<p>I'm currently a Freshmen and was wondering if colleges look at special circumstances.</p>
<p>My dad was involved in an accident and couldn't work (+ insurance went up, hospital bills etc.) This incident happened 4 days before school started and I decided to work. I average about 40 hours a week and have a 3.5 GPA at a VERY competitive High School (My workload is mostly Pre-IB and one AP.). I'm a recent immigrant and have struggled to adapt.</p>
<p>Will colleges understand that I didn't have quite have the opportunities others did? I'm aiming for good Engineering colleges. Some people have told me that Engineering (especially) in United States is based purely on merit and nothing else. Is this true?</p>
<p>I'm not going to be applying to ALL the colleges in the Ivy League or something, just only to colleges I'll have realistic shot at.</p>
<p>Help is greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Edit: The school is consistently around Top 15 in the nation (according to Newsweek).</p>
<p>Then dont make excuses. Just work hard to fix your gpa to your liking. Just work on doing what you want and what interests you, not what some stupid college wants or might want to see.</p>
<p>I've resorted to doing my homework during other classes because I just cannot fit it in my day anymore.</p>
<p>I do go after what interests me. I don't have a single "prestige" Extra Curricular (Newspaper, Model UN etc) because I love others more (like Philosophy!).</p>
<p>I just want to know what colleges will think of me.</p>
<p>Will they just throw away my application after seeing that GPA or will they judge it in context? How will they fully know the context?</p>
<p>Working is taking seriouslly by colleges, they want you to be do something, not just fooling around after schooll, and if you are working, that says alot</p>
<p>and your grades are just fine for many schools, </p>
<p>do well on the SAT or ACT, etc</p>
<p>remember, there are hundreds and thousands of colleges, and your GPA is lplenty high enough for the vast majority of them</p>
<p>And remember the IB universe is small and a tad "warped"- , so dont' stress and do your best</p>
<p>It all depends on what kind of colleges you ar interested in</p>
<p>Yes, they take special circumstances into consideration but it all depends on how effectively you explain your circumstance in your statements and how you show that it is has contributed to your growth and potential. A 3.5 GPA sounds very good given a 40-hour work week so it really depends on how you present your case.</p>
<p>This may infuriate CCers if you get into MIT or Stanford, because they'll say, "omg my gpa is 5.0 and I got rejected ***!!" ...but it's okay, one day one of their mothers will die and then they'll understand too :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the comments ucbhi. Ya, I'll probably get slandered if I get into MIT or Stanford. But I'll let "fit" and atmosphere decide my Undergrad education (without sacrificing a good education).</p>
<p>Let's take MIT. If you have an 800 math SAT 1 and 2, brilliant math/science eCs and your GPA just slipped for freshman year, I think you'd be condsidered. Stanford doesn't count freshman year GPA but they heavily utilize rank which does consider freshman year.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that a ton of kids have some special circumstance.</p>
<p>Also, applying from a competitive HS doesn't help. The people you compete against first are your own classmates.</p>
<p>Come 3rd Quarter, I considered dropping out of this school and attending my home school (which isn't quite so bad, but I probably won't have access to APs in Sophomore Year etc). Should this be something I consider? I love the intellectual and mature atmosphere here, but if it hurts my chances should I rethink my approach. If I'm competing against my class mates I'll have no chance anywhere (Most of them scored >200 on the PSAT, I got the lowest with 170. Plus they all have "hooks" such as fencing, multiple varsity sports).</p>
<p>I am surprised that no one has addressed the fact that you are a freshman. You have 3 YEARS until you should be worrying about things like this.</p>
<p>But to address your question, yes they do. MY school offers 6 APs. Should thaat count against me? No, it shouldn't, and colleges look at things in context.</p>
<p>I know I'm a Freshmen, but this all feels like a dream. I've already finished (almost) 1 Year of High School. Plus all the stories about kids with 2400s getting rejected, my class mates who have planned out their whole lives scares the hell out of me.</p>
<p>If all those kids with perfect grades, SAT scores and with ample amount of research get rejected, I stand no chance, Do I ?</p>
<p>My family's situation exactly doesn't help. Parents with little English skills (I have to manage most of the stuff), a sibling who's failing classes and mixes with the wrong kids etc.</p>
<p>Remember this: CC is not normal. It never has been, it never will be. The rejections are much more prevalent on CC, but that doesn't make them quite so common in real life. Yes, more rejections happened, but that is to be statistically expected.</p>
<p>Don't talk yourself down so much. If you believe you have no chance, you will have no chance.</p>
<p>I don't think you should loose hope. Work hard and try to do your best on the standardized test. If you go to a competitive school, you already are in a better position than many who don't go to such schools. So just concentrate on your classes, take the toughest courses you can and do your best on the standardized tests.</p>
<p>The info you give after your first post seems to e that you started HS at a very competitive scool and are having trouble doing well there compared to classmates who have college hooks.</p>
<p>Despite all the just work hard platitudes people post, this is really something to consider. If your other choice is a school where you can do much better and rank much higher that would take the stress off, consider it.</p>
<p>If a top college is your goal, rank is extremely important. Common data set show that most unhooked candidates who get in are in the top 1 or 2 in their class. </p>
<p>Sounds like because you have to work it might be a better choice to take it easier.</p>
<p>Thanks ParentOfIvyHope, but if I'm competing against my class mates (along with my class rank) I'm asuming I'll have a lower chance than others judging by the posts here.</p>
<p>I'm doing pretty well, not as great as my class mates. I don't think the stress will be a factor. It's the family situation that's adding to the stress.</p>
<p>I definitely think I can be a Val at the other school by working at the same level, I work here. However I don't think I'll have access to the same resources I do here (AP/IB Classes - other school has no IB Classes).</p>