GPA Problem

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Okay, this is another rant thread, but its mildly interesting so hear me out.</p>

<p>I royally screwed up my Sophomore year. I got 4 Bs in a school where grade inflation is pretty rampant. </p>

<p>Here's the context: Maybe I bit off more than I could chew by taking 6 AP classes sophomore year. Or maybe its the 25/hours a week that my non-profit corporation sucked from my life, but I was wondering if I still had a decent chance at getting into Yale. </p>

<p>Here are the straight out numbers as of right now:
UWGPA: 3.82
WGPA: 4.52</p>

<p>If I get straight As, Junior year, I'll end up with a:
UW: 3.86
WGPA: 4.66</p>

<p>Now, here's the real sucker, no one in my school has ever gotten into Yale, below a 4.00. </p>

<p>Ah... it's driving me nuts.</p>

2

<p>What are your stats? If you have really good SAT scores and EC's, then you will still have a chance.</p>

3

<p>Wow...6 APs..I thought I was weird for 4 sophomore year.. Yeah, it's going to hurt you, but it's not insurmountable, as long as your other stats are at/above par. Yale is so hard to get into anyway, obviously it won't be impossible, but at a school where it is very improbable for a anyone to get it, having a lower GPA than the people you're competing against doesn't help.</p>

4

<p>From my other thread.. </p>

<p>Family Background:
Area: Maryland/Virgina/DC Metropolitan
Race: Asian (Korean-American)
Income Bracket: $150K
Legacy Status:
Grandfather - MIT (College), Harvard (Masters)
Father - Seoul National University (College), Johns Hopkins (PhD) - Former Assistant Professor type thing
Mother - Ehwa University (College), Johns Hopkins (Masters)
Cousins - Yale (1), Stanford (2) Columbia (3), Cornell (1), UMCP (2), UCLA (1), UVA (2), Boston (1)</p>

<p>General Academic Background:
PSAT: 211 (2006 Administration)
SAT II US History: 780
SAT II MATH IIC: 790
SAT II World History: 800
Volunteer Hours: 500</p>

<p>Courses:
Freshman Year:
AP US History (4)
AP Psychology (5)
AL Precalculus
AL C++
Honors Chemistry
Honors English 9
Honors Spanish 3
Physical Education I (Required)</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
AP US Government and Politics (Expected: 5)
AP Micro/Macro Economics (Expected: 4/5s on both)
AP European History (4/5)
AP Music Theory (Expected: 4)
AP Calculus AB (Expected: 5)
AL Spanish 5
Honors Biology
AP Human Geography (Self-Study) - Expected 5
AP English Language (Online - Florida Virtual) - Expected 4/5
(Honors) Physics I (Online - Florida Virtual)</p>

<p>Junior Year (Projected):
Health (Required - Online)
AP World History
AP Spanish Literature
AP Spanish Language
AP English Language (Gotta retake in school..)
AP Calculus BC
AP Comparative Government
AP Statistics
AP Art History (Online)
AP Physics B (Online)
AP Chemistry (Online - JHU)
AP Biology (Self Study)
AP Environmental Science (Online - UCCP)
AP Art Studio: 2D (Finished my portfolio)</p>

<p>Senior Year (Projected):
AP English Literature
Dual-Enrollment (Periods 2-7)</p>

<p>Awards:
Just some local school stuff
I'm thinking about entering some school competitions?</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (So Far):
Politics/Leadership:
High School Student Council - Class President (9) - 5 Hrs/week, Project/Fundraising Manager (10-11)
County Student Council - Executive Board (9), Chief of Staff (10), Vice-President (11) - 8 Hrs/week
State Student Council - Educational Liason (10), County Delegate (11) - 5 Hrs/week
County Peer Court System - Juror (9-11) 3 Hrs/week
Junior Statesmen of America - Team (9-10), Co-President (11) 2 Hrs/week
Debate Team - Researcher (9), Team (10), Team (11) - 5 Hrs/week
Mock Trial - Researcher (9), Lawyer (10), IT WAS DISSOLVED THIS YEAR... - 5 Hrs/week
Model UN Team - Researcher (9), Team/Delegate (10), Team/Delegate (11) - 3 Hrs/week
Internship - Congressman's Campaign Office (10-11) - 5 Hrs/week
Social Studies Honors Society - Founder/President (10-11) - 3 Hrs/Week
Student Member on a Political Action Committee (10-11)
National Honors Society
National Spanish Honors Society
Serve on several School Board Committees
Might run for Student Member on the Board of Education</p>

<p>Business:
Founder and CEO/Chairman of the Board (Own Company) - Takes up anywhere between 12-20 hours of my week (yikes!)
Investment Club - Member (9-11) 2 Hrs/week</p>

<p>Other Interests:
Clarinet (6 Years) - Several Orchestras
Piano (7 Years) - It's probably cuz im asian!
TaeKwonDo (3 Hrs/week) - Assistant Black Belt
Soccer (Whenever) - Just something I like to do..
Languages (4 Hrs/week) - Chinese School (Year 1), Japanese (Year 3), Italian (Year 2), German (Year 1)</p>

<p>Long-Term Volunteering:
Web Design for SGA - 5 Hrs/week
Freelance Translator (English, Korean, Spanish) - 2 Hrs/week
County Elections (Help on the Board of Elections during elections time)
Tutor at School - During Lunches at School (3 Hrs/Week)
Children's Hospital (4 Hrs/week)</p>

<p>Employment:
Tutor ($20/hour) - 4 Hrs/week</p>

<p>Other Stuff:
Might be a Senate Page
Freshman Summer: Taught English in Korea
Sophomore Summer: Taught US History/Government at Smithsonian, Taught VBS at at national Christian conference, Community College Classes in IR, East Asian History, and Philosophy</p>

5

<p>are you a jaebol? @.@</p>

6

<p>yes, but when do you have time to go insane?</p>

7

<p>woah.. your stats are mind-blowing. You remind me of Korean high school kids in competitive korean high schools. I would be surprised if you didn't get into wherever you want to go to.</p>

8

<p>I'm not clear on how or why you are taking so many classes at one time. I would go for quality over quantity and do well in fewer classes. I see more B's in your future if you are truly signed up for 13 classes next year. Eight classes is the limit at my kids' schools and only one AP is allowed sophomore year at my son's school. I would suggest you consider dropping Stat, Comp Gov and Env Sci unless those are specifically required by your school. Also four sciences at one time???</p>

9

<p>The only reason why i signed up for extra classes was because my in school schedule is a joke: </p>

<p>AP World History - I aced the SAT II and took World at a local cc
AP Spanish Literature - Easiest teacher in school
AP Spanish Language - Easiest teacher in school
AP English Language - I'm retaking it...
AP Calculus BC - I'm basically retaking it, I already took AB and studied C
AP Comparative Government - This class is a joke in our school
AP Statistics - This class is a joke in our school (easiest math teacher)</p>

<p>My mother is an art masters so I had Art History pounded into my head, with art classes and lessons from my mother since I was little. Similarly, my father is a biophysics PhD who has taught me college level Physics and Biology as well as elementary Chemistry. </p>

<p>Not to sound cocky, but I was really freaked out by my Bs this semester. It's not that school was too hard. I just had some... personal problems at home and with my relationships...</p>

10

<p>What kind of company does a sophomore start?</p>

11

<p>Home</a> (Operation Fly Inc.)</p>

<p>Status: 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt
Purpose: Helping underprivileged in DC and running a leadership program (in a nut-shell we go a lot deeper than that) from a business perspective. We take business skills, make money, and instead of dividing it up into stocks and dividends we donate it all back to the homeless, orphanages, hospital clinics, etc.</p>

<p>Branches: 2 (DC and Baltimore)
Operating Budget: 100,000
Employees: 37
Board of Directors: 13
Founded and Incorporated: 7/17/2007</p>

12

<p>Holy mother of God.</p>

13

<p>I hate people like youu~ (just kidding, XD)</p>

<p>I think you'll definitely make it in Yale. You might be going up against a lot of other people, but at least Yale will know you're human and maybe your "mess up" might be seen in a positive light?</p>

<p>Or maybe I just think less harshly?</p>

<p>Good luck though!</p>

14

<p>haha, thanks. I was just really worried that all my chances were shot because I had a sub-par GPA. </p>

<p>Anyways, I guess I really didn't have a chance to explain. This last semester, my father took a job in Korea, my mother was sent to the hospital several times because of her tumor, and I myself had some girl troubles at school so I guess I was a bit... distracted? from my school work. </p>

<p>Hopefully, I still have a fighting chance. If not, then I'll still survive if I go to a state school. And if any of you ask "Why Yale?" it's a looong story. lol</p>

15

<p>I'd say write about that in your essay -why you got those B's. I hope your mom is feeling better :).</p>

<p>That's really impressive -starting your own company lol. </p>

<p>GL w/ Yale</p>

16

<p>If not Yale though, you could always try the other Ivies.</p>

<p>Your EC's will outshine your B's to the other Ivies, unless Yale is the only Ivy you want to apply too :S</p>