<p>I'm a canadian student going into grade 11, unfortunately, my grades from grade 9 and 10 arnt the greatest (nothing below a 75)
Im worried that my slacking off in the first two high school may have costed me my dream of going into a top university in the states.
Will thoose marks count for a lot? What can I do to make my chances better?</p>
<p>thanks in advance</p>
<p>We need some more information from you.</p>
<p>First – what is your GPA for the first two years? “[N]othing below a 75” covers a lot of ground. Pretty much anything from a C+ to an A (with one bad grade).</p>
<p>Second – what do you mean by a “top university in the states.” For some, this means Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford or MIT (referred to as HYPSM). For others, “Any Ivy Will Do”. Or we could say that “top University” means the top 15 schools, the top 25, the top 50 or any other arbitrary measure that you care to name. To state the obvious, the broader your definition of “top” school, the better your chances.</p>
<p>Now, on to your questions – Grades Count A LOT. With some schools, one bad year, especially freshman year can be overcome. Two is tougher. Though I’ve heard of a few cases where a student got in with two years of bad grades – these are generally the result of truly unique situations. </p>
<p>However, if you have a really good explanation it’s possible (for example, a medically diagnosed condition that got better, death of a parent, etc.). Since you said you slacked off, I assume this isn’t you.</p>
<p>Is there anything exceptional about you? For example, to use a Canadian Stereotype – if you could play Division I Hockey or Lacrosse, your chances would increase markedly. Have you won any major awards that would not be expected of a student with your grades? Again, I’m going to assume that this doesn’t apply.</p>
<p>So, what can you do – First of all, getting Excellent Grades in Junior and First Semester Senior Year will help. Come up with the best explanation of why your grades are bad, and how you have changed. Get excellent SATs/ACTs. In other words make the case as to why the first two years’ grades don’t represent you as a person. For some schools, depending on how bad your first two years’ grades were, this may not be enough, and you may not have a realistic chance at admissions. However, with marked improvement, a top school may take a chance on you.</p>
<p>Finally – even if you cannot be initially admitted to a top school, all is not lost. You most assuredly will get in to some school. Do well. Get excellent grades, and consider transferring after Freshman or Sophomore Year. Most top schools do take transfers, and HS grades are much less important (if they are even considered at all).</p>
<p>PS – I hate to get pedantic about this, but you may get more replies if you proof read your posts. Just sayin’ …</p>
<p>I have an average of 85 at the moment, though I have no idea what my gpa would be.
Top unvisersity would be pretty much top 25? though I would love to get into columbia or berkley. I have done my fair share of EC and sports, but I dont really have a “wow” factor as you mentioned. </p>
<p>I dont really have a good reason for not doing as well as I had hoped, except that I didnt push myself hard enough. Would I mention howI have changed in my admin essay? </p>
<p>Thanks for the reply:)</p>
<p>Ok – 85 is pretty much a 3.0 +/-. </p>
<p>I think you pretty much need to Kick Butt in your Junior Year + First Semester Senior Year and Kill the SATs-ACTs to have a shot. Even then, I couldn’t say how good a shot you have. </p>
<p>Whether it’s top 25 or not, obviously the better you do, the better school you have a chance at getting into. </p>
<p>If you can pull it off, then you’re going to need to pull together a list of schools that historically consider ‘late bloomers.’ I think it’s then time to talk to the GC. Also, you probably want to visit and interview as much as possible – hopefully get someone on the admissions staff who sees your potential.</p>
<p>Personally, btw, I think top 50-ish is a Top University, but everyone’s definition will differ.</p>
<p>In Ontario, our A’s are considered to be 80-100…
do you think that universities acknowledge that? or will they be strictly following the US system?</p>
<p>universities will definitely acknowledge that. they take it into account</p>
<p>80-100 = A. </p>
<p>I didn’t know that. Preumably most US colleges do. Otherwise, ask your GC to send an explanation of what grades mean along with your GC rec. letter.</p>
<p>^ in some Canadian provinces F is about 49% and below and D is in the 50’s. Much lower than here. </p>
<p>Adcoms will likely know 80-100 is A, but it’s still the lower end. This number will look better if your school is competitive and you’ve had a rigorous courseload. Your LoRs will need to be strong, as well as all the rest. So, maybe. But remember the advice: find safety schools you can love.</p>