<p>My sophomore year was a very very very bad year for me. My sister (who is in her 30s) was having health problems and I was left with my brother every time my parents went to visit her (she lives a few hours away). My grades were really bad and I am afraid that I can't make up for them. My GPA for that year ended up being (weighted) a 3.66. However, junior year (last year) i turned over a new leaf, so to speak. I took as many AP classes as I could and I worked my ass off and ended up getting a 4.46, which was probably #1 or #2 in that year. I then scored a 4 on AP Computer Science A and US History Exams and a 5 on my AP Biology Exam. My SAT score was a 2270 (800 writing, 740 math, 730 CR), my SAT 2's are: Math 1 800, Math 2 800, Biology E 740, Biology M 740. I have plenty of EC's and I play sports year round, and I am a 2-sport captain. This year I am taking the most rigorous course at my high school, which is made of 5 AP Classes (literature, stats, calc, physics, and world history) and Computer Science Honors, which is a new class. I am working my ass off once again and if everything works out I should get around a 4.6 for a year, which is just ridiculous for my school and is almost certainly #1. My essays should be good as well. So basically, after that one huge hiccup, is my exponential improvement all for nothing? (I am applying to Ivies, U Chicago, etc.)</p>
<p>unless senior grades somehow count at ur school, schools wont see them till you get accepted or send mid years(which is after they make a decision really). Whats your class rank?</p>
<p>My school doesn’t rank but I’m definitely in the top 10%, which is as high as you can be ranked. As for grades, I didn’t apply early because I want schools to see my mid-year reports.</p>
<p>All the colleges will look at your senior mid year grades and will weight these grades heavily in the decision process. I can’t speak to your chances, but the upward trend will be view positively.</p>
<p>Just explain the situation. Adcoms will understand. You are still pretty damn impressive.</p>
<p>Thanks, PBush - yeah, I was hoping that I could get some leeway because of the circumstances. I have heard that colleges don’t penalize you too much for one “off” year if you have a reason but I’m still really *<strong><em>ed at myself lol. I guess I just have to kick the *</em></strong> out of the rest of this semester and write prize-worthy essays. I figure that these schools are crap-shoots anyway.</p>
<p>i don’t have any advice for you, but my jaw <em>actually</em> dropped hahaha when i read your paragraph. you’d better get into every college you apply to or else the rest of the world is definitely screwed.
upward trend-ers unite!</p>
<p>I’ve seen many “Noo, I’m screwed!” “I screwed up!” threads on here but they all end up the opposte–they’re not screwed.</p>
<p>Maybe there’s a new trend in bragging—instead of telling how great you are straightforward, you say how suck you are and then give high scores and grades.</p>
<p>I should get into this trend.</p>
<p>haha not quite - that year still haunts my dreams. if i wanted to brag i’d put out a “chance me” post</p>
<p>but i do see how it may come off that way. i guess i better rephrase the question. How much of an impact will that year have on my chances, because it dramatically hurts my gpa? and how much of an effect will I have if i try to explain the situation? I want to emphasize that I am a completely different person than i was then without sounding like I am desperately trying to cover up my mistakes. These are selective-ass colleges that I’m applying to, and I would really hate to be put a a big disadvantage because of it. I go to a small, tough school, which was ranked like 5th in NJ and crushed the state and national SAT averages and I am definitely one of the top students (not necessarily brighter, but muuuuuch more hardworking). It just really bothers me that I could be shut out when I believe than I am more than qualified.</p>