<p>Hey guys! Thanks for any insight you can offer. Tulane is my absolute top choice and it is my biggest dream to be a freshman at Tulane next year. I'm really stressing about my chances for admission.</p>
<p>Senior Year Schedule:
AP Psychology
AP English Literature
AP Environmental Science
AP U.S. Government
Leadership (student government)
Animation
Math Analysis</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
Really great!
Includes: Student Body President, President/Founder of Amnesty International Student Group, was chosen for a really selective Internship with a leading environmental engineering company.
I have many more too, focused on community service, leadership, and the environment.</p>
<p>I want to major in environmental studies.
I will be applying SCEA.</p>
<p>Possible hook: URM - Hispanic male from Los Angeles</p>
<p>Concerns: Low GPA (I actually failed my math class last year). I won't be in top 10%, however I will definitely be in top 25%</p>
<p>IMO, you have a decent shot. You are right, of course, that the low GPA (relatively speaking) is your biggest red flag. SAT is good, EC’s very good, and the URM definitely helps. Tulane does not have a large Hispanic representation compared to some of its peer schools.</p>
<p>The key is probably to give an honest explanation as to why you failed math. It might be especially important in your case because you want to major in environmental studies. That requires a lot of statistics and other higher mathematics. Tulane Jeff did a blog post about this (explaining bad grades, not environmental studies) not long ago. Google him and take a look. If you can make that work for you, or at least lessen the negative impact, it will help you a lot. I wish you the best of luck, you appear to have a lot of good things in your favor.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response! I really appreciate it! You are awesome!</p>
<p>As to my junior year grades, I was actually struggling with severe depression and suicidal thoughts (I’m completely over it now, wooooh!!!). Would it be wise to let them know that, and if so, how should I best communicate it without me sounding crazy?</p>
<p>Personal medical issues such as these are delicate, of course. I am not really qualified to give you a definitive answer. My gut opinion is that if your junior year grades are in stark contrast to your prior years, then of course there was a reason, and I wouldn’t shy away from that. At the same time I would not beat it to death. A tough balance, I know. Support from your school guidance counselor and/or other authority figures would help also.</p>
<p>It happened, you dealt with it, and you are moving on. Also, it happens more than people realize, it certainly won’t be the first time they have seen a situation such as yours. The important thing is that you have dealt with the issue. I think your strongest proof will be in your performance this semester. If your school provides mid-term grades, make sure Tulane sees those. If they are really good, it will provide the best proof you are back on track.</p>
<p>Finally, and I hope it is OK that I say this, when you are at Tulane (positive thinking!) don’t hesitate to take advantage of mental health resources the school provides. It is more common than you may think, especially with so many people having the stresses of being away from home, new responsibilities, class pressures, etc. There are good people at most schools ready to help.</p>
<p>It would be hard not to mention the true reason for the drop in grades, and I agree it is a delicate issue.
If you do discuss the depression, I suggest adding a line on how you are committed to staying healthy, and what steps you are taking to stay that way.
You are to be commended for getting through that episode and admitting to your depression, that speaks to your strength of character. Hopefully, the admission committee will see it the same way.
Good luck with your application.</p>
<p>Agree with goodwill, and just want to add that if the stats on teenage depression are even fairly accurate, this has to be something the admissions people deal with on a reasonably frequent basis. Not a huge number, but not uncommon either.</p>