Chance me please! EDII to Bowdoin

Colleges and Universities A-Z Bowdoin College
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<p>I am sort of a complicated situation. Issues of depression and anxiety brought me to a residential treatment center for 9 and a half months during the second half of my sophomore year and first half of my junior year. Freshman year, I had a 3.72 GPA unweighted with four honors classes and one regular class. Prior to being sent away during my sophomore year, during the first semester, I had a 3.69 unweighted with 1 AP and 3 honors. During my time away, I had a 3.93 GPA unweighted with a couple of APs, no honors, and the rest regular. Finishing up my junior year back home, I had a 3.68 GPA unweighted with only 1 AP and 1 honors. And now, finally I am a senior, but my grades have declined slightly to a 3.58. My SAT is a 2170 (640 CR, 730 M, 800 W). I am applying EDII to Bowdoin and I’m worried that I won’t get in because of my time away from home and my slightly declining grades. </p>

<p>Common App Essay: wrote about my trek up Mount Kilimanjaro and my struggle to have the chance to take those two APs at the treatment center</p>

<p>ECs: have traveled to 6 continents, 20 countries, 36 US states
Team manager of varsity basketball team
Babysat and worked in a frozen yogurt shop in my town
JV and varsity baseball (but sat the bench haha) for the years I was at home
Member of an international Jewish organization (BBYO) </p>

<p>Community Service: volunteered in an animal shelter
Helped rebuild a school in rural Tanzania
Helped clean up a neglected Jewish cemetery in Bulgaria
Worked in an office for a not-for-profit organization that promotes humanism in medicine
Did a little bit of Hurricane Katrina relief work</p>

<p>Made honor roll every semester I was home</p>

<p>So, I am pretty worried that I will not get in because of my slightly declining grades, lack of APs, and time away from home (where there was little to no rigor at all). I’d greatly appreciate it if some people could respond to this post and chance me. And be as blunt as you need to be! :)</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>My son was in almost the exact same situation. He is a senior this year and he spent half his sophomore year and his entire junior year at an RTC. He had a 4.2 going in and maintained it the whole way through! He has very few extra curriculars or AP classes. Believe me, no number of extra curriculars or volunteering can compare to fighting for your life and coming out on the other side! Any college worth their reputation will see that despite your depression and being in an RTC, you still kept up your grades! Congratulations, you are so much more prepared to handle life after going through that much therapy! Did you use the supplemental part on any of your college apps. to explain why you could not take the AP courses? I know Berkeley sent my son a supplemental app. and he explained the situation. Keep in touch and let me know where you end up!</p>

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<p>Thanks so much MindySue. Your response is very much appreciated and your empathy is as well very much appreciated! It’s very nice of you to relate your son’s situation to mine. It’s difficult for anyone to go through this and probably just as difficult for the family to go through it. I’m so thrilled that your son is in the college search and did well academically despite the emotional challenges. I did explain the AP situation in the common app in the additional information section. Thanks again for your support! And I will definitely let you know where I end up.</p>