<p>So I'm going into my senior year of HS and my college choices look bleak. I want to go to a college that has a stellar philosophy department and proximity to a city, and unfortunately for me, these tend to be prestigious and competitive, like Brown and Columbia, BU and NYU, and Berkeley (a complete reach, even as a California resident).</p>
<p>Here's my story:</p>
<p>I had all A's in my first 2 years of high school at an independent study school (a lot like college -- you're assigned a huge chunk of work, minimal if any class time, and then you come in and test on the material, which is what 100% of your grade is -- just test/essay grades... requires lots of independence and motivation), including 2 A's in community college courses (bio and western civ i), and took so many classes I was about to graduate as a 16 year old. On a 4.0 scale, I had above a 3.99 at HS (one B+ in math freshman year) and a 4.18? weighted due to the college classes counting as 5 on 4.0 scale... I also got 2 b's in college gym classes, hahahaha, but that's because I injured my toe for a large part of the semester.</p>
<p>But I decided to go to the top prep school in the country (Andover/Exeter.. not saying which to protect anonymity, just in case) because I wanted a challenge (and because going to college at age 16 is a hassle w/ laws and restrictions, etc.)</p>
<p>Due to numerous reasons, ability (or effort) not being one of them, my grades for my junior year were very crappy. Fall term: b+, c+, c-, b, b... winter: b-, f, d-, c-, b. Spring: b+, c, c-, b-, c-. I still managed to have a great year intellectually and socially (very much)... I don't regret it; I learned a bunch, even if my grades don't show that.</p>
<p>My teachers were confused, because they found me to be very smart.. My English teacher said I was the smartest student he has ever had in 40 years at the school, teaching the future leaders of America. He also said I was one of the most frustrating (due to my disorganization). My other English teacher said, in numerous different ways and at numerous different instances, that I have a bright future in English, and noted that a visiting poet scholar was "smitten" with my "literary mind" after just talking with me.</p>
<p>I've attributed my non-stellar performance to putting myself in higher level transfer courses (fast paced, where it's supposed to be a review of previously learned material), where I was learning everything for the first time. I threw myself into my art and english classes, spending a huge amount of time enjoying them and going way beyond what was askd of me because I enjoyed it. My math, science, and spanish courses slipped during the beginning because of this, but keep in mind that i was used to balancing one course at a time and going completely in depth into a give field. I transfered to a lower level intro science class (was placed in the advanced intro physics course due to my high math standardized scores and perfect placement test) after a month, which was too late. I then had to make up a month of work while learning the spanish and math at an increasingly fast pace while the standards set for those courses were for review only. When I got an F at mid terms in physics (a D in Spanish, an a C in math) I worked every morning before school with my physics teacher (who became my advisor later) and pulled it up to a c or a c+ (can't remember). Pulled Spanish up to a b- and Math stayed the same, even though I worked really hard... I got a mix of really high grades (98, 92) and really low grades (47, 64) which resulted in a C, despite increased effort after midterms.</p>
<p>My art teacher and I have a weird relationship... she thinks I'm talented in art, especially with the intellectual aspect of it, but grew very frustrated with me because I was a perfectionist with my work and didn't hand stuff in that would have gotten me a perfectly fine grade when it was due, just because I wasn't personally satisfied with it and didn't care that it was late if it met my standard. In fact, this is the case with most of my classes... be it with science labs, English papers, math hand-ins, etc.. I have a personal/intellectual issue with handing work in which isn't representative of my ability, and I end up with 0's and A's.. and hence C's, etc., for the final grade. I am not a grade grubber, and am concerned with more intellectual pursuits than grubbing... Logically, I would have handed stuff in and ended up with final grades maybe 25-50% higher than I got... but this wasn't an option for me, even if the final grades are grossly misrepresentative, I'm just not morally OK with handing in sub-par work. I'm a perfectionist and am very rebellious at heart and am not OK with doing something just because I should do it.. so, math homework seemed like a trivial pursuit next to studying existentialism.. I was never slacking intellectually, just academically a bit.</p>
<p>Anyway, I am getting better with my perfectionism and with doing things just because in the end it's the best, but that was my junior year and I can't change it now. Now comes college.. my dream college, Brown, isn't happening the first time around... So I'm thinking about doing a year at a school I can get into, then transferring to a school more suited for my ability and interests (philosophy). Everyone who knows me knows that those grades are not representative of my ability or effort. Im very independent and stubborn, dont do things if they conflict with my beliefs, and I like that about myself.. it just wasnt the ideal mindset for succeeding at a top, cutthroat school. My independence and intellectual idealism is an asset. It just hindered my efficiency this past year, and Im now learning to coexist with the practicality and demands of my school. Hopefully senior year fall and winter grades will be better and show that I have improved and am fully capable of succeeding at this school.</p>
<p>So straight as for 2 years while going to college part time as a 15 yr old, crappy grades with good recs and comments from the teachers for one year at the toughest school in the country after I moved across the country and dropped everything I knew to be there, yet succeeded socially and intellectually.. just not academically. Good test scores (havent taken them yet, but I ace standardized tests), long-term, passionate and dedicated yogi, arts editor of one of our magazines, active member in clubs like GSA and ethnic group clubs, good artist and writer, interesting life story and unusual background, community service, very introspective and creative (maybe shown in essays or recs, and def in interviews --- Im so good at interviews). And lets say all as and bs for senior fall and winter (bs are very hard to get here a b- Is like an a+ at other schools, and colleges know this). I'm also not planning on taking any SAT II, as of now.</p>
<p>So.. where am I standing? What should I do so that I'm in the best possible position to transfer to Brown, Columbia, BU, NYU, maybe Berkeley (prefer east coast).</p>