A Confusing Chances Thread...Help???

Colleges and Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
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<p>Hello everyone,</p>

<p>I'm one of those many students whose dream school is Dartmouth. I'm a US citizen, but I go to school outside the states and the reason I'm posting this thead is because I'm in dire need of some advice.</p>

<p>Some of the following sentences may seem a bit cocky but please believe me when I tell you that I'm not... Okay, here we go.</p>

<p>I've got brains, actually I'm quite smart. (cocky!) I got good grades in 10th grade (a 3.9 GPA) but then I started slacking, and because of a traumatic incident that happened halfway through 11th grade, I gave up studying altogether and my grades dropped drastically. And I'm talking DRASTICALLY. I'm halfway through my 12th grade, and my overall GPA score is now an 'OMG' grade of 3.0, yours truly. (the shame!)</p>

<p>I took the new SAT test once, this January, the score is 2300. My SAT subject test scores are 800 Math 2C, 760 Chemistry and 730 Lit. I got 5s on both my AP Chem and Cal BC exams, and since my school doesn't offer any AP/honor classes I had to study them on my own. (the flimsy defensive reason that I didn't take more AP exams)</p>

<p>I have written a pretty good essay - at least I think so - , and my English teacher tells me that she's written me one of the best Teacher Recommendations ever, and my counselor says that he wrote mine really well, too. I don't know how my other teacher rec is written but I'm guessing that it will be pretty decent, too.</p>

<p>I'm not a legacy, but my older sister graduated from Dartmouth a year ago. She doesn't know about my GPA score and she's so confident that I'll be accepted into Dartmouth ED that I'm too ashamed/embarrassed to tell her.</p>

<p>So, overall, I have okay SAT, SAT subject, and AP test scores. I have a decent essay, great teacher recs/counselor report, and my ECs aren't THAT spectacular but they're okay enough - according to my counselor and sister and etc. My really serious problem is that I have a 3.0 GPA, and what's worse, it's a declining number.</p>

<p>I'm trying to face reality here - I've already sent my pre-application a week ago, so I'm writing for Dartmouth ED, for the better or for the worse. I think - at best - that I have an extremely low chance of actually getting accepted, if not outright rejected. What do you think? 5%, maybe?</p>

<p>Any comment will be gratefully accepted. Thank you in advance.</p>

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<p>My guess is that you have a much better chance of getting in RD because the admissions office will want to see your senior year grades. Are you taking a challenging course load this year? ED seems unlikey with a grade slip. You need time to show you've turned it around!</p>

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<p>Babyblu, you wrote: "I got good grades in 10th grade (a 3.9 GPA) but then I started slacking, and because of a traumatic incident that happened halfway through 11th grade, I gave up studying altogether and my grades dropped drastically."</p>

<p>Your SAT and AP scores sound like they are up to Dartmouth par, so I suggest that you address the "traumatic incident" that accounts for your grade slip in one of your essays. I think that if you really love Dartmouth then you should apply ED and just talk about why your grades fell somewhere in the application. Good luck!</p>

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<p>Some schools suggest including a brief letter in your application packet if you had an incident that caused your grades to slip. Adcomes understand that things happen, and we are all humans. I wouldn't necessarily make that the main subject of your essay though, especially if you have already written essay(s) that you're satisfied with.</p>