I need help on what I can do better

Applying to College
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(I am currently using a friend’s account ( this ) to submit my post as I was havig trouble making my own )

Hi, I am currently a sophomore in a competitive public Highschool. I am very stressed out in terms of academic and I’m really lost on what I can do. My grades are inferior to those in my class year.
Freshman statistics : 1st/2nd sem
Band - B/A
Chinese 1 - B/B
English 1 - A/B
General Physics - A/A
Algebra 2 - D/D
Summer :
Algebra 2 - B ( retook the course due to the D both semesters )
Sophomore year : 1st sem
English 2 - B
Band - A
Chinese 2 - A
Pre calculus - B
World History - A
AP Physics - B

Other stats :
PSAT -
Math 73
Critical Reading 68
Writing 59

Track and Field (JV) freshman year
XC (F/S) sophomore year

Participated in AMC/F=MA exams, did not move on

Clubs - Math club, Physics club, CS club

Other EC : I made a game on a platformer named ROBLOX and got 55 thousand plays. This got special recognition from the company and accepted to their private developer forum.

Interested major : Computer Science

Ethnicity : Asian/Pacific Islander :frowning: makes it harder?

I am a californian resident

I am quite ashamed of my GPA as I know it’s a really big factor. It sorta put me into a really bad position in terms of class rank as my school only calculates UW GPA and is a school full of competitive asians :(. I feel behind since all my peers are doing interviews, etc. with all these other crazy ECs, 2400 SATs, Track stars, math gods, 4.3 - 4.8 GPAs, I can go on for very long, and here I am with a 3.0 - 3.6ish GPA :frowning:
Do you guys have any suggestions of what I can do to show more “impressiveness”? I’m planning to take some SAT2s and more APs to in increase my upward trend as of GPA. You’ve sort of already can see some of it in the stats. Also college courses ( district only limits one to highschoolers ) do you guys know how to surpass this so I can take more?

As of ECs, anything I can do for CS majors?

But yeah, to sum up, I just want advice of what I can do?

Dream
Schools : UCLA, UCB, UCI, UCD, UCSD, Caltech, Cornell, Stanford

I know it’s laughable right now, but I feel I still can change that?

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Don’t be ashamed. It is what it is. You can’t change the past. AND A 3-3.6 at a competitive high schools isn’t bad! Do you know why you got Ds and Bs in some classes? Is it because the class was difficult and you tried your best or was it from lack of effort, missing assignments, too busy with things outside of school or some other reason? You have a good math PSAT score but then the Ds in math – I’m curious. It would be helpful to do well in the SAT in math and SAT II in math to offset the D in algebra 2.

3

There are students from Lowes, MV, Mission, Lynbrook and RPV got into the list of UCs with your stats, don’t worry. Just do your best for the SAT and coming years.

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  • I mean I guess a 3.0 - 3.6ish GPA is decent, but I am not too sure if the school is considered a "competitive school" (sorry haha) or just a "competitive environment" where everyone is strived to do their best. I'm sort of over rided with people in my class as they're earning way above average stats since their parents are very strict. ( school is like 80% asian ) Example : one of my friend (same grade level) is 13 years old and completed 11 AP courses already, 4.5 GPA, 2400 SAT, etc. Haha....
  • I got a D in math because I did not get a really good mathematics background in middleschool. The math skills I have right now is all through feeling behind and self studied haha. And well, my alg. 2 teacher, not to be judgemental and stuff, wasn't really a good teacher. Only about 20% of the class had a B or higher and it was even harder for me like I said I had not had a good math background at that time. And I don't think colleges will know about this as it is currently looking really bad in my stats especially as a CS major, a D in algebra haha....
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  • I am also currently studying for SAT 2 Physics and Math 2. :)
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@artloversplus‌ its probably a low UC like riverside and merced though :frowning:

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No my nephew got into LA and SD from Mission. He is graduating.

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@artloversplus‌ and they had my stats right? :0

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In the 3.5ish range, but you still have a year to go. Just work hard.

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@artloversplus‌ yeah, I am! :slight_smile: it’s hard though cause you see all your peers so much ahead of you, and like they keep talking about how if I got 1 B, which I have a lot, I pretty much lost in “competitiveness”. Especially I’m asian too :confused:

11

Just try your best, that’s all that you can do. You don’t equal your grades. And while your grades seem important right now, they do not determine how successful you will be in life.