<p>ok so my gpa is 3.2 unweighted and 3.7 weighted. sat 1330/1600 and everyhting else is great. butttttttt im applying to ivy league schoools and other toptop schools. i know my chances are low but im going to try. should i write a note in the additional section of the common app and explain to them that i have changed and will try harder in college? or is it stupid to try and explain my bad grades?</p>
<p>Unless you have a specific medical or personal problem which caused an obstacle for you in high school, I wouldn't write a letter.</p>
<p>If your grades have an upward trend, they might believe that you'll do better in college but they won't believe that just from a note from you.</p>
<p>So basically unless there is a reason with proof, I wouldn't do it if I were you.</p>
<p>I agree with brillar; unless you have proof of a specific reason why your grades are lower than they might have otherwise been, there's really nothing you can say that will help, sorry. Good luck, though!</p>
<p>Even if there is a specific reason, you should get your counselor to write about it as they are, in a sense, more objective.</p>
<p>donnag, hope you have a hook, b/c w/ your grades and test scores, the chances are very slim you going Ivy/quasi-Ivy. Remember these schools reject a tons of valed/salut and many with perfect test scores. Yes, it's stupid to explain your grades, but to be frank w/ 20000 applications, your excuse might not even get read-- you may end up immediately in the reject pile.</p>
<p>To be frank your chances aren't low, but rather non-existant, unless you have the athlete, URM, legacy, VIP, etc. kind of hook. Remember these schools reject 1000s of valed/salut and a ton more w/ perfect test scores. It's the reality of the Ivies/quasi-Ivies these days, just notice those EA applicants rejected already this yr w/ near perfect stats. Sorry, but on the brighter side there are great schools that are maybe not on your radar-- chk out Lauren Pope's books or the one on Hidden Ivies. You'll get into a good school and will probably, if you choose carefully, receive a better education than you would at an Ivy-type school.</p>
<p>I didn't think URM was such a hook... But anyway, I agree with what was being said. Unless you have a really good reason, don't write anything. "School was new for me because I was starting high school..." or "I didn't realize how important school was at the time" kind of thing doesn't cut it. "I was extremely ill and in the hospital all the time" sort of thing would cut it.</p>
<p>wat if im trilingual and was born aborad? is that a hook?</p>
<p>That's definitely a hook, as long as you are able to communicate it effectively, minus glaring spelling errors....</p>
<p>haha thanks</p>
<p>bumpppppppppppppppppp</p>
<p>Princeton rejects over 80% of valedictorians that apply. Remember, the point should be to get into the best school for you, not necessarily the best school.</p>
<p>Is there a reason your grades are low?</p>
<p>"Princeton rejects over 80% of valedvictorians that apply." --</p>
<p>You gotta be kidding me. Over 80%?!?!</p>
<p>Where did you get this statistic from anyways?...
Even if it's true, the valedvictorians must be from schools where the average gpa is like 2.0.</p>
<p>i hate to say it but the chances of you getting into an ivy are slim to none. i don't mean to be negative, but things are EXTRA competitive this year- even with the "trilingual" hook, you will be up against someone who was that WITH straight A's and perfect SAT's. there are tons of good schools out there, just look for them. I know someone who was deferred from yale with a near perfect GPA, has taken every AP her schedule would allow, who was born abroad, speaks a different language, is nationally renowned for her community service efforts and has begun her own non-profit organization., along with tons of other amazing EC's. another friend of mine was deferred from UMich, and she had a great GPA great ACT's president of five clubs born abroad and spoke two languages fluently besides english.
Only write a note if you have a TRULY valid reason for low grades, such as
- death in family
- problems at home
- illness (which includes severe depression)
- issues at school (as in extreme bullying or some form of abuse from administration or a teacher)
the last one is a stretch, but if there was a serious issue you could say something. all of this should be verified by a counselor. otherwise, sorry i'd say look at different schools- there are so many out there it's pointless to limit yourself to only those with big names.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You gotta be kidding me. Over 80%?!?!</p>
<p>Where did you get this statistic from anyways?...
Even if it's true, the valedvictorians must be from schools where the average gpa is like 2.0.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Nope. Not only do they reject the number ones, but also reject people with perfect SAT scores.</p>
<p>Well, keep in mind that people with perfect SAT scores who are rejected are rejected in place of people without perfect SAT scores, who aren't valedictorians, etc. You all are acting like the OP has absolutely no chance, but that's definitely untrue. Give it your best, and good luck!</p>
<p>I'm not saying the OP doesn't have a chance. Everyone has a chance. We're just saying that it's hard to get in no matter how good your stats are. And usually, the people with lower test scores and GPA get in because they had something those perfect SATs and GPA people didn't have. I'd also like to know what reason the OP is going to give...</p>
<p>thanks for your help, everyone.
honestly, i don't really have a legitimate reason. i mean i did move around a lot before starting high school and its hard because i got really attached to the place i lived at before i moved and started high school so that distracted me. but i dont even know if that is worth mentioning its so hard to explain and colleges would probebly think its stupid. i just need to stop being lazy- i think thats the true reason for my bad grades. and my grades arent even that bad i just have mostly B's. and only one 79. </p>
<p>this whole college process is so stressful. jeez.</p>
<p>What would I need to put for a death in the family?</p>