenty of good schools that are not as hard to get into or expensive.

 

Sure, have the Bush family buy your way in like they did for George Jr. In the Harvard MBA program. Of course that might give you a clue as to what the degree is really worth, sans the BS.

To the OP:

In this last Spring admission cycle, people who were worried about their chances of getting into an Ivy League school, and had let us know their slate of qualifications, got in.  I should says "Some did."  So, yes, you might get in.  But apply to other schools which are NOT Ivy League schools.

Your question is reasonable.  The thread that was among the funnier ones was the community college student with low grades, presumably in the U.S., who wanted to go to London's AA.  I think they should have been looking for an architecture program at "Wazza Matta U" instead.

Those schools are philosophically very different from each other in some cases. Maybe you should think more about what type of experience you want in graduate school and then apply to a range of different schools in your genre of interest.

^

True, the ones that most likely turn you down is because your intent or approach is not simpatico with theirs.  So, in the end, that's a good thing.

raise your GPA, pray, pay off the school..  It wouldn't be fun if everyone with low GPA's got into top schools too you know

It is possible - you are a complete package, not just a gpa score.  I got into an Ivy with a 2.9 BUT I studied my ass off for the GRE and received a good score, and spent a year on my portfolio, and made sure my resume and recommendation letter/volunteer work, personal statement etc showed that I was a serious individual and not still the depressed kid who lacked time management that I was in undergrad.  

Focus on the other parts of your application, make those as solid as they possibly can be, you've got a shot.

Sure, I'll throw out what everyone's thinking.

Have you considered that maybe your low GPA is actually an indicator that you might not be suitable for the Ivy programs you desperately want to get into? There are many great applicants with great projects and great work experience who don't have low GPA's - have you considered that they might be better candidates than you?

Got into Columbia with 2.5, but I spent a year getting experience out of school. You can achieve anything you put your mind into.

All caps and horrible grammar didn’t sell you? Tough cookie

Please apply to other schools as well. An 'ivy' degree is great and fancy, yes, but my experience is that they are also very taxing (in terms of effort, mental health, etc.)

You can make up for your GPA by writing a great personal essay, getting top notch recommendation letters and by putting in the effort to produce a strong portfolio. There are many examples on issue of admitted portfolios, you just have to look up "harvard admitted" / "yale admitted" / etc.

Good luck!