<p>Hey guys it's my first time posting on these forums and I've come here as I'm beginning to stress out as I feel that I've already ruined my chances at attending this school. I'm currently a freshman in high school and after adjusting to the new building and dealing with the work load, my grades have suffered in the process. I'm aware that it's sort of early to begin to worry but I've already received a few B's in my first semester. (B- in honors geo, B+ in World History East, B+ in advanced English) and as I'm approaching the midway point of my second semester, my grades haven't improved a significant amount. As an OOS student, do I still have a chance to attend the school if I improve my grades substantially?</p>
<p>Of course you still have a chance! Your GPA is an accumulation of 4 (well 3.5 when you apply to college) years. You will have to improve, as you said, substantially. Take as many advanced (AP, Honors, or College) classes as you can between now and senior year and if you do very well in them you will be alright. UW-Madison is difficult to get in, and its acceptance is very GPA-based, but they really like to see that upward swing in grades, which you have a perfect opportunity to show. Acceptance is also based on your SAT or ACT score, which is also very significant, strive for a 28-30. Keep working hard, and you’ll stand a good chance.</p>
<p>Did you know that Stanford doesn’t even use the HS freshman year in calculating the gpa? UW does, but pays attention to improving grades. Therefore it is better to get those grades freshman year than junior year with the same gpa. Your junior year gpa is the most important as it is the last year colleges will see on your fall applications. Learning the most you can gives you a better foundation for later courses- easier to get an A when you already know a lot of material others are spending time learning- so do continue to do your best work this semester and your sophomore year (likewise senior year even after yoiu get accepted to colleges). The foundation of knowledge you build in HS not only gives you the gpa but helps you when you take college courses.</p>
<p>Yup, you definitely have a chance. Another thing the admission reps will look at is the difficulty of the class. A ‘B’ in honors geometry doesn’t look as bad as a ‘B’ in regular geometry. Although it doesn’t look as good as an A in regular geometry (as I understand,) it definitely doesn’t look too bad. Pull off some A’s in AP classes your senior / junior year, score well on the ACT or SAT, and you’ll be fine!</p>
<p>I was accepted, and I got more C’s than B’s or A’s for my first two years of high school. Improvement is good, as are high test scores. Your freshman grades are the least important, since you get them years before you apply to the college.</p>
<p>Stop freaking out about a few B’s. Even if you got as many B’s as A’s, you’d still be in the ballpark for UW as long as you had something else to make you stick out.</p>