Hey guys! I need some advice. I had a 4.0 gpa throughout my whole life at my school. I grew up in a low income family and the only colleges I ever visited were those that were free (Haverford MSE, and Tufts Multicultural Overnight Program). I’ve played football at my state-championship high school as a varsity member 3 out of the 4 years. I’ve been a state-championship runner at track, and I’m in a plethora of EC’s, and I’ve done over 500 hours of community service. My ACT is horrible though. Like I stated before though, I grew up low income, but this past year a tragic event happened occurred, causing me to miss several days of school, and spends hours upon hours at the hospital with my fellow family members for over 39 days. My grades suffered horrendously because of this. I got a C+ and two B’s in first semester grades (they were in AP classes). I was just wondering if Harvard (and other ivy-type schools) will understand my drop in grades? And will I still have a good chance of being accepted (I applied to 19 other schools besides Harvard through the common app fee waiver.
What is your composite score?
No matter what colleges you applied to, this is something your guidance counselor needed to explain in your Secondary School Report (SSR). Did they? Why don’t you have a conversation with your GC and find out how this issue was handled for all your applications – as your slip in grades will be a determining factor for every school on your list.
Applying to any college with a single digit acceptance rate is like buying a lottery ticket. Sure, you have a chance to win the jackpot, but realistically no one stands a good chance. Did you hear the story about the Intel Science Fair winner who made a fusion reactor in his garage and was rejected by MIT? It happens! If kids like that are rejected by the ivies and their peers, while other students with “lessor credentials” are accepted, who knows what will happen with your application.
Harvard will look at your case very closely and you still have an excellent chance. You just need to ensure that your school explains your specific circumstances.