<p>I am a rising senior and during last semester of junior year, I had to deal with some unlucky circumstances that led to a drop in my grades. In May, I was out of school for a week due to a severe double ear infection and ruptured eardrum, and the next week, my grandmother in North Dakota passed away and my family had to drive out there for a week. Missing so much school so late in the semester did affect my grades, but otherwise, my record has been quite good and I've taken the most rigorous courseload available to me. </p>
<p>I had 5 b's and 2 a's (in 2 aps, honors precalc & physics, french 4, etc) this semester and I really don't this one semester to hurt my otherwise good chances at my top choices. Here's a list of schools I am considering at the moment:</p>
<p>Boston University
Penn State (UP)
UNH
Purdue
Elon
UW-Madsion
NC State
UVM (in-state)
College of Charleston
University of South Carolina
JMU</p>
<p>Is there any way I can get into these schools? And what would be an appropriate way to explain the drop in grades, if any?</p>