Currently I am a sophomore in high school, but I have one more day until I graduate. For some reason I find it impossible to keep my anxiety and stress down. You can call me weird, but for some reason I feel kinda depressed my grades are low. I have a 3.6 gpa in high school and I have been involved in some extracurriculars. I want to apply to colleges like UW, UC colleges, Duke, MIT, Stanford however their expectations are quite high. I work all day for these “A’s”, but it seems like it’s out of my grasp. Of course, I have a long road ahead, but I need advice on how to arrive there.
If your grades and other entrance requirements are too low for the schools you seek, then move on to applying to a schools that iare less highly rated. Many, many, many students attend supposedly lesser schools,earn excellent educations, and pursue successful careers. I understand your disappointment and frustration. However your distress will not change the requirements and decisions of your preferred schools.
Action and learning about alternative opportunities may well help you recover from disappointment. You may move ahead and plan your new opportunities with enthusiasm.
Now you say you worked very hard to earn A grades. Grades are really nice when they open doors. However, they are only shorthand for your effort and course mastery. However, if you focused on the marker over content, you may find your content knowledge to be less than you need in subsequent classes.
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You should be aware that there are MANY very good universities in the US. If you don’t have the grades for MIT don’t worry about it, there are a LOT of other very strong schools, and a LOT of very good schools that you can get into with a 3.6 GPA. On the most part other schools are less stressful than MIT, but still academically strong.
Do the best that you can in high school. Keep ahead in your homework. However, be aware that there will be good schools waiting for you at the end of your high school career.
At this point you should probably finish up the year in high school (which is finished for most high schools already), then take a few days off and relax. Then start looking for good schools that are a fit to the GPA that you have. Most students are constrained by cost and therefore start with their in-state public schools, but there are a lot to choose from. See if you can visit a few nearby universities and colleges over the summer just to get a better sense regarding what is there. Once you have taken the ACT or SAT tests you might get a better sense regarding what schools would be a good fit for you.
A 3.6 isn’t bad at all! All students are different and take more or less time on schoolwork. Try to get to the bottom of what exactly about school is causing your anxiety and try to work the conflict out.
It’s fairly typical to experience stress that revolves around schoolwork. However, remember that if it starts to feel overwhelming, you may want to visit a therapist before it bogs you down too much.
You’ve demonstrated great academic prowess. I really hope you feel better soon!