Could I get into an elite school(MIT, Ivy League, etc.) with such terrible grades?

Applying to College
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<p>This year, I've been extremely stressed out because I was living with my abusive biological parents and was very depressed. I was homeschooled this year too. As a result, I've gotten really bad grades throughout the year. Normally, I get As with Bs here and there though. I'm in 9th grade too so if I went from these grades to straight As for the next three years, wouldn't it look really good? And I could milk as much as I could from my past situation, couldn't I?</p>

<p>Here are my grades:</p>

<p>English I 80.04%
French I 63.65%
Geometry 70.8%
Health Quest 85.64%
Integrated Physics and Chemistry 65.19%
Physical Fitness 80.54%
World Geography 81.6%</p>

<p>I've decided to take around 4 extracurriculars at my local public school next year. I'm very into art, writing, and science. I've also been studying for the SAT and PSAT. What should I do to fix this? I know I'm going to work as hard as possible for the next three years.</p>

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<p>Don’t overreach, my friend. Before you tackle the question, “Could I get into X with these grades?” start with the question, “Where do I belong for college?”</p>

<p>Of course, if you’re in the ninth grade, it’s too soon to say. But if you’re thinking of MIT and its peers, your should recognize that most applicants with nearly perfect grades don’t get in. The grades you have earned so far put you a couple of steps behind all of those applicants.</p>

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<p>Is your living situation changing? Why do you think your grades, and presumably your life, will be better going forward? If your situation isn’t changing–either because you will be living somewhere else or because you and your parents are finding a way to get along with each other–then that needs to be your top priority. It matters more than going to MIT, and if you don’t fix it, you’ll never qualify for MIT.</p>

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<p>If you’re now in the 9th grade, then what you’ve done in the past has nothing to do with getting into college. I understand, it’s useful as an indicator of your past level of academic achievement, and it has some value for predicting the kinds of grades you are capable of earning going forward. But colleges will never know about the grades you earned before the 9th grade.</p>

<p>Your ninth-grade grades are highly problematic–not just for MIT and Ivies, but for four-year colleges in general. In academic subjects, they range from B- to D. You ask, “*f I went from these grades to straight As for the next three years, wouldn’t it look really good?” While it would surely look a heck of a lot better than continuing to earn the grades you’ve made so far, it would categorically not look as good as having gotten straight (or nearly straight) A’s from the beginning. So those applicants to MIT and its peers who have high freshman grades and are already a couple of steps ahead of you will always be a couple of steps ahead of you. </p>

<p>A different question is, “Could I be competitive for MIT and others if I got straight A’s from here on out?” The answer is, possibly. If you’re going to be competitive for universities of that caliber, you’ll need top-notch grades for the rest of high school, plus very high standardized test scores, plus compelling personal qualities. Even then, all these things give you a chance, not guaranteed admission.</p>

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<p>Candidly, no. Not if you’re shooting for MIT or its peers. People gain admission to premier colleges and universities first by being remarkably strong applicants, with keen minds, high achievement and compelling personal qualities, and then by being fortunate enough to be selected from among the overabundance of highly qualified applicants. Nobody gets into MIT or its peers by gaming the system, including by “milking as much as [he] could from [his] past situation.” Yes, I know about Adam Wheeler ([Harvard</a> Faker Adam Wheeler Pleads Guilty to 20 Counts | The Harvard Crimson](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2010/12/16/harvard-wheeler-college-guilty/]Harvard”>Harvard Faker Adam Wheeler Pleads Guilty to 20 Counts | News | The Harvard Crimson)), but the fact that it happened once does not mean that it’s the magic key that unlocks the ivy-covered gates.</p>

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<p>This is wholly the wrong approach. First and foremost, you need to get your academic affairs in order. You need to take demanding academic classes and excel in them. Without that, extracurricular activities do not matter at all. After excelling in a demanding college-preparatory curriculum, the next most important thing for you to do is to ace the SAT or ACT (including some SAT subject tests if you’re still thinking about MIT). Only then should you consider your extracurricular activities. And when you consider them, deciding “to take around four” is all wrong. Do things because you like them or because you find value in doing them. Do them in such a way that you gain new skills or shoulder new responsibilities or experience real personal growth over time. Do not do them in a way that looks as if you’re just getting all the boxes checked. And it doesn’t matter what you do. You could sing in a choir or play lacrosse or build an airplane from a kit ([Homebuilt</a> aircraft - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebuilt_aircraft]Homebuilt”>Homebuilt aircraft - Wikipedia)) or volunteer at a food pantry–whatever captivates you.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>I agree with Sikorsky. The very top schools do look favorably at those who have undergone terrible hardships and met great challenges, SUCCESSFULLY. Abusive parents? Too bad. Abusive parents and you still got straight As in top courses, hmmm., that 's a possible. And it’s not your description that makes it so, there has to be outside definite proof that your parents were indeed abusive. The number of kids who claim that can fill the UMichigan stadium and more.</p>

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<p>Thanks for such an in-depth answer, Sikorsky! I really appreciate it. </p>

<p>Yes, my living situation has changed and I can think much more clearly now. Could you explain that last question please?</p>

<p>Yeah, that’s what I meant. I really like the extracurricular activities I want to do next year. I’ve looked at the website. Ah okay. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>@cptofthehouse
Hmm, but at the end of of my 4 years of high school, I would have, wouldn’t I? At least to some degree. Yeah, I shouldn’t have let my situation get in the way of my goals. I really regret it now. Straight As all through high school would look much better, I agree. And yeah that’s true.</p>

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<p>Some colleges don’t count the 9th grade.</p>

<p>I believe Johns Hopkins, and McGill.</p>

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<p>Schools in the United Kingdom basically go just by standardized test scores, so if you do well on those, that might be a good option.</p>

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<p>If you have abusive parents, how will you pay for top of the line colleges? Unless you have custody changed to a guardian, your parents’ income will be used to calculate any financial aid.</p>

<p>You can get a very good education and good employment without going to a top tier school. Thousands of people do this every year.</p>

<p>Don’t set unrealistic goals for yourself. Do the best you can. If you end up with straight A’s, that’s great. If a B is the best you can do, that’s still the best you can do - be proud of your effort as much or more than your achievement. Good grades will get you generous merit scholarships at many schools, and that can be even better than getting accepted into MIT, in the long run.</p>

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<p>@KKmama</p>

<p>I was thinking about taking a loan. </p>

<p>I do know that but schools like Ivy Leagues, etc. offer really unique opportunities and a chance to make connections with people. </p>

<p>Thank you, I think I’ll try to apply for a school like John Hopkins as floridadad55 mentioned.</p>

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<p>Who will co-sign a loan with you? </p>

<p>Students with 4.0’s all through school and excellent EC’s and test scores get rejected by the top schools all the time - there are simply too many for them all to be accepted.</p>

<p>And if you get into an Ivy caliber school, they will base their financial assistance upon your parents’ earnings/assets. If they are fairly well off, that will limit your financial aid.
The Ivys do not offer merit scholarships. You are better off applying to some schools that do. On the other hand, if you’ve been put into foster care or have a court-appointed guardian, you will qualify for more financial aid.</p>

<p>You may think that I am being critical and negative, but I’m really trying to be helpful. We get posts all of the time from students who have not applied to “safety schools” (that you know you can afford and know will accept you) and end up having to wait a year or more to go to college.</p>

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<p>@KKmama</p>

<p>Aren’t there some private organizations you can get a loan from? Also, I will apply for financial aid. </p>

<p>My parents are lower middle class so I guess that’s good. </p>

<p>Do they do any extracurriculars though? Yeah, it doesn’t seem like I’ll end up getting accepted into an Ivy League anyway. I don’t want to dedicate my time to a goal I probably won’t achieve. </p>

<p>Oh no, I definitely don’t. I like how you’re being realistic with me. Sorry if I seem like I’m dismissing your points. I definitely don’t want to wait a few more years to go to college. How many safety schools should I apply to?</p>

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<p>You might benefit from doing a little reading on the process of selecting and applying to colleges. This is a good site, that even has timelines for kids your age…
<a href=“Home – BigFuture | College Board”>Home – BigFuture | College Board;
This is the government’s website written for students…
[Prepare</a> for College | Federal Student Aid](<a href=“http://studentaid.ed.gov/prepare-for-college]Prepare”>http://studentaid.ed.gov/prepare-for-college)</p>

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<p>There is nothing wrong with hoping to get into an Ivy-caliber school, and I hope you can work it out. </p>

<p>Just cautioning you so that if you end up with a couple of B’s you don’t decide that your whole life is ruined. There are worse things that can happen to you in life than ending up at a less than stellar school. My kids were both devestated when they could not go to their first choice schools due to the cost. My oldest just married someone who would have been her classmate at her first choice, which is a weird coincidence. My youngest thanks God every day that she had to go to her second choice, as she has loved it there.</p>

<p>Pop over to the financial aid thread and look up the list of schools that provide automatic merit scholarships (some are full tuition and better). You get those great grades you are aiming for and you can get into a good school for very little money. Keep the ivy’s and MIT on your list, but also look at some that are less elite.</p>

<p>I really do wish you the best in high school and college.</p>

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<p>@BeanTownGirl </p>

<p>Thanks for the interesting link!</p>

<p>@KKmama</p>

<p>That’s really great to hear about your children handling things so well! </p>

<p>Definitely going to! Hmm are there any colleges I could get a full ride into if I became a national merit scholar? That does sound nice. I’ll check some out. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Siborsky gave an unabashed response that I agree with fully. Colleges want to see a resilient candidate who has overcome hardship. As of now, you still have a chance, but you need to work hard, and understand that MIT is at a level of selectivity that precludes admission for almost everyone.</p>

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<p>Just so you understand how the financial aid system works for most US schools: Unless you are age 24,married, have a dependent, are a member of the armed forces or have a court order taking you from your parents, you NEED their financial information to get most financial aid. They do not have to fill out the forms if they do not have to do so. You can get $5500 in loans at about 7% interest freshman year on your own, but that is it for financial aid. You HAVE to have your parents’ financial info and signatures. Also if their finances deem them able to pay, you won’t get financial aid.</p>

<p>Merit awards are a whole other thing. If your parents are not going to be helping you financially for college, then you need to start looking into how you are going to pay for it. </p>

<p>If they are going to be paying for you, the abuse angle starts looking a bit weaker, though I have no doubt there are plenty of abusive parents paying for college for their kids. But where abuse starts getting attention is when it is documented externally, not reported by the student, particularly as a reason for not up to par performance.</p>

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<p>@cptofthehouse</p>

<p>Thank you for that helpful piece of information! </p>

<p>Do you think it would be a good idea to get a job when I turn 16 or would that be too time-consuming? I don’t want it to get in the way of my grades, EC activities, etc. but I do want to be able to pay for college. </p>

<p>They’re definitely not going to. Hmm maybe I should leave that part out. After all, it could make me seem like a liar. Should I just mention my past of depression?</p>

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<p>@BuBBLES FoR SALE </p>

<p>I liked Siborsky’s response too. What should I do exactly to make sure I have a better chance? Yes, and I do accept that I likely won’t get in but it won’t hurt to try.</p>