Messed Up on first two years of high school

This discussion was created from comments split from: MESSED UP on first two years of high school.

i know this is a dead post, but I messed up my freshman and sophomore year. i took 2 aps sophomore and got C’s. However during Junior year i had around a 3 gpa but i got All A’s junior year with 3 ap classes and a 4.5 gpa in junior. now my gpa is a 3.5. i worked my ass of during junior, what are my chances for a school like NYU or anywhere near new york city. i messed up pretty bad sophomore i had like a D in 2 classes and 2 c’s. had a 2 gpa sophomore, you could say a sophomore slump

do they check sophomore year grades if my grades are ALL A’s with 3 aps in junior and my mother died of cancer in sophomore year, so i was very discouraged

@Loki223 I think you’ll have to give people a more complete view of your stats to get any kind of realistic assessment, but I’m not sure the input you get from CC “chance me” threads are that helpful.

But a few things: Most “competitive admissions” schools will look at your sophmore grades along with your jr. (and in most cases freshman) grades.

But many schools will contextualize those grades if, like you, the student has a major life event that could explain a single outlier year like it appears you had. How much any specific school (NYU, Fordham, Hofstra etc.) will is something only the admissions folks from those schools will know. But certainly if your 1st semester Sr. year grades reflect your Jr. year work, you will find schools that will be happy to have you as a student. Will they be the specific ones you want? Unfortunately, you won’t know until you apply, but if you keep working hard, end up with a stellar Jr. year like you are currently having, you will be admitted to schools. Do research to make sure you can afford them. Be sure, along with any “reach” schools, that you pick some where you are solidly in the top 25% of their data set stats so you have options, especially if finances are an option. And to be sure try to pick a school or two with a very high acceptance rate, to be sure you have a real safety.

And don’t forget that if a specific school is your goal (NYU or otherwise) you can always start at a less competitive (for admissions) and get good grades there and try to transfer.

If you have a guidance counsellor you can talk to, they can often give a fairly reasonable assessment of where students with your stats have been accepted over the years.

Schools will look at your full high school grades and transcript, along with extra curriculars, essays, test scores, letters of recommendation, awards, jobs/internships, etc.

That being said, they will also look at marked improvements. You will have to explain why your grades were what they were (maybe in essays or interviews or just call your admissions officer), and prove that you have the capacity to do the work through test scores/good writing samples and that you also have academic passions (extra curricular, essays, passions etc)

Good luck with everything!!!