3.3/3.4 gpa, What are my chances of getting into these schools after my past?

College Search & Selection
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<p>currently in my 3rd quarter of junior year.</p>

<p>my mother got diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of my freshman year and it was up to me to go with her to doctor's appointments/dialysis since there is a language barrier while my father worked. Having to do this a few times a month + the actual stress of what was happening caused a very bad start my freshman year with only one honors class and a 2.75 gpa and playing tennis/track in the spring when family came to help take care of her. </p>

<p>However, they had to get on with their own lives and my mother's condition remained throughout my first two quarters sophomore year and I made it out with a 3.0. that year (because my sister came down from college, i was able to do track)</p>

<p>Fast forward to this year, 2 AP classes and one honors class, my mother's condition got better- I was able to run track in the winter and plan on doing tennis this upcoming spring. I can make up as many excuses as I want for the 2.2 and 2.6 I got the first semester, but mainly I was just not used to the freedom of not having to be at my mother's side at doctor's appointments that and the heavy workload I was not expecting so I let myself slip. However currently, in this third quarter i have a 4.2 and plan on getting a 4.2 next quarter, I will probably make this year out with a 3.3.</p>

<p>I've signed up for 5 AP classes next year and 1 honors class, and by the time first quarter report cards for my senior year are issued I am predicting I will have a 4.5... </p>

<p>I got a 29 on the ACT and a 2200 on the SAT</p>

<p>-I have 3 years of Tennis/Track (going on 4) under my belt
-about 300+ hours of community service at our accredited hospital
-part of my school's Cancer Club
-Part of my school's Special needs assistance club
- I will be First Gen/first woman to go to college in my immediate family
-I was born in Morocco
-strong recommendation letters</p>

<p>What are my chances at: Boston University, Ithaca College, Georgetown, Boston College, Fordham, Uva, Notre Dame, Duke, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Penn State, UPenn, Wisconsin-Madison,& NYU ... Any recommendations for colleges and would it be beneficial to explain my situation regarding why my grades had been so poor?</p>

<p>Thanks so much in advance.</p>

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<p>bump</p>

3

<p>You just really have to explain your situation. You have to understand though, that people who are applying to these top notch schools are some of the best. </p>

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<p>Actually, your guidance counselor is the one who should write about this in his/her letter to the colleges. If your guidance counselor doesn’t know that this has been going on in your life for so long, it is high time you stopped by and had a chat about it all.</p>

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<p>Have you spoken with your parents about how you will pay for your education? Please do that. Your grades and SAT scores qualify you for a number of automatic merit-based scholarships, some of which are true free rides. Read all about them here: <a href=“Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;

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<p>What happymom said. And, if there are interview opportunities with the schools to which you apply, you can also bring it up at that time, with the interviewer.</p>

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<p>What’s in-state for you?
Run the Net Price Calculators on each college website to see how much you’d be expected to pay.
If your family has a low EFC (if they’re lower income), you may try to get into Questbridge or at least look into colleges that meet need - only about 60 colleges out of over 3,000 promise to meet need, the others pick and choose whether they provide you with enough aid to attend or not (and there, there may be different formula, merit aid, etc, as happymomof1 said.)
<a href=“Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students”>Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students;
If your cumulative GPA is 3.5, with your SAT score you’d automatically qualify for a full-tuition scholarship at UAlabama (+ Honors College, Honors Dorms, and some other perks). You could also compete for a few competitive scholarships to complement the automatic one.
Your situation should be explained by your guidance counselor. You may need to meet with him/her, but also next Fall provide him/her with a bullet point list of your situation and achievements.</p>

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<p>Look at schools where your gpa is in range of accepted students. Of course colleges will take into consideration family hardship issues, so you can reach a bit, but it isn’t like they are going to treat you like a 4.0 student all of a sudden. If you had one year 3.0 and the rest much3.8-4.0 higher you would have more to demonstrate, but you are pretty consistent so far. You have some schools that are too reachy, imo, maybe cut it down to a few and put more matches on. Look at the threads for colleges for B students, A+ schools for B students list on U.S. News, the 3.0 to 3.3 students threads for ideas.</p>

<p>As far as explanations, I wonder if it is going to be hard to get past why you have time for community service hours and not studying. Also don’t ever say you had too much free time, I don’t think that would go over, even though I kind of understand it. Stick with the basics of your family situation.</p>

<p>Which is your instate public and can you afford it?</p>

<p>Great thread, good for any student, not just Jewish
<a href=“Colleges for the Jewish "B" student (Part 1) - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums”>Colleges for the Jewish "B" student (Part 1) - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums;