How will one year of terrible grades in high school appear to colleges?

Applying to College
1

I’m a junior right now. I struggled with depression last year and went from an overachieving student to one that was cutting class for weeks on end. My GPA dropped to about a 2.7 after failing so many classes last year, and I ended up transferring to a less rigorous school. I’m 3 months into the school year at my new school right now, and I’ve brought it up to a 3.0. I’m hoping to bring it up to at least a 3.7 when it’s time for college apps.

I was wondering, how would this look on paper? I know that it isn’t good at all, but is there a chance that they would they see that failing classes isn’t the norm for me and assume that something happened? I’m planning to address this in my essay. I’m currently not taking any AP or honors classes unfortunately, but I’m planning on taking math 2 and a science SAT2 at some point. I’m going to take the SAT in March, and I’m quite confident I’ll get at least a 1500. How would my scores appear to colleges? Any advice? Thank you!

2

It’s about 1/3 of your total grades for any early admission program. Can your Guidance Counselor talk to your depression? Do NOT address the issue yourself. That will make it seem like making an excuse.

3

What colleges? If it’s schools that admit by gpa and acores, that’s one thing. Holistics will look at the transcript, not just the vague gpa. Get a Fiske Guide to Colleges. Learn various school options.

No, the purpose of the essay is not to tell the what went wrong and why. It’s not an “explanation” section.