<p>so im a female junior. I really REALLy wana go to Reed! Like sooo bad.
The problem: WEIGHTED GPA is 3.0 (will explain later)
SAT: 2360
SAT II: US-730 Bio-710
AP- World-4
took APUSH and APbio this year
will take math II in the fall </p>
<p>EC:
particpated in bike races like sf bike club annual, tour de cure etc (2 years)
5 years arabic classes outside school
1st place in regional arabic competition
volunteer at local hospital- 2 years
volunteer and intern at local scince museum- 3 years
- part of 3 teams at the museum
- presented at science festival
- team capitan next year
- summer mentorship at science center
summer internship at UCSC studying biogeochem
summer cultural anthro class at UCSC
part of three student clubs
started environmental club at my hs
book revies coulumnist of regional youth newspaper
marching band (1 year)
piano lessons (8 years, but now it is just a hobby)
walk for humanitty participant
Why my gpa is low:
1. i have mild cerebral palsy since i was born, which is not as bad as severe cases, but it make me fall in between special ed and normal school. so last year when i took hard classes, it took me 4 times longer to do work, so my grades fell. My motor skills are slow so it takes me longer to write, cut, motor skills, etc. even though i got accomodations last year, it was too late for my grades :( Also, CP makes it hard for me to focus (kinda like ADHD)
2. I suffered a traumatic personal event in middle school that i pushed away for so long. I finally understood what happened last year and it crushed me. I suffered PTSD all year untill i saw a psychologist. When i finally dealt with it, it was too late for my grades. But it helped me grow as a person and helped me see the world differently? Will Reed care?</p>
<p>Also i have an upward trend from last year: C's and a D to A's and B's this year</p>
<p>Soo any chance i can make it into reed? also what can i do (besides working on my grades) to get in?
Also should i do ED because 64% got in ED this year compared to reg 49%?</p>
<p>Senior year grades will be critical in the case described. Accordingly, OP should not apply ED at Reed or anywhere as it will likely increase the chances of rejection prior to the existence of sufficient evidence of a “late bloomer.” More solid AP and SAT II scores may offset earlier bad grades.</p>
<p>However, the real question is why would OP want to go to Reed. For instance, OP has studied Arabic for 5 years, but Reed doesn’t offer Arabic, when many colleges do. More importantly, Reed is known to be academically challenging relative to similar institutions. It has considerably lower 4 and 6 year graduation rates than peer liberal arts colleges. Exactly how is OP going to transition from last year’s C’s and D’s, which will preclude admission to most or all UC’s, to success at a college that is arguably more difficult than UCB? Wouldn’t someplace a little easier be more suitable?</p>
<p>IMO, OP may have better chances of success at Bryn Mawr or other women’s college.</p>
<p>Reed has an okay acceptance rate, but I would keep my options open (I recommend this to everyone) . Additionally, and I am sorry to reference these next two things as though merely statistics, it may be possible to include CP and traumatic event in college essays and you should ask your GC to mention them on their recommendation. Your SAT score is excellent (and enviable ) and your improvement will be noted. And yes, good first semester grades will be helpful, even necessary, but junior year is taken into the most consideration. I would apply to Reed (probably regular admission, but its up to you), but i would definitely keep my options open. </p>
<p>You will have plenty of opportunities, whether it be through your teachers or through your essays to describe your struggles. If Reed offers an interview process, you can take advantage of that to explain your disabilities. Based on your SAT, you are clearly a highly competitive candidate. To answer your question, “will Reed care?” Yes, they will. </p>
<p>I hope you have compelling reasons to attend Reed that you can articulate. Do well on the essay and secure solid recommendations and I really believe that your chances at Reed are bright regardless if you apply ED or RD. </p>
<p>^ Reed not only offers interviews, they are important, as is the interest you show. If Reed is by far your number one choice, applying ED is the best way to convey that fact.</p>
<p>Acceptance rates are irrelevant when it comes to Reed because the pool is highly self-selected (the acceptance rate is 37% for the class of 2018, by the way, a rate which is bound to decrease because of the administration’s recent efforts to do so.) The good thing about Reed is that it takes chances on the unusual applicant who demonstrates promise in unique ways. Regardless, they need to be convinced that you can do the work, and honestly, C’s and D’s are really not a good way to do just that. There are many ways you can redeem yourself, however. You could take AP tests independently? How about A Levels (google it)? Apply ED 2 if you must. Definitely do NOT apply ED 1. Alternatively, you could choose to take a gap year and instead focus on finishing your senior year with almost all A’s. A gap year can be a great way to grow and to discover new interests.</p>
<p>And yeah, Reed doesn’t have an Arabic major, but it does offer non-credit Arabic courses through one of theme dorms. Study abroad for Arabic is possible. </p>
<p>If the OP is so enthusiastic about Reed, and she is certain that her family will be able to pay, I think she might as well go ahead and apply ED. Her grades have been on an upward trajectory. She will, presumably, have an adviser and at least one teacher submit recommendations, and she will probably have an interview. There is no way to get Reed to “overlook” her GPA, but they might be willing to accept her if all the other factors seem to compensate for it in a “holistic” review. The worst that can happen is that she will be deferred, and will have to apply elsewhere. I highly recommend that she visit the campus, it at all feasible. If that isn’t possible, then she should make heroic efforts to line up an interview. Demonstrated interest counts for something, and the chance to explain her academic turnaround in person might help. I think it’s better to go for it, instead of applying RD and wondering - if rejected - whether you might have had a better shot with ED. Above all else, do not allow anonymous, unaccountable parties on the Internet to make the call for you. Talk with your adviser. Try to line up an interview with Reed before the ED application deadline, if humanly possible, and hear what their admissions representative has to say on the subject. </p>
<p>While I do agree that OP should make this decision herself, along with advice from GC, her mid-year grades will be crucial in determining her admission possibility at Reed. Therefore, it would be best to apply ED 2, not ED 1. </p>
<p>Reed does not care about GPAs–it cares about transcripts.</p>
) and your improvement will be noted. And yes, good first semester grades will be helpful, even necessary, but junior year is taken into the most consideration. I would apply to Reed (probably regular admission, but its up to you), but i would definitely keep my options open. </p>