I am more then just numbers. Will I get in on that?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Georgetown University
1

<p>Hello. Unlike most people who ask "Will I Get In", "Do I have a Chance.." I am not a list of numbers. If you saw my list of numbers, you would assume that I was insane for even thinking of applying to Georgetown. And with good reason. But things have changed, and I have story that defies most. Saying I'm an untraditional student is an understatement! I might not be as a good test taker as some of you, but I am bright and ambious in my own ways. I have overcome alot of struggles, but I have an undying passion for government, cultures, social action, and poltics. I am my self, and I am not scared of rejection anymore. I have smarts in a way that can't be charted on a standerized test or in a high school classroom. The late blossoms are always the most beautiful. </p>

<p>I really hope someone reads my story, I know it's long, but I'd reallly like some imput. Thank you so much. </p>

<p>FRESHMAN YEAR:
I decided to go to a very competive Jewish high school, 50+ miles away from my house. I got up at 5:15am to make a 6:36 train (Not only did i have reg. classes but 5 extra classes that I had just as much as the regs.) The school day ended at 5 everyday. I took the train home, and was home around 8 every night. Also, everyone was really acadimically competitive. I'm not kidding when I say, that I've heard comments like, "Don't go to Princeton, you can get into a much better school than that". I felt very out of place. Now would be a good place to say, I have learning disabitlies if it's not obvious already. The teachers there told me, that I would never be able to complish what my peers accomplish, even though intellectually and though-wise I was years above them. I was struggling with the distance and long days, and the snobby not-caring about the world elitest attitude these kids had. To make a long story short, I got Cs and Bs. and 2 As. </p>

<p>At this point I'm sure your thinking, "This girl has to be friggin insane and out of her mind, if she thinks she has a chance at Georgetown". Well it gets worse, </p>

<p>SOPHOMORE YEAR
Now, I live outside a city, however despite having higher taxes our school is on par with that of the cities school. Here's an overview of my school: Average SAT scores 908 (prechances), Dropout rate can be anywhere from 0.8% to 25+%. The class below me has a projected: 1 in 3 dropout rate. We have 3 APs. So to all you idoits, on these boards who are upset there schools only have 10. We also use the block system, which makes it impossible to take more then 2 APs anyways (and you can only take 2 with special permision). </p>

<p>My school also had an unwritten rule about not letting learning disabiltiy kids take honors and APs. I had to fight with all of my heart to get into my all honors classes, because it broke policy. And I had to fight with all my soul to get into my AP History Class.(The ironic part is that if you don't have learning disablities anyone who wants to can take any level class. So juvies with Ds and Fs could take AP English Comp. if they wanted to. But not people with learning disablities, who want nothing more then to learn and be intellectually stimulated.)</p>

<p>IF YOU WANT TO SKIP THE ABOVE WHICH IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THE REST, START HERE: There was very little diversity here, 1 Jewish Kid, 3 Africian Americans, 2 Hispanics, and 2 asians. in the entire high school.</p>

<p>Below is an except from article I wrote (rough edition, I don't have the edited one on my computer), this article by the way was supposed to be seen by 900, and by the end ended up being seen by 10,000+. It was read all around the area, and discussed at many meetings. This explains my exsperience at my school and is pretty much key to my story.</p>

<p>"...The jump from private to public schools has been huge. But the biggest difference was the most unexpected of all. Hatred. I'll never forget the first day of school. At an assembly the principal told us. “I don’t want to hear people say Jew, fag or gay but if you hear it. Don’t complain to me about it…." I was like what? That makes zero sense. But soon things would be crystal clear. I walked down the halls. And everyone was. "That's soooo gay", "OMG this is so gay.". I couldn't believe that. I'd never really heard anyone use that before. Soon I began hearing "HEY YOU JEW! YOU OWE ME MONEY” Nothing really happened to me personally until one day. I looked down n the desk which was pushed next to mine, there was a swastika, and underneath it said "Death to the Jews." The next day, I was sitting in class. The boy sitting near me turned to a girl and said “Wow that’s really ugly.” The girl responded to him by saying, ,"I don't see any problem with it. I wore them too and you told me you liked them.", and he said, "Oh I don't really hate them. It's just that I hate the <strong><em>ing Jews." After, I told the principal about it. He ended up getting an hour detention ater school. Ironically, I got the same detention for being late once to school. Everyone at my school knows that the walls of the boy’s bathroom of my school have a Hate List, and a Fag list. The hate list has people’s names sometimes with comments written next to them. I’ll never forget the day the African American kid inmy class. came back into class and said, I'm on the list again. And someone asked, “ Did it say your name? “. And he said, “ I just knew it was me because it just said n</em></strong><strong>” . I heard my name has been on the list too, (next to it said “Jew.”) Some of my really nice guy friends won’t use the school bathroom anymore because they have been on the fag list just for being nice guys. I have found hate graffiti in Geometry text books including swastikas, andthat so and so is gay. At the end of the summer some people in town got arrested for having a neo-nazi group. A couple of the kids go to my school. When I learned this, I got scared. I was so scared, that I went to the police to talk to them about everything that had been going on. He was a wonderful cop, and very helpful. But that didn’t take my fear away. I've also been told that the Holocaust isn't important to American history. I've been told a million times I've killed Jesus. I've been asked if it's true I ea pig's feet, and if it's true Jewish people celebrate Jesus death with an 8 day celebration. There are people who would talk to me one daybut the day after they knew I was Jewish they would ignore me. You can't sit in silence when this is happening. I HAVE TO FIGHT. I can't give up. I need to fight this battle. And not just at my school. I want to do this for everyone, not just Jews but other minorities as well You can affect people, you can. You can make a difference. And I can too." (my writing has improved alot in the last two years. that was pretty terrible, now that I re-read it). So basically, my life was a living hell on earth, I tried to consentrate in class but hate was all around me, it was suffacating me. And I was drowning in confusion and hopelessness. And because of that, my grades slipped without me knowing, I was getting 85+ on everything I recieved, and I'd just toss them into my bag/locker. I died, when I saw my grades. Cs, Ds and a B-. That's what I got. Including a D- in gym because I was injured and the teacher thought I had an attitude when I refused to work with the kid who called me a "</strong><em>ing jew". Terrible grades. So your thinking:"A sob story won't get her into Georgetown, and those grades </em> they are even worse".</p>

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<p>Yeah this pretty much is a sob story, I'm sorry. What you endure is nothing worse than what most people in the country endure in high school. I don't see how its much of an excuse.</p>

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<p>A sob story will not get you into Georgetown. Look, if you want to go to a top school, you need to demonstrate that you can keep up. You haven't posted any stats, but you're implying that your GPA isn't too good. If your dream is to go to Georgetown, then attend a CC or a CSU for a couple of years and transfer in. Lots of people with low grades and test scores seem to think that they're smarter than they are, but until they can somehow prove it at some point, I don't believe it. Oh, and your writing needs a good bit of work if you even want to attempt to successfully convey your sob story to the admissions committee. I realize that this is just a message board, but still...</p>

<p>btw, no offense or anything...I'm just trying to give it to you straight.</p>

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<p>Please, read the second part of the post.</p>

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<p>I am at CC that's the second part of the post. I have a 3.6+ GPA at community college now. I've turned my whole life around. And honestly, people who worked in college admissions offices told me I had at chance. I think that showing improvement is greater then just getting stright As throughout high school. As to the person who says, this is going on in the rest of the country?? The D.As office, told us they had not seen it that bad anywhere, I mean I live in one of the most liberal states in the country so maybe that's why.</p>

<p>Also, my writing is a lot better then that when I acutally take the time, I've got numerous things published, and I got an 11 on my SAT essay. But for some reason when I'm on the computer, I rush through things and write incoherently mostly on the basis, that I find writing on the interenet to be more relaxed and it's become routiune. Probably because I talk on AIM a lot, and also moderate message boards.</p>

<p>Anyways, that was more then I needed to say.</p>

6

<p>Congratulations on your perserverence
I don't know about your chances for sure but I think G-town is worth a shot
You have a compelling story and it is refreshing to hear from someone who is not "all about the numbers" but is about character, resiliance,
and drive</p>

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<p>You didn't mention in your original post that you were at a community college. An upward trend is not better than consistent perfection...don't kid yourself. Seriously. That being said, the 3.6+ at a CC good. You're on the right track. That will put you in contention for transfer admission to a number of good schools, including Georgetown. In fact, it probably guarantees admission to Berkeley or UCLA. But I don't think your sob story will help out any more than a well-written essay by anyone else would, and believe me - many people in the applicant pool will have very well-written and poignant essays. And many will come from unusual circumstances. I don't think yours will set you apart.</p>

<p>BTW, do not cite your essay score on the SAT writing section as evidence of your good writing ability. Few schools even take that essay seriously. If you can write decently, it shows when you write.</p>

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<p>Thank you, for you honest advice. </p>

<p>I didn't know that about Berkeley or UCLA, interesting. All the other schools I'm applying to, either have agreements with my CC, or are serious safties. If I don't get into georgetown, I'll probably go to George Mason since I want to be in the D.C. area, anyways.</p>

<p>I'm going to have my Crimnal Justice AD, in spring 2007, at 18. Which I think is pretty impressive as well!</p>

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<p>Obviously you would need to explain to Georgetown why your grades are so crappy, but Georgetown also likes to see extra-curricular activities and leadership positions. What have you DONE? Things to include would be where specifically you have been published, what clubs did you run, or things did you volunteer for. Did you stand up and take action when you were being discriminated against, etc.</p>

<p>If you are going to frame your application to Georgetown in the manner of the above post, instead of being like, "boo-hoo, my life is so hard, I am entitled to be accepted because I've had a rough time" (which, apparently, you really have, I can't imagine!) try and put a positive spin on it, like, you know what, I did have a hard time, but such and such is what came out of it, or I am going to change my life in such and such manner.</p>

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<p>I have read your feedback, and thanks so much for responding so constructivly. I think changing an entire high school and the way it's run is a pretty big accomplishment. I mean, I filled a huge report with the D.A's office on my own. There's a 500+ of legal documents and evidence, I have created and collected. And I was only 15/16 at the time. I did more then just stand up and take action, it's a very long story but basically because of me, my hs schools ass is being kicked, by the state. We are also in the process of personally filing a case aganist them. I also talked to peer consulers at my hs school and we arranged a day of silence, and created a movie about discrimination in my high school because of what happened to me. I complained to every single member of the school's adminstration, and they basically told me to, "deal". I was pretty much a pimple on their ass, and I tried everything I could get things to change. That is why the schol is being sued partly, for civil rights violations. This year apparently it's better, and they no longer have "fag lists" in the boy's bathroom stuff like that. Because of my complaients, the school board has placed cameras so they can monitor bathroom activity. And have put in place, a "no tolerence policy", although you can't magically make a problem like this disapper, you can atleast punish the people for their actions. Thanks to me, the D.A.'s office, elected my school as one of the most unsafe schools in the state, and gave us the "Safe School's Initictive". Only 3 schools in the whole state, got this. So it's a pretty big deal. I was also very vocal when I saw acts of hatred happening, believe it or not I was the only person ever to complain of these things going on. Giant Swatiskas on desks, and no one complained? I spoke about to the school about things going on, I wasn't snitching, but when things that are humanly wrong are happening, clearly you can't be silent.</p>

<p>Alsom I'm a Social Action leader on a local USY board. And I'm nominated to attend CAMP IF run by the ADL. (A camp for increasing positive relations between Jews, Christians, and Muslims). I also started a human rights and civil rights activism group at my college, which hopefully will get off the ground this year, it's very hard to get kids in community college interested in things at school sometimes, since alot of them work full time jobs on top of it. I have an internship with a law firm in the fall.</p>

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<p>I don't really understand these chances posts. It's not like our opinions are really going to change anything. If you're going to apply anyway, why not just wait until you apply and see what the adcom's opinions are?</p>

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<p>Acutally, they are very helpful. Of course I'm going to apply anyways, but it's good hearing other people's opioins and ideas, first. So that why you know what you are doing/right wrong.</p>

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<p>Georgetown does not want to hear a sob story. Its fine that you mention it, but it can't be used as an excuse. They want to see resilience and performance when things go wrong. If you can perform through all this trouble, then GU will really like you.</p>

<p>I have a neurological disorder that is considered the most painful experience a man can take, even more than amputation. For my essays I am not writing how horrible my life was, but how I am able to fight it off and perform at the same level as students who are applying top notch schools with all that pain going on in my life.</p>

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<p>That's amazing. Acutally I remember reading your post Aznsnake, and my mom told me, that if they reject a student/person like you then she doesn't want applying there. </p>

<p>Thanks for you feedback!
Yes, I did fight through it. I don't know if I mentioned it, but I didn't even blame my poor grades on that, until people noted why they might have been so lower, compared to all As in college.</p>

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<p>Wait, what state are you from?</p>

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<p>I'm from Mass. So i take that it that wouldn't carry over for me</p>

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<p>For some reason I thought you were from CA. Scratch what I said about UCLA and Berkeley, then.</p>

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<p>Improvements:</p>

<p>I'm sure that Georgetown will give you slack for your situation. My GC isn't the least bit worried about my 3.58 UW GPA. Make sure you get your GC to help give you advice of how to present your situation. The options I was given was to not mention it at all or talk about the resilience during the situation (instead of trying to get sympathy). I am choosing the 2nd one. I read your 2nd post and if you turned your life 360 (180 makes more sense lol) then colleges will definitely view that as a good thing. My GC said that alot of students go to top tier colleges with mental disorders that they never mentioned, but if they see you handle a massive problem like this, then they feel that your ready for everything. I see that you have a TON of momentum, keep it up and I think you have a decent shot.</p>

<p>Georgetown emphasizes diversity a lot and perhaps they need a student like you. Just keep on perservering. I am actually applying Georgetown EA, Good Luck in your Admissions!!!</p>

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<p>haha "180 makes more sense" </p>

<p>thats what I was thinking! </p>

<p>:D</p>

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<p>Improvements,</p>

<p>Just a quick suggestion that is going to improve your writing:
Do not confuse then with than.
"Then" is for time. For example, I eat, THEN I sleep.
"Than" is used to compare. For example, my notebook is bigger THAN yours.</p>

<p>I hope this helps!!</p>

<p>bye</p>