Long absence... Bad grades on transcript

Applying to College
1

Hi! I just finished my sophomore year at my state’s #1 public high school. Unfortunately, freshman year, I missed about a month and a half of school due to serious illness, and my grades suffered tremendously. I took two honors classes (out of 6), got C’s in both, and A’s and B’s in my regular classes. Instead of giving up my hopeful dreams, I worked hard and got straight A’s sophomore year (two honors classes out of 6). Next year I am planning to take 4-5 AP’s and 1-2 honors. I plan to get (almost) straight A’s. I am moving, so I will be going to a school that isn’t as competitive as the one that I finished my first two years in. My dream school is Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. I played volleyball the two years, one being captain, and during sophomore year was involved a government club. I have a Magna Cum Laude award for the National Latin Exam, as well as other accolades within Latin and Chemistry. With hard work, I plan to get a high ACT (something in the high 30’s) and a high SAT score (1500+). I also plan to join a business club at my new school and I plan to receive state-wide or nation-wide recognition with the competitions. I also volunteer a ton, and I am on my way with establishing my own non-profit organization. Regardless of all of this, my GPA is very low for my dream school, Northwestern. My unweighted GPA is about 3.5 and my weighted GPA is 3.83. So I have two questions for anyone that can answer them:

  1. How do I excuse my freshman grades/how do I make up for or explain them? How does that work?
  2. If everything went accordingly, do I look like a solid applicant for Northwestern? What are my chances?
2
  1. you will tell schools in your college application personal statement essays
  2. sure
3

Actually, it probably is best if your counselor addresses the health issue, absences, and consequent low grades in his/her letter. You probably have something much more interesting to write about in your essays.

4

No you will not, because that can come across as whiny and because that wastes a “Here’s why you should accept me” space on “Here’s why I’m not as great of a candidate as someone with better grades.” Agree with happymom.

5

Your counselor needs to,include this info in the recommendation, and also mention your move. Don’t do it yourself. .

6

Thanks for the replies! I will make sure not to do it myself. My counselor is retiring, and I will be moving schools, so should I go to my new counselor?

7

Talk with your current counselor about how this, and get advice about the best way to deal with this with the new counselor. Perhaps the old one will be able to send the new one a letter? In any case, yes this is something that the new counselor needs to know about your academic and health history, and will be something that that new counselor writes about for you.

8
  1. It would be best if your guidance counselor addressed the health issues in his/her recommendation.
  2. It is a mistake for your (or anyone) to pin their hopes and dreams to any specific college, especially one with such competitive admissions as Northwestern. Do your best this year, prepare for standardized tests and see how things play out. Most importantly, stay healthy!