Can improvement save my chances...?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I just finished my sophomore year of high school. This past year was awful in all respects. Although I didn't have a formal diagnosis, I did a lot of research and I can be sure when I say that I suffered from depression. I felt like **** this entire year, and as a result my grades suffered. This sounds terrible, but first semester I got a B in Algebra 2/Trig, a C in World Lit and a D in Chem Honors. Second semester I got a B in World History, a C in Algebra 2/Trig and a D in Chem Honors AGAIN (aaaaaah). I had a strong B in math all of second semester but the final *<strong><em>ed it up. I got a B in history because my teacher didn't accept one late assignment. I got a C in lit first semester because all of my teacher's assignments/projects were worth a *</em></strong> ton of unweighted points, around 400, and giving her ONE accidentally late essay for a project dropped my grade nearly 10 percent. As for chem, or should I say the bane of my existence, I was completely unprepared for the rigor of the class. I came from freshman year with a 4.0 GPA and a humongous ego. I wasn't ready to teach myself everything for the class, was not ready to handle my notoriously bad chem teacher (she's been sued twice). Ergo, a D for first semester. As for second semester, I was so filled with dread about the original D and so *<strong><em>ing bummed out that I was not willing to put in the effort to redeem myself, so I suffered again. In the end, if I had gotten one more question on the final right, I would have gotten a C in the class. That's how close I got. Chem H was just one of "those" classes. The impossible, *</em></strong>ing unbearable, rip-out-your-hair ones. </p>

<p>Anyways, now that I'm past the spiel portion, the real question: If I show significant improvement now that I'm over my depression, will I be able to get into an "amazing" school? In other words, if I get straight A's for the remainder of high school, have spectacular SAT/SAT II/AP scores, have some extracurriculars that I'm passionate about, and thoroughly explain why I ****ed up sophomore year, could I go somewhere awesome like UCLA, UCB, USC, UChicago, Northwestern, Cornell (heh), etc.? I realize some (all) of these are a high reach. If not, could I make it to UCSD, UCD, UCI?</p>

<p>So far in high school I have done volunteering and this past year I started tutoring someone twice a week after school for geometry/biology, which has earned me at least 50 community service hours. I realize that's not much, and I am scared because I've heard much talk about colleges not appreciating people that start beefing up their applications at the start of junior/senior year. I've also heard a lot about colleges not seeing people with a low GPA but high SAT scores in a good light. Is that true? Would those two factors affect my chances severely? </p>

<p>Anyways, here is my proposed plan for the next two years:
-Straight A's (my unweighted GPA will amount to a 3.675 if this works out, weighted would be a 3.918)
-2200 - 2400 on SAT
-750 - 800's on some SAT II's (probably for Bio, Math II, French, Chemistry, maybe Lit)
-4-5s on AP tests (Bio, Calc, Gov, French, English Language)
-A's in the summer school chem and psych classes I'll take next summer
-Speech and Debate junior and senior year (I'm actually very interested in improving both of these skills, not a meaningless EC)
-More tutoring (Study Buddies Society)!
-Newspaper Columnist (for my senior year, I applied for next year but got rejected - we have a damn fine newspaper)
-La Pluma (our school's literary magazine) officer (j/sen)
^^I love writing A LOT, I may even major in journalism. Hence the newspaper and magazine.
-French Honor Society Officer (I love languages and learning them, and I will be skipping a level of French)
-Track and Field (I used to run...lolz)
-Cross Country (just senior year)
-Link Leader (just senior year, the person who helps freshmen get comfortable with high school)
-I play the double bass, guitar, and piano and am going to take orchestra all four years
-If I stay on track I should know five languages by the end of high school (read/write/speak English, Urdu, French, Arabic, only speak Spanish)</p>

<p>Btdubbs, I am a Pakistani girl, if that will make a difference. I also go to a highly ranked, competitive public high school so the pressure's on. Just last year a girl here found a potential cure for cancer.</p>

<p>So, what do you think?</p>

<p>P.S. To anyone who realized, I know this is the fourth time I've posted this. I am just desperate for feedback because I am paranoid.</p>

2

<p>I honestly think that it’s going to be hard since you had so many Cs and D’s even with a high sat score its going to be hard unless u get a 2400. You need to try really hard junior year like I am, I screwed up my freshman year but I never failed a class. Admission office looks at GPA mainly , they seep rate students into piles from low to high gpa
After they look at your classes, grades, and SAT and AP test scores they then seperate again and after all that they look at you as a person and how you fit in… then they rank you 1-5 5 is bad 1 is amazing and accept whoever they can</p>

3

<p>Plus colleges like you to show commitment you have too many ECs that are only 1 year they rather choose a student 4 years in a club then a kid in 4 clubs 4 different years</p>

4

<p>You can do it I believe in you lol prove admission that you improved</p>

5

<p>For the schools you’re interested in, it’s going to be very challenging to explain C’s and D’s (especially since you didn’t have a special circumstance, like hospitalization). I would recommend you apply to a lower UC and transfer after a year to a higher UC.</p>

6

<p>Oh man this is a late response. My father has chronic paranoid schizophrenia and that also takes a big toll on me.</p>

7

<p>You should try to retake some of those C and D classes…</p>

8

<p>I retook chem at a community college and got an A. I don’t have time to retake everything.</p>

9

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<p>This is bit unrealistic imo. Did you take any practice full time SATs(practice ofc)?</p>

10

<p>Nah, not unrealistic. There’s cutthroat competition at my school :x and I am trying to immerse myself in it for motivation to do better. I do take a practice test every weekend and I think I will be able to pull it off (real deal is in January).</p>

11

<p>What were you getting in those practice tests?</p>

12

<p>So why are you still here? You appear to have all the answers to all the points everyone brings up. Seems like you’re still a “bit” egotistical. You already have things planned out, now just follow through.</p>

13

<p>Don’t tell an egotistical person that they’re egotistical. It’ll drive them insane.</p>