Colleges

[Kvetcher]

Here is somewhat of an uninteresting story of mediocrity. I am a junior at one of the TSAO Boarding schools. I’ve had a pretty rough time in high school. I’m not incredibly smart but I really like to learn when I can. I left my freshman year school with the scars of a lot of bullying (sucks not being White-anglo-saxon-protestant in the south). I went to another school and did not do too well in my sophomore year. The following year I got my act together because I’d sort of gotten the help I needed for my severe depression over the summer. I taught myself AP Calcl AB, BC, Physics 1 AP, Physics C mechanics while taking regular precalculus and physics. The school made it pretty clear they were once again going to put me in all the wrong classes, so I transferred to a pretty cool boarding school. Here are the stats I have, any suggestions on where I should be looking if I want to major in Math/Physics? I would like to do a PHD in theoretical math or physics down the line, depends what speaks to me more in college.

Freshman Year: Straight B’s
Sophomore Year: Straight B’s and C’s
First Junior Year: Low A’s and high B’s (also took 3 AP’s that were a level above my class and got a 5 and two 4’s)
Summer before Boarding School: Linear Algebra @ UChicago (only 4 non-undergrads in class. Ended with an A)
This Year: All A’s and A-'s. Taking AP mechanics, BC/Multivariable Calculus, and English. Rest are regular + 1 honors
Summer before Senior Year: Differential Equations and Intro to Philosophy @ Tufts
Senior Year Schedule: Adv. Math Sem (number theory in fall + abstract algebra in spring), AP English Lit, AP Latin, AP E&M, Engineering 2, and an Independent study on Nietzsche.
My GPA at my new school is a 3.8 unweighted, 4.5 weighted.
ACT (Two times because I ran out of time on Science): 36M, 36R, 35E, 29S | 36M, 34R, 32E, 36S

Any help would be appreciated unless you suggest somewhere in the South. That will bring back some bad memories.

[cptofthehouse]

Talk to your college counselor. That’s where BSs excel. S/he will know your particulars better than we can get from a post.

Look at the schools with excellent Math theory curriculum with a top rate grad program in the subject. Rutgers, Ohio State, Wash state, Minnesota. The usual HPY trifecta.

You are not a traditional student in the your academic progression so much of the advice here is not going to pertain to you.

[TTG]

I agree with Comment #1. It seems to me that you will be a unique-ish story. It will be important for you to provide helpful context to the admissions teams who will be reviewing your application. I suggest you somewhere address your situation in a positive, forward-looking, here’s-what-I’ve learned way. No “Here is somewhat of an uninteresting story of mediocrity.” Partly because that’s the opposite of true, and partly because a rep will only think you are mediocre if you convince them of that (despite all the other evidence in your application).

Yes, your counselor will be most helpful. Have good, open, positive conversations with them. They will probably be able to point you toward schools that they know will be willing to look at your progress or where the school has a particularly good relationship.

Also, be sure to meet with college reps when they come to your school. One of mine, who’s very bright but was not always on top of homework, etc., went to see a rep from a USNWR top 50-70 school when they came to their high school. The school was not from our region. No other students showed up. We had been to the campus though, and mine wore the t-shirt they bought there. They chatted for an hour, and the rep really got to mine and what made them tick (!!!) and mine got in, with a nice scholarship.

A school that comes to mind is the University of Rochester. Excellent, excellent academics, especially strong in STEM. I have no idea how they will take your difficult start into consideration, but otherwise seems like a fit. Maybe Holy Cross too. Very intellectual, academics as good as anywhere. Perhaps willing to take a chance on a student with strong upside.

How about Reed College in Portland, Oregon? Reed is very intellectual, high % of students go on to grad school. It refuses to play the rankings game, which hurts it in rankings but great students, in a GREAT city. And, competitive in admissions, certainly, but less so than some schools, but with similar academics. Small LAC, does that work for you?

I’d like to add, someone who I know well attended a similar school (also in the South). They had a brutal year, with a student/family that was so heinous they became pretty notorious in southern private school circuits. It was very hard. The student I know changed schools and had amazing years, then went to college and did amazing things. They finished #1 in their elite grad program (of 30+ students). They are extremely happy, living an amazingly rewarding, authentic life. So “it gets better” is a very real thing. 8th-10th grade are some pretty rough years for many students. I’m sorry yours was hard. It does get better though. And I’m happy that you’ve turned things around and are looking forward in a positive way. That’s so much more important than anything else.

Good luck!