Disappointing first junior year semester

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Junior year grades are obviously really important, but I'm disappointed in my performance so far. I attend a competitive private school which sends 2 or 3 people to Ivys every year. I moved to this school at the beginning of the year, and part of the blame for my low grades can potentially be attributed to getting to know the system. I'm doing the IB diploma. My grades so far are:</p>

<p>History: A+
English: A
French: A
Art: A- or A
Bio: either A- or B+
Math: B+
TOK: B (though it may go up)</p>

<p>I'm aiming for schools like Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Williams, Amherst...
I know that a B won't kill your chances, and I otherwise think I'm a compelling candidate. My standardized testing scores are high, but I don't want to be one of "those" people which low GPAs and high SATs. My freshmen and junior grades were great. We don't know our rank, but I know of at least 4 people with better grades than me in a grade of 100. I'm either in the top 10% or top 15%..</p>

<p>So now that you know my background, do you think that I've killed my chances? I really want to improve, but the problem is that I found my classes genuinely difficult - it's not procrastination or slacking off that's at the root of my problem. That means that I might not be able to improve my grades... Realistically, should I just give up on my dream schools?</p>

<p>I was pretty confident until a girl started talking to me about how upset she was because she has ONE A-. And one of my friends just got into Columbia - though I'm really happy for her, it makes me feel terrible for myself.</p>

<p>also: intended major is comparative lit.</p>

2

<p>Junior year is a tough time to switch schools, classes in general get harder even if you stay put. Relax and see how you do next term and then decide where to apply. The schools you name are a reach even for those with perfect stats.</p>

3

<p>I don’t think you killed your chances. I don’t think A- even matters. It’s the same in terms of weighted GPA and a few Bs won’t make or break you.</p>

4

<p>I wanted to know if the Colleges look at your whole Junior Year grade of just in terms of Semester wise. I did bad in my 1st Semester grades and dropped from a 3.89 to a 3.59 GPA, i am really scared that it will affect my college application and my chances of being accepted. Thanks.</p>