<p>I'm currently in the tenth grade. I'm having anxiety, depression and related symptoms that make school work hard to focus on. I've been seeing therapists since I was twelve. I've never been diagnosed with anything, or put on medication. I have (had?) dreams of attending UPenn. I know that I have the potential to achieve more than I currently am. My GPA was a 3.9 until spring of freshman year when things got really bad. I wish I could say that I've turned things around but I haven't and I'm losing hope.I can't focus, or read, I've been procrastinating terribly, apathetic, lethargic, irritable and anxious. I might finish this year with a cumulative high school GPA of a 3.5. I've kept up with most of (many) extracurriculars, because I actually love them and they make me happy. I hope most of this recent funk is owed in part to burnout, and I can start junior year refreshed and keep up a 3.9, hopefully bringing my cumulative up to a 3.65 by application time. So, sorry for rambling, here's the actual question; </p>
<p>TL;DR: If I score high on the SATs and provide an explanation about my mental health struggles (in a recommendation or an essay) will colleges (epecially UPenn) be understanding and willing to overlook my low GPA for my other talents, scores and personality?</p>
<p>i don’t know. what i have heard and it is in pure rumor only, it depends on the college. i have no info on how Penn is on these issues. I’ve also heard Brown does a good job with special education issues. generally, if your grades are better your junior or senior year, that can help offset your sophomore year. and on a mom note, consider not attending an Ivy as the rigor of those schools could impact your anxiety. that is 100 percent your decision to make though and I would still apply and see what happens. i also suggest you get on penn’s cc thread and see if this or a similar topic has come up there. </p>
<p>Generally I think colleges will NOT understand unless you have these issues under control and can prove it with a year or year and a half of solid performance. </p>
<p>Look, you currently only have depression-related symptoms. Plenty of people struggle with depression, plenty of people think they do but actually don’t. I obviously don’t know which one you fall into, and I doubt you 100% know either. So what you absolutely need to do is get yourself to a doctor and diagnosed. Because if you do have depression or something similar, it is a state of your brain’s chemical makeup. Continuing with activities that “make you happy” isn’t going to help. Depression is NOT a “funk” as you say (though I’m sure you know due to the therapists, but I have to cover that). If you think at all that you might be actually depressed and not just self-diagnosed, you need to find a doctor and take some medication. There’s no shame in that any more than if you had a physical medical condition you’d take medicine. It’s just “brain chemistry,” not something you’ve done.
I know this isn’t what you were asking for, but I’ve known plenty of people who spiral downward fast. Not everyone does, but especially on CC, where most people seem to be pretty anal and focused on perfection, it does not bode well with depression. Just find a reputable doctor and visit them. </p>
<p>I’ve asked this same question plenty of times. Only difference here is that I have been diagnosed and have been on several medications. 9th and 10th year my grades were terrible. I’m going into 12th grade and honestly for me since medication and therapy and what not it’s gotten so much better and my performance has greatly increased so I would suggest you go to a doctor and check it out like I did because if you and if it helps (it will), you should get better and I think the improvement with a bit of explanation is something the colleges might really look at. Of course I’m not one to say since I haven’t gotten to that stage yet, but just a suggestion based off of my experiences.</p>
<p>Do as well as you can as a junior and senior. That plus high SATs plus a guidance counselor’s explanation for the earlier grades might save you.</p>
<p>If not, there are plenty of great schools that would love to have you.</p>
<p>As to your troubles, if you have not had all this checked out by your family doctor, do so ASAP. Make sure you get tested for things like diabetes and thyroid. And make sure you discuss your diet. A lot of easily treatable conditions can cause mood symptoms.</p>
<p>Without a diagnosed problem (likely a medicated one) there is really no way for the college to tell the difference between a real story and one designed to exude sympathy. Unfortunately, some people will do anything to get into the school of their dreams. </p>
<p>I agree with @GB1904 – ask your therapist if s/he can give you a referral to a psychiatrist who can evaluate you to see if medication is a viable option for you. </p>
<p>Please remember that your dreams of UPenn are just that – dreams. You have no real idea of what it would be like to attend there. Maybe, as @ctl987 says, you would be better off at a school that is less high-stress and less competitive. Just because a school has name recognition doesn’t mean it’s the right school for you. </p>