<p>So..pretty much the deal is during sophomore year I was suffering from extremely serious depression...could barely get out of bed in the morning yet alone work to my full capacity at school. I'm great now though, and getting pretty amazing grades (Almost positive I can get straight A/A+s this year). My question is, have I ruined my chances at a top school because of my soph. year grades? I don't know whether or not they're going to really set me back. I'm really interested in Columbia (a huge reach...for anyone really) but also love Williams, Dartmouth, Brown, NYU, Oberlin, UCLA and tons more (planning to major in drama/theater)....</p>
<p>8th grade--
Algebra: A-
French 1: A</p>
<p>9th--
Journalism: A
English Honors: A-
Global: B+
Bio Honors: A-
Geometry: A
French 2: A-
Gym: A+
Studio Art: A+</p>
<p>10th (the killer :( )---
AP Euro: B
Algebra 2/Trig: B+
French 3 Honors: B+
Gym: A
Photography: A-
Health: A+
Chemistry: B
English Honors: A</p>
<p>My GPA as of now is a 3.8 but I plan to get it up this year to a 3.9 or 4.0; I'm taking (and doing extremely well in)</p>
<p>For EC's...
- founder/president of Ping Pong Club
- founder/director of school one-act plays
- TONS of acting classes in NYC (Stella Adler/Lee Strasberg/Broadway Training)
- Editor-in-chief of School Newspaper
- Teach acting at local elementary school
- Mentor/Tutor/Drama Teacher at the Children's Village
- Volunteer at Make-A-Wish
- Studied at Cambridge University over the summer (took Drama, Creative Writing, and British History)
- Some published stuff on TeenInk</p>
<p>So, honestly, am I aiming too high? Again, I will probably get straight As this year, but will that save me from soph year? As for SATs I have a private tutor..but yeah I don't really know how I'll do on those. Thanks for your help :)</p>
<p>I can’t tell if you think a 3.8 is bad or not…I mean I don’t think it’s bad at all but I did get a ton of Bs sophomore year…</p>
<p>and seriously, how can I improve my ECs? I agree, they really aren’t amazing…I just don’t know what else to do. It’s not like I’m some scientist who’s gonna win some national award…I’m into acting.</p>
<p>Your GPA isn’t bad if write about in the add. info section of the Commonapp. You could try acting at your local theater or something, but idk. I’m assuming you already do school plays and musicals.</p>
<p>You should be fine for oberlin and NYU. Probs UCLA too. Other than that you have low chances.</p>
<p>You need to beef up your participation in acting big time if that’s the EC you want to use for college applications. Find local companies and work with them to see if you can get in some productions, get a job working in theater and perhaps found a society or two focused on acting. Maybe put on your own production for your school to raise money for AIDS/Cancer/some other type of research? There’s not not much impressive on the list right now.</p>
<p>OK, I get what you’re saying…except, and I could be wrong, I don’t get why it looks like I’m not “devoted” enough to acting or whatever. I spend my entire Saturday for 8-9 hours in New York City training at world-renowned studios and academies…I founded a theater group in my school and the profits from our shows go to an organization that I took a mission trip with last year to Nicaragua…I founded and teach a drama program to the kids in my town’s elementary school…and I also founded and teach a drama program to struggling kids through a local organization. Why would it look more impressive if I was ‘involved in a local theater company’? I initiated all these things myself because my town didn’t have them…and I feel like they are pretty unique. Really, I want you to just elaborate on why they’re not good enough?</p>
<p>^ I didn’t mean for that to sound aggressive. I mean, I posted this thread so obviously I’m open to advice haha. I’m honestly just curious…I want to know how to look impressive.</p>
<p>You see, your explanations there make much more sense of your involvement, and it sounds much better for you then did your original post. When you are not involved in structured activities where awards are well known (eg. all adcoms know an ISEF finalist is talented at science) it is critical you explain what you did fully.</p>
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</p>
<p>Sounds quite a bit more impressive then:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>which sounds like you were attempting to fill up a volunteering hours quota. In your case you need independently verifiable and quantifiable achievements to prove your dedication to theater, which is why I suggest some type of fundraising production - dollars for charity look good and are quantifiable.</p>
<p>I think your chances are not ruined, because of grades only. you might explain them though the reasons for low grades. Other things are fine I guess. YOu havent mentioned SAT scores as well. they need to be great, or sufficient at least.</p>
<p>Your sophomore grades aren’t horrible. You have to be kidding me, right. No offense, but some people would kill to have those grades no matter what way you’re looking at it. It’s great that you got over your illness, but still, there’s no need to exaggerate.</p>
<p>Of course they’re not “horrible”; however, it depends in what context. In general then obviously I’m aware that a 3.8 isn’t bad; for the schools I want to apply to though, it’s not fantastic (people who consistently get Bs aren’t generally strong candidates for the Ivies). I hope they don’t affect me too much, but they’re still a concern. Snipersas, I guess I should have explained my ECs better. In any case, thank you for the suggestions.</p>