My transcript certainly has taken a beating!

Applying to College
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<p>...I graduated from my middleschool valedictorian - that's my history/backdrop.
Then...total chaos struck. I had a medical condition that landed me in ICU for 2 weeks - I went from having a semi-photographic memory to not being able to recall a series of numbers properly. However, I still tried to stay the course and get accepted in the the local IB [International Baccalaureate] program as I had gotten one 7 on my Sta-Nines my 8th grade year after the radiation/hospital stay [it happened to be about two months afterwards]...there was just a glut of kids and so I was wait-listed and not accepted until my sophomore year of highschool.
Weeeell, the honors program did not prepare me. At all. Despite being a pretty sharp individual [I think! :P] I was not prepared for the workload. Plus, at this time, the beginning of some major family problems were brewing.
I dropped out of the program and transferred to another highschool where I decided to still take on the challenge of honors courses. Unfortunately, things at home were not going too well at all. I ended up getting a D in my Algebra 2 Honors course [which I re-took this year in school and got an 89.2% on...yeah, hm, I'm not bitter!]...however, I still maintained As in my other courses with the transfer and family problems.
So basically, with my Freshman GPA averaging at about a 3.9 unweighted in all honors, I have this one D on my transcript!
As a Junior this year, I have gotten all As and that one...grr...B. :p
Being an in-stater and shooting for UF [University of Florida] is no easy feat. I'm looking into SAT 2 Subject tests, extra-curriculars, service hours...everything...to help me out because my beaten up GPA [about a 3.7 unweighted] is mediocre compared with other applicants!
My original plan to go to Duke University [I was in TiP Talent Search and scored quite well on the ACTs in 7th grade - National Recognition and visiting the campus etc] has not worked out very well. At all.
My courseload:
AP Comp/Writing & English III Honors
Physics
Trigonometry
Spanish IV
Music Theory I
TA/Practical Arts
American History Honors
Extra-Curriculars:
Competitive ballroom dancer; classical singer [though not competitive]; poet [published]; Vice President of Junior Class; Volunteer at International Preschool; Organized grassroots project to raise awareness on homelessness in my community; Who's Who [Highschool Ed.]; NYLSC...there's more but I can't bring it all up at the moment.
Chances to get into UF or Duke? [Duke=dream school; UF=still-reach, but more practical school, in my view] </p>

<p>Thank you. x</p>

2

<p>Also - I forgot to add my class rank [it a'int stellar, folks!]:
45/540...soo, top 7%-ish. Not bad. But eh. :] x</p>

3

<p>SATs? Any other APs you've taken?</p>

4

<p>SAT I take this year...no other APs, unfortuantely. They only let you take them Junior year and my parents [not wanting to admit that they're roughly 25 years behind the times] restricted me to one. Which I had to beg for. I'm planning on taking Pre-Calculus over the summer, though?
x</p>

5

<p>SAT of 1400/1600 and GPA of 3.6 should get you into UF. Duke is gonna be much harder. Try to take more APs in senior year and during the summer if you're doing them online. You didn't mention what you are interested in/ want to major in.</p>

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<p>I doubt one D will ruin your chances for UF, though it would have been nice if you'd gotten an A the second time around.
Did you think about writing on your problems in your personal statement? Not as an excuse per se, but they sound like a "challenge" you can write about overcoming.</p>

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<p>Aghh, I know. The teacher...I don't know. I needed an 89.5% to get the A. So, she was following rules. But I was attentive in all of her classes, prepared...so I'm not sure. My school, though it is public, it doesn't hurt to have connections [which I don't have - but uh, nepotism much? Yeah, I'll try my hand at succeeding anyway :]...it's smaller than my old school, which I was doing a lot better at. I'll keep plodding along I suppose. :] Thank you so much for the replies, I appreciate them :]. x</p>

<p>MAJORING IN/PLANNING TO: Pre-Med track. Probably major in Biology, minor in an English-related field. :]</p>