<p>Is there a way to explain to colleges in a proper way that I didn't try throughout highschool? I had a 2.46 total freshman year, 3.54 sophomore year, 3.75 junior year, 4.33 senior, 3.18 cumulative, no ec's. Only advanced class before now was honors alg II which I got c/b in. Now I'm taking AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Literature, Precalculus, C++, and I'm self studying AP Physics, AP Calculus, and AP Micro/Macroeconomics because I'm motivated to learn now. I have a few c's/f's in my classes right now but they'll go up, and my overall for the semester will be a 4.33 on a 4.00 scale. So is there any way to show how smart and motivated I really am, instead of them looking back at my horrible freshman/sophomore/junior year? I want to go to OSU and Purdue really bad to do chemical engineering but I think I have no chance of getting in. My sat was like a 1840 :(((</p>
<p>If you have C's and F's right now, how can you get a 4.33 GPA?</p>
<p>Well I haven't turned in a couple of labs in chemistry so I have a 52%, but once I ace my tests and turn in the lab's I'll have a 77% or so. C++ I have a 66%, but again I have to turn in more assignments and ace tests to get the 78%. AP Bio I have an A, AP Lit I have a B, Precalc I have an A. So overall it will be a 4.33 very soon. I plan on doing good on exams also, but this isn't the point. :) Also, I may sound arrogant in this post because I think it sounds as if I'm saying I'm a genius, but I'm just saying I'm much smarter than what my transcript shows, and I have the work ethic to do well now compared to the last 3 years.</p>
<p>i dont know, i dont think telilng the colleges that you didnt try is a good idea, nor is it a very believable excuse, cuz most of the ppl who ever get Ds, Cs, Bs always attribute it to "i didn't study" or "i didn't try". but well, colleges like to see improvement, so maybe they'll see that in ur 1st sem senior year and hopefully reconsider</p>
<p>i kinda have the same prob. is there any way of saying you wern't motivated in those years? i had relativly bad grades for my frosh year, and my first semester of soph year. (im talking ivy league here, i had mostly b's, but now i have straight a's in a really difficult schedule)</p>
<p>finally!!! someone with SATs scores not reaching 2000. sorry, i don't mean to hurt your feelings but being surrounded by people unhappy with 2100 is painful</p>
<p>i'm in the same boat with shark_bite. lotsa b's soph year and frosh year. and then i started trying. and my school doesn't offer a lot of ap/honors so my gpa doesn't rise a lot even if i get straight a's senior yr.</p>
<p>purdue's a joke.. if ur not askin for fin aid i wouldnt worry about it</p>
<p>I would avoid explaining to colleges that the poor grades are from lack of effort. That's the worst possible reason for getting low marks; the reason applicants mention extenuating circumstances is precisely because they don't want the college to assume lack of effort.</p>
<p>Dig deeper into the issue. You got low grades because you didn't try, but why was it that you weren't trying? If you're going to say, "I didn't try because I didn't care," then why was it that you didn't care? What was it that changed to make you care now? The real answer to these questions could be a legitimate explanation for the grades - for example, if you weren't putting effort into school because you were distracted by your parents' divorce, if you were hanging out with a group of friends who looked down on school (whom you've since dropped), if you were suffering from depression (which has since been cured), or if you were concentrating all your energy on excelling in some outside activity.</p>
<p>Similar problems:
GPA 3.7 weighted, barely 3.2 unweighted
Taken every (and mean every) honors and highest distinction course available
1410 SAT 790m 620v
ranked like 100 of 500</p>
<p>Solution:
Talked with my counselor and kinda got mad at my class rank...Then I threw a couple books in her office when she told me that learning disabled students were ahead me in class rank. Well my counselor totally agreed with me so she offered to send a personal letter to the colleges I applied to saying how bogus the ranking system and GPAs especially since I recieved C's throughout math and nearly aced the SAT math. Also sent it to the Purdue Honors Engineering program Dean which was nice; Honors program is superb. If I were you and your grading system at your school blows, ask your counselor for help...</p>
<p>100/500 is a pretty good rank if your gpa is a 3.2 unweighted. mine is a 3.7 unweighted and i'm like 117/300 ish. my school is really competitive so that might be why.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I recieved C's throughout math and nearly aced the SAT math
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That doesn't really help much... good SAT math score is no replacement for math class grades.</p>
<p>"Talked with my counselor and kinda got mad at my class rank...Then I threw a couple books in her office when she told me that learning disabled students were ahead me in class rank. Well my counselor totally agreed with me so she offered to send a personal letter to the colleges I applied to saying how bogus the ranking system and GPAs especially since I recieved C's throughout math and nearly aced the SAT math"</p>
<p>You're joking about throwing books, right? If you're not joking, all that you've demonstrated to your counselor is an appaling lack of self control.</p>
<p>As for LD students having a higher class rank, all that would indicate is that they apparently try much harder than you do. "LD" does not equal "mentally retarded." "LD" simply means that those students process information differently. One can be LD and gifted.</p>
<p>As for your low math grades vs. high SAT scores, in general all that indicates is that you're smart, but lazy or may have another problem like undiagnosed ADD/ADHD. Neither grade problem will be magically cured by college. Indeed, your college grades may be even lower due to your apparent lack of effort or organizational skills.</p>
<p>The best predictor of college grades is high school grades, not SAT scores, which are a very weak predictor of college grades. Someone who's having problems getting good grades in h.s., while living with their parents and virtually having to go to class, is likely to have far more problems in college, where no one will get you out of bed or encourage you to hand in homework.</p>
<p>I'm saying this as the mom of a National Merit Commended student who had a 2.9 average, got merit aid to the honors program of a nice public university (after turning down 2 top 25 colleges) and then flunked out because he didn't go to class and didn't do his assignments. His board scores put him among the top students in the college's freshman class, but he didn't have the self discipline to do the work to stay in.</p>
<p>He didn't even pass an easy course in a major related to his 750 v SAT score.</p>
<p>Well I know this forum is not meant to discuss defending myself, but there are a couple things I need to say.
First of all, I threw my book after my counselor told me how the school basicly gives the Learning Disabled students good grades to boost their morale. She also told me "it's not the schools fault", the school board is responsible. They did not try harder than me, they were just lucky enough to land free A's.
C's in my math classes are not constituted by lazyness, although it may appear that way. I am confident than when colleges see a transcript straight A's (with exception to 2Bs) through my whole highschool carreer, i think they may dismiss the math grades and attribute them to the teachers. If not, two roads diverge in a yellow wood.....I choose the road less traveled. If I screwed myself with honors classes, I believe in karma and I will reap the benefits eventually.</p>
<pre><code> The original point I wanted to make still stands; Talk to your counselor, they may be able to help.
</code></pre>
<p>"First of all, I threw my book after my counselor told me how the school basicly gives the Learning Disabled students good grades to boost their morale. She also told me "it's not the schools fault", the school board is responsible. They did not try harder than me, they were just lucky enough to land free A's."</p>
<p>While I empathize with your ire, the situation still doesn't warrant throwing a book, which indicates immaturity and a lack of control, neither of which characteristics impress colleges in a good way.</p>
<p>"C's in my math classes are not constituted by lazyness, although it may appear that way."</p>
<p>You got a 790 math SAT score. Unless you're taking difficult college level courses at a tough college (and I'm not referring to taking AP calculus, which people with your kind of scores get As in with hard work), colleges are not likely to look kindly on your "C" in math.</p>
<p>One also can't blame the "C" on bad teaching. Trust me: Due to the prevalence of foreign-born instructors in math and science at most colleges, such courses often are very tough for American students because of difficulties understanding the instructors' accents, and due to how the instructors' teaching methods, which may differ greatly from what American students are used to. A math-talented student getting "Cs" in a U.S. high school math class would be expected to do much worse in college. </p>
<p>A 3.2 unweighted seems low for a person with a 1410 score on the old SAT. The only excuse for such a comparatively low gpa would be if your 1410 is an average SAT score for your school.</p>
<p>how come no one said anything about just trying hard all four years of high school. you guys who slacked off the the first few years will be competing against people who didn't.</p>
<p>don't remind me.</p>
<p>Don't remind me either.</p>
<p>I think schools are somewhat understanding, although you can't just erase those past years. Statistically, guys' grades improve alot throughout high school.</p>