<p>Well in 9th grade, I had an undiagnosed case of double depression (chronic depression AND a major depressive episode) and was bullied at school. Couple those together, and I started missing school. I missed about thirty - forty days (insane right?) before the third quarter was even over. Surprisingly though, half my grades were As, most were Cs, and only two were Fs. I soon got a therapist and began to get my life back on track. However, my school called me in and decided that according to school policy, missing more than ten days of a class constitutes an automatic F (despite the fact that I was actually doing better than most of my peers in these classes, and that my teachers absolutely adored me). </p>
<p>Because of this, my school decided to let me go. They didn't do this as a harsh expulsion, but because they knew I couldn't get better at their school as long as they couldn't do anything to stop the bullying.</p>
<p>I'm a Sophomore now, and my life has been great lately. I'm getting fabulous grades and not missing school for anything. However, the fact that I got expelled from my last school still haunts me, and I don't know how it will affect my chances into mid-tier to top-tier colleges. </p>
<p>Stats:
GPA: ~3.8-3.9
PSAT: 186 (going through intensive SAT prep this summer)
Ethnicity: Hispanic
ECs: Work at a teen to teen hotline (my passion! - anticipating awards because I volunteer 2x as much as required, sometimes even 3x as much. Was also featured locally on ABC and won a $1000 scholarship), study ASL (love the language :)), and draw in my free time.</p>
<p>I want to apply to the following colleges:
Pitzer
Scripps
Occidental
Stanford
Mills
UCLA
USC
Whittier College
University of the Pacific
Sonoma State</p>
<p>I guess I'm just wondering if my expulsion will severely diminish my chances. This expulsion wasn't an expulsion for a violation of code of conduct, or the honor system, but because I was going through a rough time and my school made the decision to let me go -- and I'm now extremely grateful for that decision. </p>
<p>I'm sure that I could get my current counselor to write something about it (we are really close) but do you think that would even make a difference? Am I screwed?</p>
<p>every chance the application, interview, or essays give you, remind them of your circumstances. I am so sorry you were bullied, and bullies should not be allowed to affect your life like that. At least you have a compelling story that may help you stand out.</p>
<p>Because it occurred in 9th grade, and because you have kept your GPA up, I don’t think it will affect your chances. It sounds as if you have more than redeemed yourself, and would be a real asset to many colleges. You might even consider writing essays about the whole experience, how you recognized the issues and what you have done to conquer the problems. You should be prepared to explain why you left your first school. It should not come across as if you are whining about it, or making excuses, but that you have grown as an individual from your experiences, and have become involved in helping others as a result. You sound like you have really found your passion and that is what schools really like to see. Best wishes to you and keep it up!</p>
<p>Thanks to the both of you, that’s extremely comforting. I was planning on writing my essay about how I overcame my bullying issues and learned from them so much that I was able to pull myself together and help other teens all around the nation (and in some cases, around the world). </p>
<p>I’m truly grateful that I was expelled from my first school, because if I hadn’t been, my life might not be the success it is today. Hopefully that shines through. :)</p>
<p>I think you are a great example of what schools are looking for. Keep you grades up and work on your SAT’s and I think you have a great chance at those schools. My D went to Sonoma St. and loved it. She was very quiet and shy and was looking for a smaller campus in a more rural setting. She looked at a lot of schools before selecting Sonoma and it was a perfect fit. Her classes were small enough that she felt she got a lot of personal attention from teachers. She loved the town and the area and met a lot of great people. She really came out of her shell there and found her passion for teaching troubled kids.</p>
<p>You have really accomplished a lot and should be proud of it.</p>
<p>I’ve definitely heard a lot great things about Sonoma! I’m planning on visiting next year. I feel so far that it’s definitely a college I would love to attend, which is the most important thing, right? ;)</p>
<p>Thank you so much for responding. It really means a lot to me. :)</p>
<p>Good luck!
ohh and Im not sure about all the other schools exactly, but UCs do not really care about 9th grade anyway. that is why there is a UC gpa and just your regular gpa</p>
<p>What happened to your grades freshman year? Are the included in you “3.8-3.9” GPA or is that just from Sophomore year? Your overall GPA will consider all 4 years of HS. Will this include all those F’s?</p>
<p>If those failing grades are on a transcript you will be submitting to colleges, a letter from your counselor is key. It needs to explain why you were moved out of the last school, and that your grades in those classes were do to absences and NOT your academic performance. Normally this kind of thing can be covered in the school report and counselor recommendation that most colleges require.</p>
<p>You may even want to consider a letter from a freshman year teacher who “adored” you and testifies that you were a great student despite the absences. Though, given the counselor’s report, this may not be necessary.</p>
<p>I think you’ll already have great chances as an URM with a strong profile and a clinically diagnosed excuse for the freshman year situation. </p>
<p>By the way, 186 on the PSAT your junior year may qualify you for the National Hispanic Recognition Program. A little studying and you’ll be good to go. The cutoff score differs every year and is separated by region but is usually between 185 and 195:</p>
<p>Region 1 - New England - 184
Region 2 - Mid Atlantic - 184
Region 3 - South - 193
Region 4 - Southwest - 182
Region 5 - Midwest - 193
Region 6 - West - 184</p>
<p>Of course it will affect your chances, even if only in the GPA department. I think that you might be able to spin it to your advantage, but expulsion is bad, as are cs and fs. Deal breakers, probably not, but it WILL have an effect. Also: If half your grades were As, how could most be Cs? :P</p>
<p>@Pancaked - Yeah, the 3.8 and 3.9 includes the Fs. Both schools only put the final grade on the transcript, and the only F that made it in was a semester class. I transferred during the third quarter, so there wasn’t too much impact. I mainly get straight As now, some Bs (that are far and few between).</p>
<p>@Samslam - I wrote it at night, so I made a mistake with my wording. Half were As, and most of the non-As were Cs. Hopefully it doesn’t have too much of a negative effect, considering the ordeal occurred during freshman year.</p>
<p>As long as you explain it and keep up your good work, it won’t cripple you. Sure, it’ll probably hurt your chances a bit, but I think the colleges will be glad to see that you’ve worked through the difficulties you had in 9th grade and have been able to perform excellently since then.</p>
I was planning on writing my essay about how I overcame my bullying issues and learned from them so much that I was able to pull myself together and help other teens all around the nation (and in some cases, around the world). </p>
Half were As, and most of the non-As were Cs. Hopefully it doesn’t have too much of a negative effect, considering the ordeal occurred during freshman year.</p>