Low/Bad Freshman year grades, can it lower my chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi everyone! In my freshman year, I ended up with a 2.9 GPA, which is embarrassing :(. However, in my sophomore year, I got around a 3.7, and my Senior year it was around 3.75-8. I got a 2.9 due to laziness and a few personal issues. I attend a boarding school, and my freshman year kept getting upset that I wasn't home; also, a few other personal reasons. But, I can say I am a changed student! In my sophomore year I started to focus on my academics. </p>

<p>So, will my freshman grades lower my chances at all? </p>

2

<p>I kept*</p>

3

<p>bump!!!</p>

4

<p>It depends on your target schools. Many ignore freshman grades entirely.</p>

<p>Good luck. </p>

5

<p>Well, my top choices are Northwestern, USC, Syracuse, UNC, and Hopkins?.. </p>

6

<p>but, my TOP choice is Northwestern Medill </p>

7

<p>Nowhere near enough info to give you a good answer for those schools. We’d need test scores, ECs courses taken, overall GPA, weighted and unweighted.</p>

<p>If you are now a senior, i suppose you’ll find out soon.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

8

<p>bumpppppppp</p>

9

<p>We do need to know your test scores to say anything. Same with EC’s and awards/honors. Give us more info and we will return to you more interpretations.</p>

10

<p>Clubs
· Newsletter Club (11th- Founder and President 12- President and Head Sports Editor)
· Helping Hands Club (12th- Founder and President)
· Intercultural Dialogue Club (10th, 11th, 12th)
· Film Club (11th- Treasurer 12th- President)
· Model United Nations (11th, 12th)
· Recycle Club (10th, 11th)
· Student Government Representative (10th, 11th,12th)
· Robotics Team (10th, 11th)
· Volleyball Club (9th, 10th, 11th)</p>

<p>Athletics
· Junior Varsity Soccer (9th, 10th, 11th)
· Varsity Basketball (10th- Captain, 11th- Captain, 12th- Captain)
· Junior Varsity Basketball (9th)
· Varsity Tennis (10th)
· Manager of the Varsity Tennis Team (11th)
· Head Coach of the 3rds Soccer Team (12th)
· Assistant Coach of the Junior Varsity Team (12th)
· Manager of the Varsity Soccer Team (12th)</p>

<p>Awards</p>

<p>Basketball
· Northeast Prep Basketball Tournament. (1st Place in 2013, 3rd Place in 2011)
· Doc Hurley Basketball Classic (1st Place in 2011, 2nd Place in 2012).
· 2nd Place in the 2012 National Prep Showcase at Albertus Magnus College.
· Hoop Mountain Prep Tournament. (1st Place in 2012, 2nd Place in 2011)
· 2nd Place in the 2013 National Prep School Invitational at Rhode Island College.
· Nationally Ranked as the 10th best Postgraduate team in the Country for the Preseason of the 2013-2014
season</p>

<p>Robotics
2012 FTC Connecticut State Championship
· Finalist Award
· Think Award
· Promote Award
2013 FTC Connecticut State Championship
· Inspire Award
2012 FTC New Hampshire Championship
· Inspire Award
2012 Champions Scrimmage
· Alliance Award
2012 FTC New York Championship
· Connect Award
· Winning Alliance Award
2012 Northern New York Championship
· Connect Award
Took part in the 2013 FTC World Championship held at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri</p>

<p>Science Olympiad
· Participated in Anatomy, Chemistry Lab and Fermi Questions events in the 2013 Connecticut State Science
Olympiad at the University of Connecticut.
Working Experience
· Helped deliver bread for Deluxe Bakery (Family business) (Summer, 2012)
· Worked at Cedar Farms (Father’s Business), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Summer, 2011)
· Job Shadowing for the Chief of Police in Putnam, Connecticut</p>

<p>Miscellaneous
· Earned 3 Undergraduate Credits from Rutgers Summer Session in the Summer of 2013
o English Composition I: B
· Nominated into the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists
· Visited Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy and State Representative Joe Courtney in Washington D.C.</p>

<p>Volunteer Work
· Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army (2010-2012) (Grades 9-10-11)
· Helped the 2012 Putnam Halloween Festival
· Distributed Noah’s Pudding in front of Wal-Mart to the public in Putnam, Connecticut
· Helped fixed the school’s library by selling old books and organizing the news ones that came.
· Set up the Book Fair everyday of the week for a week
· Judged at the 2012 FLL (First LEGO League) at Central Connecticut State University
· Helped collect money for the Helping Hands Relief Foundation 2011 (Japan Support)
· Took part in Robotics Outreach programs.
o Went to visit the Lisbon and Putnam Wheelabrator. They are our main sponsors for the Robotics Team.
o Visited different Elementary schools to show little children how the robot works during the 2012-2013
academic year.
· Volunteer at American Red Cross, South Jersey Region over the Summer of 2013
· Helped clean the Putnam Rotary Park in Putnam, Connecticut
· Tutored students who needed help in their English Class. (11th &12th)
· Rebuilding homes for a week with Helping Hands of New Jersey during August of 2013: 14 hours
· Ran a donation fund for children in Africa during the month of Ramadan during July 2013
· Volunteered in a Hospital in Turkey in June 2012: Around 40 hours
Volunteered at a Nursing Home in New Jersey in June of 2013: Around 50 hours</p>

<p>Internship
Interned at Lotus Medical Center with Dr. Vedat Obuz in Trenton, New Jersey. (Stayed over my cousin’s
house), from June-August 2013/4 times a week.</p>

11

<p>Well… the downside is that I only have a 25 on the ACT. But, I wrote a personal story, saying that I studied over 6 months for the test. The reason why I couldn’t get that high is because of severe test anxiety. I worked extremely hard for this test. </p>

12

<p>I also had two tutors. It just didn’t work out I guess :/</p>

13

<p>Bump!!!</p>

14

<p>Northwestern would be a big stretch. They don’t ignore freshman grades and ACT score is a big part of application. You have good EC but hard to overcome the ACT. </p>

15

<p>Well, that sucks for me I guess. Well, I do have a reason why my freshman grades were low. I mean, my grandmother died, and I went through depression because of that. Also, it was first year at a boarding school. It was a very hard transition for me. But, I don’t if they would even consider this story… :(</p>

16

<p>Look at the common data info for Northwestern. It shows you the ranges of gpa and tests scores. Obviously a documented hardship is considered but remember the anxiety at a top school on tests will be huge and test anxiety would be devastating for an admitted borderline student. Make sure you have a few safety schools outside your list. </p>

17

<p>TigerCC2014 thank you. That was great advice. If I get admitted, do you think it will be a miracle? I do have some safety schools, such as UConn, Rutgers, Temple, Drexel, American University, and a couple of SUNYs. </p>

18

<p>Bump… </p>

19

<p>I’d say the chances are slim but they are for many people at that school. </p>

20

<p>What do you mean? </p>