<p>I go to a public high school.
I have a really bad GPA (~2.5).
I have effing fantastic SAT scores, extracurriculars, community service and I take really tough classes. I write really well, so my essay will be fine and my reccomendations, I am assuming will be good, too. I got a 710 on the writing section of the SAT. </p>
<p>I haven't been able to find anybody else who has such a crappy GPA when they're involved in such hard classes and such a huge amount of community service, projects and clubs.</p>
<p>I can't even explain it. I never finish my work. I rarely pay attention, but I'm pretty smart for someone who does so. I'm not 100% my GPA is weighted right, but all things about me suggest that I should go to a tougher school, while my GPA suggests "state school!"</p>
<p>So, I'm torn as to which schools to apply to.</p>
<p>I have my state school, which isn't so bad, but I feel overqualified with everything except my GPA.
Somebody even suggested community college.</p>
<p>Then, some people are like, "Hey, apply to Colby. Bates." And I think they're insane.</p>
<p>My question is, where the hell on the spectrum am I?</p>
<p>"I can't even explain it. I never finish my work. I rarely pay attention, but I'm pretty smart for someone who does so."</p>
<p>You most likely are GT/LD. That you have gotten so far in school with your test scores, your grades, and without being dragged in to the school psychologist's office to be screened for a learning disability is not your fault. It is the fault of all of the adults around you.</p>
<p>The good news though is that you can go to the school psychologist's office tomorrow yourself and say "Hey this cranky mom at CollegeConfidential says that I'm to ask you to screen me for everything in the book because you've not got around to it yet. Just look at my test scores. Do they look like the test scores of someone with a 2.5 GPA?" And, if they don't screen you, make a total pest of yourself until they do. There is a whole bunch of federal law that comes into play here. You have a right to services under ADA that will help you master the way your brain works so that you can get the schoolwork done.</p>
<p>There is no great shame in being GT/LD, there are TONS of kids just like you out there. More than one friend of mine was identified with dyslexia, ADD, you-name-it in either college or grad school. Each of them mastered techniques that help to get them through the day and/or found medications (some of the ADD cases) that made all of the difference in the world.</p>
<p>A good book on this issue that you can read is "Keeping a head in school" by Mel Levine. Dr. Levine has lots of good suggestions on techniques that you can try to help keep yourself on track with your schoolwork.</p>
<p>Considering your GPA, you may need to start out at a "state school" (or even a community college) while you practice the getting-the-work-done skills, but that doesn't mean you can't transfer to your dream school in a year or two once you have hard evidence to demonstrate that you really are able to keep up with college level work.</p>
<p>Please take the above advice. You likely are a highly intelligent student with a learning disability. The disparity between your test scores and your gpa a a big, red flag. If your family can afford it, get tested privately by an educational psychologist as school districts don't always like to facilitate LD diagnoses for gifted kids. (Too expensive and they feel other, less intelligent kids who are flunking out need their help more than you.) And, the bonus is that if you are diagnosed late and choose to disclose it on your applications, there are many schools that will take that into consideration and put more emphasis on your record from the time you sought help and got treatment (treatment not necessarily being medications) than your record from before diagnosis. Hurry and make that appointment. It can be life changing.</p>
<p>I completely second everything happymomof1 said. :)</p>
<p>But I also wanted to add that I was a similar student. I got great scores, was a great writer, but until my junior year of High School I had a 2.8 cumulative GPA. I also took tough classes and my friends and teachers thought I was a genius. I was never diagnosed with or tested for a LD/GT, but in junior year I kicked it into high gear and focused HARD (read: no longer had a life outside of school and a few ECs) and graduated with a cumulative 3.4/3.5ish. Still atrocious but not as bad. So NO, you are not the only one! :)</p>
<p>Also, my sister has a LD and she had to fight tooth and nail in an excessively liberal state to even get tested (and her LD was extremely obvious, too). Know your rights, don't back down, be aggressive if you need to be. It's worth it in the end.</p>
<p>tsdad - ehh, I'm really competitive. All of my friends graduated ahead of me. :( Point acknowledged though. I should knock it off and take it easy.</p>
<p>I know I'd hate to know if I had a LD, because I'd feel like it was an excuse...plus, both my brothers have Asperger's. It would probably just add to my parents' level of...I don't know, anxiety about their children? I'll ask for a test, anyway.</p>
<p>Don't worry about your parents' anxiety. I mean, yes, it's wonderful that you're concerned. At the same time, sometimes we all have to be selfish and do what's best for us. Society sometimes wouldn't like us to think that. But it's true - there are times, especially in your career, that you need to think about what's best for YOU and only YOU.</p>
<p>If you're worried about using it as an excuse, you won't use it as an excuse. :) Besides, once it's being treated, you really can't.</p>
<p>ABSOLUTELY, beyond the QUESTION of a doubt.</p>
<p>I went to a small school; everyone had known everyone else since birth, basically.</p>
<p>There was one student, we'll call him John, who was in my 6th grade class and got diagnosed with ADHD. He had a very severe case; he was almost failing (straight Ds and a C in Phys Ed if I recall; my aunt was his mom's personal assistant - lol, yup, I'm a HICK). We didn't interact much so I didn't see him again until 9th grade, where he was in all Honors classes and hit the High Honor Roll (no grades below B+) all 4 quarters.</p>
<p>He's currently a sophomore at Harvard.</p>
<p>My cousin is slightly dyslexic and only got diagnosed in 9th grade (he went to city schools; still no excuse for letting him slip through the cracks though). He had a 1.5 or so GPA freshman year while he adjusted and figured everything out in regards to treatment; by senior year he had a 3.5 unweighted, 4.1 weighted, and is currently a senior at Boston College and working part time.</p>
No, I just think that the term "gifted" is wayyy overused in our society. :] EVERYONE has a gifted kid, right?</p>
<p>
[quote=stuffwhitepeoplelike.com]
This is important if you ever find yourself needing to gain [a person's] acceptance. If you see their kid playing peacefully, you say “oh, he/she seems very focused, are they in a gifted program?” at which point the parent will say “yes.” Or if the kid is lighting a dog on fire while screaming at their mother, you say “my he/she is a creative one. Is he/she gifted?” To which the parent will reply “oh, yes, he’s too creative and smart for school. We just don’t know what to do.” Either situation will put [them] in a better mood and make them like you more.
</p>
<p>I am sure that you are very intelligent and I'm sorry that you have problems focusing; I wish you the best.</p>