Chances for someone with severe past mistakes??

<p>Hey everyone. I joined this place when I was a freshman and I'm finally a senior now. I've made some posts in the past about my struggles but now it's all hitting me in the face and it has become reality. It hurts. A lot.</p>

<p>So I'm going to give you all the basic story along with my stats. I want honest opinions but please refrain from calling me a moron just because my scores are incredibly low. I'm a student that was always put in gifted programs and had straight As until my emotional disorders started to creep up. </p>

<p>This will be fairly long but PLEASE read it!</p>

<p>So here goes.</p>

<p>GPA: 2.3
SAT: 630CR 360M 540W (I had zero preparation--I will go into further detail later.)</p>

<p>Current schedule:</p>

<p>AP Psychology
AP Literature
Math 3r
Gym x2
Government
Economics</p>

<p>Alright, so here is the basic story. I have severe depression and anorexia. Last year, I was hospitalized twice and missed a ton of school. Consequently, I only have TWO classes on my junior year transcript. The classes were gym and honors english. I was technically in AP Language but I skipped the AP test because I refused to get out of bed. The rest were dropped. This has affected my grade tremendously--and not for the better. Obviously.</p>

<p>Freshman year, I basically had all As with maybe one B or so. I began to get very sick towards the end of the year and that's when my grades began to dip a little bit towards the high 80s. Sophomore year I was still sick but managed to get an 86% average or so while attending school on a minimal level. I spent many nights in the ER due to passing out or having to get stitches from self-harm. The summer before junior year, I was hospitalized in a psych ward for suicidal ideation. One month later, I'm in another hospital for anorexia. I return to school and promptly fail nearly everything because I began getting into drugs. My eating disorder was out of hand; my depression was insanely ridiculous. I attended school maybe three times a week at best. So I went back to another hospital for two months. I had four APs for my junior year schedule and I had to drop every single one because of these problems. I'm so ****ed off about that.</p>

<p>So now it's my senior year and I was incredibly depressed up until about three weeks ago where my new anti-depressants kicked in. I feel a lot better and have brought my grades up from either failing or low 70s to high 80s or somewhere in the 90s. I took the SATs in October. I did not study. I had no help from anyone. I was so apathetic towards the test that I left so many answers blank on the math portions. I have not taken a math class since my sophomore year so that is why the math score is so embarrassing. I would retake the SATs because I know that stuff now since I'm learning it in my math class this year, BUT it's too late since I've already applied everywhere.</p>

<p>I've had four years of English, three years of math, four years of French, three years of social studies (including APUSH), and three sciences. While this is most likely irrelevant, I have been in AP Gov, AP Macro, AP Bio, and AP Lang but had to drop them because of the hospitalizations. Prior to dropping them, I was doing fairly well for someone who couldn't function all that much lol.</p>

<p>I live in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York and I have applied to all the local schools so I can stay close to my treatment team for a while before I go off on my own. These are the schools:</p>

<p>University at Buffalo
Canisius College
Medaille College
Daemen College
Buffalo State College
Erie Community College</p>

<p>These are basically the schools that I have the best chances of getting into. The CC is the backup plan in case I don't get in anywhere which is quite probable I think.</p>

<p>Only about three of the schools actually have essays that can be submitted. The essays that I have written are rather good. I have a recommendation from my guidance counselor which contains explanations for my poor grades/scores and a bunch of stuff about my intellect and other talents. </p>

<p>ECs:
Shakespeare club 9-12
Newspaper 9-12 editor
Drama club 9-12
Unity in Diversity 9-12
Model UN 11-12
Literary Magazine 9-12 editor</p>

<p>My goal for undergrad is to eventually transfer to the University of Toronto. I love how the school is so big and I adore the city. It's the perfect place for me to write my books.</p>

<p>Oh and if it matters, I can speak Farsi, English (obviously), French, and a bunch of other languages although those I cannot speak fluently. I know enough to get around in the countries though.</p>

<p>I'm majoring in English.</p>

<p>Please give me your opinions/advice. I'm incredibly ****ed off at myself but what's done is done, right? If I have to, I'll go to the community college and transfer out. I just never imagined myself having to do that as I was always praised and doted upon for my intelligence. Things change I suppose.</p>

<p>Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope it wasn't too painful.</p>

<p>Which campus at UofT?
I went there for a Summer camp called Computing Insights
I went to the St. George Campus
I think you're fine...
what type of drugs?
why???
I had several mistakes too but not to your extent
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/416108-what-my-chances-into-ee-cs.html#post4894460%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/416108-what-my-chances-into-ee-cs.html#post4894460&lt;/a>
well i wish u good luck.. just remember to reflect upon it in ur personal statement</p>

<p>Sorry to hear about what happened, but it looks like you are on the right track. I think t151848p gave you some good advice about reflecting upon it in your personal statement. Maybe even an interview might help also. I think you have good chances at Medaille and possibly some of the others. There are 2 other schools in the Buffalo area that you may be interested in: Houghton and D'Youville. Also, if you are interested you can still sign up to take the ACT test for December 8th. You will have to sign up under late registration though which lasts till Nov 15. Good luck!</p>

<p>Thanks so much :)</p>

<p>bummppp for more comments</p>

<p>I'm glad to hear that you are doing better! Keep up the good work; even if you don't get into your first choice; you're young and have LOTS of possiblities ahead.</p>

<p>Thanks Muffy :)</p>

<p>I'd like to know what you all think about the schools I have posted. What are my chances with these?</p>

<p>I'm not really familiar with the colleges you posted, as I'm from the west coast, but I can definately relate to what you went through. I dealt with depression and abuse and had to spend my tenth grade year in an RTC, and now that it's college apps time I have to deal with explaining it, etc. etc.</p>

<p>I think you have a really good plan. From what I know of community/2year colleges you have an EXCELLENT chance of getting in. Use essays to show all the personal growth/life experience you've had and it could actually be an asset. And two years from now when you're looking to transfer, none of the high school stuff will matter much if you do well in between.</p>

<p>Most importantly stay well! I know it's really hard, especially with friends/peers freaking out about going to the most prestigious college and what have you, but you've got to keep your priorities straight.</p>

<p><em>big hug</em> from a mom. You will be fine. Take one day, one step at a time. All is not lost, because you are still here. I never registered here, but upon reading your post, I felt compelled. You sound motivated, and that is half the battle. I'm sorry I do not know anything about the colleges you listed, but you have fought harder than anyone on this site to gain a spot, so I wish you all the best. Stay safe, stay healthy, and remember, you are you, there is no one else just like you, so you are special!</p>

<p>Aw thank you all so much :) You really brought a smile to my face. <33</p>

<p>CC then the big colleges.</p>

<p>Ambulance, you get a <strong><em>big hug</em></strong> from me too. I can't chance you because I don't know the schools, but I wanted to encourage you to forgive yourself for your past "mistakes". You really shouldn't blame yourself for problems that are widely recognized as illness. I'm so glad you have found a medication that helps. The suggestions to write about your illness(es) and seek out interviews so that you can convey your story and be known for who you are now. I think it's good for most kids, but maybe especially for you, to live in college dorms and experience a transitional environment between living at home and living on your own.</p>

<p>All the best to you...and here's another <strong><em>hug</em></strong>.</p>