<p>in high school, I performed quite poorly academically since i spent my time doing research instead of focusing on school work (and I published in a prestigious scientific journal , however that didnt carry over to the admissions officers). As a result of this I did not get into the colleges I wanted to.</p>
<p>In college, my first semester was HORRID...a 2.3 gpa. It was all my fault. I felt like a failure for not getting into the schools I wanted, I was surrounded by people whose work ethic/goals were pulling me down, and as a result had no motivation to work. Later during that semester, my grandfather had a lethal heart attack and my family was in a state of shock. This trauma also got to me and had me worried about what was going to happen.</p>
<p>My second semester improved slightly (a 3.0) but still nowhere near what I wanted to get. Over this break I realized that if I want to make my dreams come true, I have to stop dwelling in the past and work towards the future. I am diligently preparing for the classes I am taking over the summer so that I will be prepared when the semester starts. The problem is that I think (actually I kinda know) its too late in the process for me to come back. My dream school is Emory. I know its WAY out of reach at this point since even if I manage to get a 4.0 next sem, my total gpa will only be a 3.2. The realistic voice in me has absolutely no desire to spend $70 for a rejection letter. The other part of me however, has a desire to apply. I just want a reality check. I know things didn't turn out the way I wanted too. I'm just trying to convince myself to settle for less even though thats not what I want...</p>
<p>what about the next TWO semesters? or try to bring up your grades faster by taking some summer or winter courses. you can take easy gen eds and see what happens. if your cgpa is still below a 3.5, i would say don’t bother. however, you can set your goal at 3.5 and then decide to apply if you get it. that way you have something to work towards and if you succeed, you’ll let yourself apply. that’s what i would do anyway.</p>
<p>tompi90 you can do things to increase your chances or offset your GPA if it is around but below a 3.5 level (I wouldn’t make it too much below though). You mentioned you published in a scientific journal, why not consider a continuation of research at the university level? If you can convince yourself that you are making progress (you already made substantial progress from a 2.3 GPA to a 3.0 GPA) and show this progression through your grade trends then apply to Emory. If you aren’t happy with your current university I’d consider applying to a few safeties. Don’t let your current GPA prevent you from applying, but do your part in making sure you can continue to increase your GPA.</p>
<p>@ homfly: I am currently doing research at a medical college over the summer. Also, I have been doing research at my university and will continue that next semester as well. </p>
<p>If I can get A’s all year next year, then my cGPA would be around a 3.4. However since I would be a sophmore I would have to send in the application before my spring semester grades, meaning at that time, if I had all straight A’s, my cGPA would only be a 3.2. Could I still send them my spring semester grades before they make a decision?</p>
<p>SAT scores are another problem. My SAT scores are below 1800. I’m assuming I would have to retake it?</p>
<p>tompi90, personally I wouldn’t retake the SAT once you completed 30 credit hours, even if your scores are low. What matters the most at this point are your grades. </p>
<p>From my understanding If you are accepted conditionally they would request your spring semester grades once the semester is completed.</p>
<p>Just spend more time and improve your grades. Don’t feel obligated to try to get out of your current school because you have 60 credits. Find out if you can retake the classes that you didn’t do well in to improve your GPA significantly. Here are the stats for Emory transfer students.</p>
<h1>of students who applied for fall term: 581</h1>
<h1>of students who were admitted: 195</h1>
<h1>of students who enrolled: 113</h1>
<p>As you can see, they have a 33.5% transfer acceptance rate. Minimum of 28 credits to apply with a 3.0 GPA. A high school transcript and standardized test scores are still required, but do more research on transferring. Research on this forum and look for transfer students that got accepted to Emory and find out the grade trends. Call or email an Emory admissions counselor. Just do your research and find direction to lead you to your goal. You will be able to accomplish your goal if you really work hard for it.</p>
<p>this may seem like an odd question but how should I ask them? Should I just send them an email stating exactly what I said in my OP? Would a call be more effective to convey my situation?</p>