Im a Southern California high school student and I have a gpa of 2.8-3.0ish (yikes). i just got my ACT results back as a 25 BUT im retaking the test in September and im aiming for a 29/30, with lots of studying im fairly confident i can do it. I am applying for most CSUs next fall and a few out of state schools.
I know, my GPA is terrible and basically labels me as stupid or lazy. However, i have some reason for this. When i was a sophomore i was dealing with a lot of problems at home such as my brother becoming a heroin addict which tore our family apart and caused a lot of emotional stress on top of our financial stress. I fell into depression and stopped trying in school which was fairly easy for me do since my courses (AP european civilization, chemistry, honors humanities, and math i could hardly understand) were challenging enough for me even if i tried.
I got Ds in math and chemistry and Bs and C’s in everything else. This brought my GPA down a lot. This year as a junior ive learned to cope and i also have learned the methods that work for me when i study. I have gotten mainly As and Bs this year with one C. I also took AP art history. I want to tell the admissions people at the schools im applying to the reason behind my poor GPA. I heard that theres no place on the applications to explain my grades so i was going to email them instead. Is this a bad idea?
Will any of the CSUs accept me? If so, what schools? Are there any other schools that would accept me other than the CSUs?
Sorry this is long im just really concerned.
There are lots of schools that will accept you. Of course, the higher the scores, the longer the list-- and the better the financial options.
I would question why someone with a C average was allowed to take college coursework-- it seems to me as though you were being set up for failure there.
Make an appointment with your guidance counselor tomorrow. Do you have any idea of a major? Do you have a ballpark idea of pricing for colleges? Do you know home/away or rural/urban/suburban or the size of a school you would prefer?
There are any number of schools out there that will accept you. Take a look at their 25th and 75th percentile scores for admission- that should help you find schools that are good bets.
As to explaining your grades, in my school the guidance counselor writes a letter for every applicant. That would probably be the best place for the explanation. You can speak to your counselor about how it’s handled at your school.
Oh, and I hope your brother is doing better. And that your family finds a way to heal.
The CSU’s have no place to address additional comments on their application so @bkjmom’s suggestion about a note from your counselor may be appropriate. I Wish you good luck and hope you are able to explain your grade situation to the schools you are applying.
If you can’t check ALL those boxes, adjust your schedule for next year. If you haven’t completed these, you’l be denied regardless of your other qualifications.
actually @bjkmom I do well in AP classes. It’s a better atmosphere for me. I had A LOT of bad things happen to me sophomore year and that’s what lowered my GPA so even with my C+? average I have now BECAUSE of sophomore year I do well and I can handle AP classes