Please chance me! (engineering)

Hi! I’m currently a senior applying to the following schools: USC, Vanderbilt, Colorado School of Mines, Boston University, Northeastern University, University of Illinois, Purdue, University of Arizona, CU Boulder, Ohio State, UCSB, UCLA, RPI, and UMich. My intended major is computer engineering/science and I am from Colorado.

Here are my stats:
3.69 UW
4.5 W
AP’s: AP Calc AB (5), AP Biology (4), AP Statistics (5), AP Spanish (4), APUSH (4), AP Euro (5), AP Lang (5)
I took Physics Honors because AP is not offered at my school.
SAT: 1600, 22/24 for Essay
Subject Tests: Math Level II (800), Physics (800), Literature (770), Biology M (750)

Senior Courses:

  • Biotech Honors
  • AP Econ
  • AP Calc BC
  • Business & CS (elective)
  • AP Lit

EC’s:

  • DECA President
  • Internship at University of Denver over the summer (CS related)
  • Tutor at Kumon for two years

My grades fell after freshman year due to my mom getting diagnosed with cancer during my sophomore year. I have two little siblings who were 3 at the time and I had to spend a lot of time taking care of them and helping around the house. My mom had to stop working and I had to get a job to help out, so I quit sports and couldn’t participate in too many clubs. I know my unweighted GPA is too low for a lot of these schools and I don’t know if it would help to explain these circumstances since I don’t want to come off as victim-y. Thanks!

bump

Sorry to hear your mom’s health issue. You should talk to your GC and ask her/him to mention the obstacles you have faced in the recommendation. You should also somehow mention it in the essay(s) or in the “other information” section. Hopefully these would help you to overcome the deficit in your GPA.

@billcsho Yeah I’ll try doing that. Thanks!

You should get in anywhere with those scores!!

@Stocksgalore Haha thanks but I’m worried about my GPA which could definitely be better