Freshman year I took no AP or Honor Courses and got straight A’s my first semester and all A’s and one B my second semester. Sophomore year : I took 1 Honor Course - I got all A’s and one B both semesters.
Now, in my junior year, I took 3 APs and 2 Honor classes (I have 7 classes in total each year). My first semester was BAD - 3 B’s and a C… a C! This semester I’ve been working hard, but I can swear 3 of my classes are impossible and the teachers don’t even give out A’s normally. The worst grade I can get this semester is 3 B’s and 4 A’s (I’m trying to make it only 2 B’s but we’ll see) When I used a calculator to see my cumulative for freshman, sophomore, and junior year, it came out to a 3.74 unweighted and 3.95 unweighted - but I take one of the heaviest course loads in my school (and I go to a private college prep - my counselor told me I was in the top 10% of the heaviest courseloads) so its not like Im getting these bad junior year grades with an easy course load, not to mention I have a chronic illness which is affecting my grades as I’ve been missing a lot of school (which will be noted when I apply to colleges), I’m in clubs and NHS and NAHS and a teen board. Can anyone tell me if this is bad? Can I get into BU or RISD or NYU or USC or UC Berkeley or UCLA?
And yet you want to attend very demanding universities.
@TomSrOfBoston What does that have to do with having grumpy teachers who don’t like to give out A’s? I never said I don’t try in them… I’m just saying they are very difficult and to the teachers a B is equivalent to an A, yet colleges wouldn’t know that, as they just see the B, and not the individual difficulty of that class based on a teacher’s personal curriculum. The universities I want to go to are demanding, which is something I am perfectly willing and happy to cooperate with, as I want a challenge, and its not as if I have picked these colleges as they have high reputations, but because they fit my strive, my personality, and my goals.
Be careful about explaining that your illness leads to problems with studies, when applying to colleges that expect a stong performance. It’s not all about taking a harder load, but how you actually do in those classes. In many cases, picking the right matches can serve bwtter than reachy schools.
And your GC should be advbising you on the ECs, balance, and the right targets. USC and UCB will be tough with the grades, you haven’t mentioned scores. RISD will need a strong show of your art talent.
Be sure you ca afford these, check the NPCs. BU and NYU are known for not offering great aid to all.
@lookingforward Yes, I’ve been working on my art portfolio since freshman year! I’m a great writer so I am confident my college essay will be a great push, I’m taking the SAT in a little more than a week, and then I’m taking an SAT for only English, and an SAT for only Spanish (both which I can score close to a 100% on). I will also be getting an internship very soon. I know my grades are not the only things which colleges are interested in - USC and UCB as well as UCLA are all tough schools to get into - but are they mainly biased according to one’s GPA and scores rather than how they execute themselves through extra curricular activities and how they showcase their personality?
All the schools you mentioned are holistic, maybe RISD less so, because you need the art talent. But you haven’t mentioned many ECs or specialization in any activities, responsibilities. And they need to see, in your record, that you are prepared to do well in their courses. They don’t just look at GPA, but the actual transcript. It matters what classes got the B’s and C.
You need to understand more about what those schools look for. Saying “clubs and charities, a teen board” doesn’t tell much (and you’ll need to describe, in the app.) Or how you actually engage with your local community. (Some teen boards are just show up, hang out, count the hours.)
You need an idea of what they look for, to know how to present yourself. Take the time to learn more. Try to pull together a better view. Then come back, later, re-describe yourself here.
I will do so, thank you for the advice
Wait, the teachers “don’t give out A’s normally”— but you have a C, not a B+.
As to where you can get in, you’ll have a better idea once you’ve taken the SATs.
@bjkmom The C was due to my many absences, as the class was one which needed a major amount of participation. The teachers which I talked about are the 3 classes I’m getting B’s in this semester.
I’d take a very hard look at the culture of RISD and your health and sleep needs with a chronic illness. The workload for studio classes is intense. While my D started out freshman year on a pretty good sleep/work schedule she often found it impossible to maintain AND she felt a weird sense of peer pressure to pull all-nighters etc. We’d try to encourage her that it’s better to find her own balance, but in a lot of ways now as a sophomore she’s succumbed to the huge amount of work hours expected and random sleep schedules. On the upside, she found she enjoys some of the ‘we’ll survive this together’ mentality of working with others at crazy hours in the studio.
But, read more about what it’s like there from current and past students so you know if the school is a good fit for you.
Also if you’re applying to schools for a BFA/art major, generally your portfolio is what determines your acceptance. It varies from school to school how much your grades will impact admission, but the portfolio is the main assessment.
You may want to check out this board too for more info http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/