How Will Freshman Grades Affect my Chances At Berkeley?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I attend a college preparatory school in the Oakland Hills of California. Midway through the first semester of this year, my freshman year, my brother committed suicide. Up until this point my GPA had been a 4.0, but shortly afterward my grades began to tank. For my first semester I earned a 3.5 GPA and as the second semester is coming to a close I believe it is quite possible I will receive a C in physics.</p>

<p>I feel that my academic underperformance this year has in no uncertain terms been due to the loss of my brother, which I believe has had a significant impact on me.</p>

<p>I know its silly to be selective when thinking of which universities I wish to attend as a freshman, but UC Berkeley is my dream school growing up in the bay area. My father missed out on his chance to go there due to his lack of funds, and my brother obviously couldn't have gone.</p>

<p>I believe that I have the ability to increase my GPA by a significant amount in these next 3 years. I'm wondering - will schools of significant prestige like Berkeley and colleges in that category give me a break for my freshman year or at least forgive some of my mistakes because of this major event in my life? Thanks in advance for any input.</p>

<p>In case this matters, my main EC for my high school career is going to be High School Policy Debate as I've already become competitive on the national level and plan on dedicating a lot of time to it in the next few years, and am going to be attending camps for debate. I also plan on continuing my involvement with the school varsity swim team which I'm decent at. I also play piano and used to play violin.
In case this matters, my main EC for my high school career is going to be High School Policy Debate as I've already become competitive on the national level and plan on dedicating a lot of time to it in the next few years, and am going to be attending camps for debate. I also play piano, and dropped violin a year ago. I'm involved in Student Council, and I founded Post-Modern Philosophy Club.</p>

<p>I'm also a mix of Hispanic and Swedish</p>

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<p>All UC Schools and Cal State Schools (Aside from Cal Poly SLO) do not put your freshman grades into consideration, so your in the clear, just be sure to keep your grades up.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>On another note, I maybe wouldn’t talk about your brother’s suicide. The admissions officer could either feel bad for you, or believe that you’re destined for a trip to crazy town…
Oh, and I know you probably get this all the time, but I’m sorry about your brother. I love my to death and can’t imagine loosing the little guy.</p>

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<p>I would disagree with littlelearner on this. Your brother’s death has clearly been an enormous impact on who you are. It will define you and your choices, and set you apart in more ways than one, and possibly mitigate your grade drop this year. I encourage you to write about it if you are comfortable.</p>

<p>Admissions officers won’t penalize you further by thinking that you are “destined for a trip to crazy town,” and, even if they did, you have three more years to prove yourself as a smart and successful kid.</p>