<p>I got the following grades for freshman year:
1A+, 2As, 4Bs, 3Cs, 1D</p>
<p>For the rest of high school I have all As and A+s (more A+s), with an upward trend in terms of the number of A+s (went from getting about half A+s to all A+s apart from one). My school does not calculate GPA or rank so that is all that they will see for freshman year.</p>
<p>It will look pretty bad, but all top colleges have a holistic process, so it certainly won’t “ruin” your chances.</p>
<p>What happened freshman year to your grades? Frankly, they’re pretty out-of-sorts for a Cornell applicant, but if there are mitigating circumstances, your chances may not be impeded at all, and they might demonstrate that you’re a stronger person for recovering so well. You’ve just got to spin it, if you can.</p>
<p>I thought the “apply anyway, you still have a chance” schtick is so that colleges can increase their number applications and lower their acceptance rates.</p>