<p>To start off, freshman year, my grades were great (not that it matters much anyway)--3.93 GPA. Then my body decides to go wacko, and I end up being diagnosed with a mental illness towards the end of freshman summer aka beginning of sophomore year. GREAT TIMING ISN'T IT?<br>
Thus, I did horribly sophomore year and was considering staying back a year but thankfully I pulled through. Ended up finishing soph year with a GPA of 3.8 UW. What ticks me off is that the illness hindered me so that I could not perform up to my potential. I can't help but think all these "if" statements...if it did not happen to me, i could have had a 4.0, i could have had more ECs, etc.
For those of you who think that my illness is in no way an excuse for my downward trend, think again. I am not saying that it should be an excuse, but I think that it contributed to my performance...(or lack of). Does anyone know how much insomnia, loss of appetite, difficulty concentrating, feelings of lethargy/hopelessness, and a dozen visits to different doctors can impact a person negatively? I could not function well at all under these circumstances...couldn't even complete my homework at times since it was too difficult to concentrate/comprehend in my state. blah blah blah i'll stop whining. </p>
<p>Anyway, I am fine/normal now (believe it or not), and I'm going to be a junior this school year. I plan to just give junior year my all since it's the last chance I have to prove that I'm acceptance worthy. My concern is that I am not sure whether to mention to colleges about my illness during application time, or to pretend it never happened and not let colleges know anything.
point is..I want to know your thoughts on college admissions & mental illnesses. </p>
<p>So what illnes are we talking about, depression? lazyness? I think you should do an essay regarding this "Sickness" since it will help explain your poor performance. p.s. 3.8 is not a bad gpa.</p>
<p>If you do well your junior, I doubt having a 3.8 sophomore will look terribly bad. I think junior and senior year course rigor and grades in those courses are the most important anyway. Freshmen and sophomore year still count but I wouldn't be worried about a 3.8. If you want it to be higher when you apply, it will if you get 4.0s junior year and first semester of senior year. A 3.8 is still an A average here. I don;t think it really requires any explanation. Unless you truly don't have anything to write about, I wouldn't waste your chance to write an essay to colleges explaining that you got a 3.8 junior year. I mean I don't think that would come off well. If you would like to write about the experience then you should take a different spin on it, like whether you found out something about yourself, learned to look at things differently, etc.</p>
<p>jPod, why don't YOU get a life and stop being critical. Maybe you should start studying for a 3.8 instead of making fun of people on these forums...
;)</p>
<p>You wacko, how can this mental illness affect you that much, you were.2 away from having a perfect gpa, go get a life dude. In my opinioin if you do have a mental illness can you pass it onto me so I can get a 3.8.</p>
<p>
[quote]
jPod, why don't YOU get a life and stop being critical. Maybe you should start studying for a 3.8 instead of making fun of people on these forums...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Some of us arent capable of getting a 3.8 idiot....Stop making BS excuses for not getting a 4.0 People like you make me sick.</p>
<p>oh, so you think i made my illness up? that it's a BS EXCUSE?
Did you not read, idiot? "I am not saying that it should be an excuse..."
And why are you even posting here anyway? You're not answering my questions. </p>
<p>FYI, mental illnesses DO exist and they are serious MEDICAL conditions. They are not some made up fantasies of the mind. </p>
<p>Thank you to those who DID answer about college admissions.</p>
<p>"Thus, I did horribly sophomore year and was considering staying back a year but thankfully I pulled through. Ended up finishing soph year with a GPA of 3.8 UW"</p>
<p>Why in the world would anyone even consider repeating a year over a 3.8? Smart, emotionally stable people get those grades and then apply to Harvard. </p>
<p>I'm not trying to be too harsh on you, but I don't think your judgment has fully recovered yet. (I know how it can be skewed... I suffered with depression too... had to be hospitalized the summer of my junior year.) Sometimes we just need a lil reality check. Best of luck!</p>
<p>no no, I almost dropped school in the beginning of 10th grade since I couldn't keep up. But I decided not to...and finished sophomore year.
I wasn't considering repeating a year over a 3.8..that would be stupid!</p>
<p>Okay so obviously you need a parent with some level of maturity to post here. OP, there are others who have overcome depression before you. There are numerous posts on this type of topic on the parents forum. Suggest you go there and type in mental illness in your search box. Also lots of posts from parents of kids with ADD etc who were looking for advice on whether or not to mention it in college apps. A 3.8 with all of the obstacles you were facing is admirable. It may not require explanation. A 2.8 would. I am sure you will do fine and will excel wherever you go to school. My only other suggestion would be to consider what type of atmosphere you want to be in for college. Someone with a history of some depression may not thrive in a huge school where it is easy to get lost in the crowd. You may also want to consider whether a school which is highly demanding academically is what you want. Best of luck to you. Ignore everyone who posted about your judgment etc...mental illness does exist and is not a made up thing. It is like any other medical condition which can be treated. Perhaps some of the more ignorant posters where should do a google search for mental illness or depression....</p>
<p>I'm not saying you made it up, but stop using it as an excuses for lack of perfection. You look like a jackass. A 3.8 is a damn good gpa. Colleges dont care why you didnt get a 4.0......</p>
<p>Don't mention it. One, people who haven't experienced tough times emotionally can be .... less than kind or understanding. There is a stigma attached to it. Two, I've read from one admission counselor that they are sick to death of reading essays about divorce, drug use and, you guessed it, depression.</p>
<p>Eeriedescent, don't let the turkeys on this thread discourage you. Your question is valid. Go to the parent's forum and ask for their advice. I think you'll get a much higher percentage of reasoned responses.</p>
<p>No it's not, it's insane. A 3.8 wont keep you from anywhere. My point is that making a spectacle as to why she (?) got a 3.8 and not a 4.0 looks rather foolish.</p>