Explaining low GPA To Trinity College Dublin

I’m a junior right now. I’m planning on applying to Trinity College Dublin.
Freshman year I got a 3.8 gpa unweighted. And this year I’m predicting to get 3.66-3.75.
But sophomore year I got a 3.4 unweighted. My mom passed away that year which sent me into depression. So I didn’t have the best of the year.
If I write and essay and ask my College Counselor to say this, will Trinity look at this and accept me (I have good ACT and SAT scores, 5 APs classes, and many extracurriculars).

Correct, but maybe just ask your guidance counselor to mention your family situation in the counselor recommendation letter. That way you don’t have to discuss the emotional impact of your mother’s passing in personal terms (depression, etc.)

Could I just do both?

Your essay should NOT discuss your erinal situation. It should only deal with 1) how you’re qualified for the course 2) why you’re interested in it. Much smaller 3, what you bring personally.

Note that the APs must be relevant to the course you chose.

  1. Have you read the admissions info for US students that TCD has online? have you read the course description (including requirements for the course) that you want to do?
  2. Even your sophomore GPA is over the TCD requirement; your cGPA is well over.
  3. The strong recommendation is for the GC to tell things that, coming from a student, are likely to sound like excuses. It is much more persuasive.
  4. From your other link imo your bigger potential problem is going to be whether you have the math & science background to get admitted to computer engineering. Admitted students are required to have done Higher Maths (which includes calc), The reason that this matters is that your profs will assume that you have this background, and there will be no extra support. Note that the vast majority of students will also have done higher physics and/or chemistry; although the instructors try to make sure that the courses are manageable for those who have not, if you don't have either your path gets exponentially harder.

Of course, your background may be fine! You’ve probably done HS chem & physics anyway- and you might have already done calc and be beyond that for APs. One way to check is to take a look at the syllabus for the LC, to see what the Irish students will have covered. Here are math, physics and chem:

https://curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/f6f2e822-2b0c-461e-bcd4-dfcde6decc0c/SCSEC25_Maths_syllabus_examination-2015_English.pdf

https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/a789272e-823f-4d40-b095-4ff8f6f195e4/SCSEC27_Physics_syllabus_eng.pdf

https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/7bdd3def-f492-432f-886f-35fc56bd3544/SCSEC09_Chemistry_syllabus_Eng.pdf

The one I would focus on most is maths. You might find it interesting to see what Irish students take at the end of Grade 12: (there are 2 parts, 2.5 hours each):

https://www.examinations.ie/tmp/1551650533_5941151.pdf#page=
https://www.examinations.ie/tmp/1551650546_9739899.pdf#page=

I’m in Calculus right now. I’m planning on taking AP Stats and AP Calc next year