I Need Help!

Applying to College
1

Hi. This is my first time posting. I’ve gotten so discouraged and confused so I need some answers because I’ve been stressing out so much. My situation is really long and confusing!!

Freshman year: grades were okay, I know I could have done wayyy better and I am super disappointed with myself. Fortunately, freshman grades do not matter for UC’s.

After my freshman year I moved out of the country to Canada. I would have been a sophomore there but since I was a year younger in age from actual sophomores ( I skipped a grade when I was younger), they put me back as a freshman. My Canadian freshman grades were a lot better, there was for sure improvement.

After living in Canada for a year, I moved back to the US but to a different state from home. I was a sophomore in NC for 1 semester. Their system was designed so students could 4 different classes each semester and receive full credit for their courses at the end of the semester. I took: Math 2 (Honors), English 2 (Honors), PE + Health (they were combined) and World History (Honors). I ended up with a 3.9 W GPA, 3.5 UW.

When that 1 semester completed, I moved back to CA and attended the same high school I started at originally. When I came back they asked if I wanted to finish the year as a sophomore or jump into 2nd semester of junior year because that is the grade I would have been in had I stayed. I decided to become a junior and this is where my confusion begins. I will probably end this semester with a 3.8 W gpa. My counselor did not allow me to take any APs and was hesitant to even put me in Honors classes because I was coming in the middle of the year. I have always been an Honors student but due to not allowing freshman to take AP’s and suddenly moving back home, my whole plan shifted. In NC, I had planned to take AP’s 2nd semester but I couldn’t because I moved. Now I am stuck and so frustrated because my transcript reflects someone who I am not. For my senior year I am taking AP Lit so overall in high school I will have taken only 1 AP. Also my school does not count PE or Health in their calculated GPA so in NC it looks like I took 3 classes which brings me down to a 3.3 W and 3.0 UW gpa since I received 2 B’s and 1 A.

I just feel that this whole situation is so unfair. I am an extremely hardworking student and feel like there is not enough time. I have to make up all my first semester junior classes as well because in my CA school, classes begin in the fall and are completed in the spring (not like the 4 class semester system in NC) . I will definitely talk about my struggles of moving around so much and explain that I was not given opportunities to take rigorous classes because of the moving when I apply to colleges. I plan on taking the SAT in October. I would probably want to apply to UC’s and a few out of states like BU. I also wanted to ask if Spring admission would be a good idea? Since I will be applying to colleges this fall I will only have a total of 10 classes to show them which is a very small amount. I would have more time to make up classes and add to me EC list. Please feel free to ask me questions if you are confused, I know this is complicated!! Thank you so much in advance.

2

If am sorry to say this, but I think it was a mistake to go back as a junior halfway through the year. I don’t know if there is a way to undo that, at this point. Maybe applying for spring admission is a good idea, but you need to talk it over with the school counselor. BTW, you can take AP tests next year if you notify your school in Feb and they order them for you. You can either study yourself, or do online courses. Unfortunately, it will be too late for any test results to appear on college applications, but you could always have your counselor mention your plans on his or her letter. Also, be sure your counselor explains the moving situation in the letter. Take the most rigorous courses you can as a senior.

3

Own up to your mistake. Say that since you’d have been a sophomore second semester in NC, that’s what you should have been in Canada, apologize for your hubris and ask to be considered for junior year next year NOT senior, and do a regular junior year at the appropriate level this time, with AP 's etc.

4

@toncca I really like the above suggestion. You are young for your grade. A good family friend ended up redoing a year as a sophomore, because she transferred to a new school with an age cutoff that she was too young for. They said “tough” so she repeated the year. Best thing that could have happened. She is now the same age as her classmates, was able to take a few different APs from what she had before, and is doing great. Be a teen as long as possible. Beleive me, there is nothing so special about being a bill-paying adult.

5

I agree with @MYOS1634 and @Lindagaf. You should speak with your school and/or college counselors, have them change your class standing to make you a sophomore this year, and do a full junior year next year. Junior year is an important one for building relationships with your teachers (who will, after all, be writing your recommendations), and you likely don’t have either the preparation or the competitive stats that another year of high school will allow you to develop. Life is short - don’t rush through it.

6

I can imagine you might not like this re-doing junior year option because of your friendships and what others might think?

7

A lot of students do what is sometimes called a super senior year in private schools. I think the only way to do that in public schools is not to graduate. So these suggestions seem very practical.

8

@choirsandstages Yes, one of my reasons for agreeing to be a junior was so that I could be with my friends again. It was hard being so lonely while moving around. So I am not thrilled that going back a year seems to be the only way to fix the situation.

Thank you for all of your responses! I really needed some outside perspective.