As the headline says, I feel so inadequate right now, however by all expectations I should be happy right now.
Last week my school had finals. I thought i did pretty well on most of them and hoped to achieve my goal GPA of 4.80 this year. I figured " this will be my major turn around year". Having done badly in the previous years of high school (going from 2.64 freshman year to a 4.00 final semester of sophomore year) I really wanted to prove myself as a serious student this year by achieving some totally seller grades…
Unfortunately, perhaps i set me bar to high for the first semester of junior year. I ended up getting B’s in two classes ( AP bio and honors alg 3) and sunk down two 4.40. Not that this is bad, by all means, no! It’s the highest GPA I’ve ever gotten in my life (sad huh?), I should be proud, nevertheless i feel so down right now. Talking to my friends about their semester grades didn’t make things better either. These friends of mine were complaining about getting 4.60’s and A-'s in stead of A’s… gosh… It just makes me wonder… what am i to do? I REALLY REALLY want to go to a good college and I’m scared that I wont be able to seeing as even though I’ve improved tremendously over the past few years I’m still not a top notch student. I’m still not as good as my friends are, or many other people in my grade are. And its too late, I’ll never be that good. My class rank is good but unfortunately I’ll never raise my cumulative GPA any higher than 3.80 and that is so unimpressive and sad.
I feel so down right now. I wish i could have just gotten an A in AP bio and i would be much more satisfied.
I also feel really lacking in the EC department. I’ve only been doing volunteering and other activities since the middle of sophomore year while other people have been doing theirs longer… god… sigh… I’m never gonna get into college.
Sorry that’s so long. I just feel the need to rant. I know people will listen to me here seeing as we’re all obsessed with getting into college
<p>Yep, we all have our feelings on inadequacy.... especially sometimes on this board when we are all comparing ourselves. You may be in the top 10 - 15 % in the country, but on this board that can make you feel like you are bottom 10%.</p>
<p>You did really well, and trended way up, that is a really impressive feat. Do not let the people around you and their grades bring you down....I hope you have done ECs, sports, music, other things- just for you- rememeber colleges look at the entire person- so you started slow, big deal, you pushed yourself0 know be sure and take care of the whole person....if person constantly compared themselves others, someone somewhere will have better grades, but that does not make them better...give yourself a break and have some chocolate</p>
<p>This year, a friend of mien got rejected EA/ED (whatever their option is) from Yale! I was shocked, She's amazing... has a 4.87 cumulative gpa, great EC's, awards, accomplished pianist.. 1500ish SAT... </p>
<p>If there is no hope for her then where is the hope for average students like myself????? I mean, i'm not applying to Yale or anything but I am planning on applying to some pretty competitive schools and it just frightens me to think that even though I may think i'm good, and i'm doing the best i can there are THOUSANDS of kids who are hundreds of times better than me applying to the same schools. God.. my chances are so dismal now that i think about it. </p>
<p>ok ok.. breath.. breath.... i need to vent.</p>
<p>Remember that it certainly can't hurt to apply. You have nothing to lose except a $60 application fee and a little time putting the application togetherand not even too much of the latter if the schools you're going for use the common app. The more you think about how much excellent competition you're up against, the more depressed you get, and that's not a particularly useful emotion; so my solution is just not to think about it until after you've submitted all your applications.</p>
<p>Hang in there, Masha. There will be a great school for you. You might want to search n the Parents Forum for a thread about "A Year After EA/ED Rejection/Deferral." Lots of great stories there and almost everyone is extremely happy. My D was rejected EA from Yale last year with a 3.9uw/1580/2330 and a pretty impressive EC as a ballet dancer. It happens. If you offered her Yale today, she wouldn't leave where she is (Smith). Just make sure you have some Matches and a Safety or two with your Reaches.</p>
<p>While I feel you're being a bit overdramatic, I also know what you feel like. I won't even tell my friends my rank and my gpa anymore because it's so much lower than theirs. I feel inferior to them. They're like, man I was really hoping for an A+ in precalc when I got a B. So I understand, but just move past your grades, and stay motivated! and everything will be fine.</p>
<p>Congratulations for having such a strong semester and for working so hard to raise your gpa. There's nothing wrong with setting the bar high. "Reach for the moon and if you miss, you'll fall upon the stars, so make a wish!"</p>
<p>There's a problem, though, if you do your best and then start beating yourself up for failing to meet some extremely high standard.</p>
<p>Most students in this country -- something like 60% -- get into their first choice college. Most students are not carrying 4.0 + averages, 1600 scores nor applying to Harvard. Most colleges in this country are buyers' markets, welcoming with open arms virtually all applicants.</p>
<p>If you want to kick yourself and say a 3.8 (or 3.5 or 3.1 for that matter) is a bad gpa, go ahead and be masochistic. However, what you're thinking is not true.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, perhaps i set me bar to high for the first semester of junior year...
masha, I also think you should pat yourself on the back for displaying an upward trend. Colleges (the good ones especially) like to see students who really work for it. And you have already proven yourself a serious student by working to increase your grades/gpa every year. That is a strong sign of maturity and priority. </p>
<p>There's nothing wrong with setting a high goal. Northstarmom, if I may borrow your quotes....masha, Dr Benjamin Mays said that
[quote]
The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not disgrace to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim, is a sin.
<p>
[quote]
It just makes me wonder... what am i to do? I REALLY REALLY want to go to a good college and I'm scared that I wont be able to seeing as even though I've improved tremendously over the past few years I'm still not a top notch student. sigh.. I'm never gonna get into college.
[/quote]
Its easy to get carried away with the competiveness of college admissions at some schools and lose track of the big picture. The truth is outside of the top 100 or so colleges, the rest admit the majority of their applicants!</p>
<p>So, sure, if your definition of success is getting into an Ivy then you're in a pickle no matter how good you are, but then again if your definition of success is based on USN&WR rankings you aren't making a smart decision in the first place. </p>
<p>Picking a college is about finding a fit; do you want an urban or rural campus, large or small classes, what region of the country, what atmosphere are you looking for, how challenging do you want the classes to be, and on and on. Once you decide what you want in college there are dozens if not hundreds of good choices available, and all but a handful are possible for a good student to get into.</p>
<p>My advice boils down to this: think carefully about what you mean when you say "good college". Do you mean a place that will challenge you, where you will learn and make good friends, a place you want to spend 4 years? Or do you mean a place that will make your friends impressed when you get in?</p>
<p>thanks. and yes, that GPA is on a 5.0 scale... Maybe getting good SAT's will help balance me out. I heard that helps. I'm currently taking a PR SAT prep class... my writing and reading scores are in the 700's however my math is a dismal 500 ewe. i need to work on that lol</p>
