I had a 4.0 UW for my entire high school career and am in the running for valedictorian of my above average public high school. However, I didn’t get into a single one of my early schools, and I’ve been told that my essays were so-so. So are my extracurricular activities apparently. I might get my first B for the first semester of senior year (and yes I’ll try to get it up to an A, but not likely as the semester ends really soon). How bad of a situation am I in? If I got an A minus, would that be better?
A single B in your entire high school career will not make or break you. Very high tier colleges (which I’m assuming are the ones you applied early to) are competitive and incredibly hard to get into even for the most qualified applicants. You sound like a very competitive applicant and will without a doubt get into many very respectable schools. Your situation isn’t bad at all, be proud of yourself for doing so well in high school and don’t panic! You’ll have many options to pick from.
If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say your so-so essays were the reason you weren’t accepted, not the presence of one B in an otherwise 4.0 transcript.
I’d also hazard a guess that if you are this fixated on grades rather than learning or interests, your LORs might reflect this, even obliquely yet noticeably. You can’t spend the rest of your life worrying about measurements. Start living and growing. My most “successful” friends in high school and college had Some Bs and Cs.
First - congrats on your hard work and achievements in high school.
Second - I would urge you to apply to some “safety” schools - any school where you’re guaranteed to be accepted - if you have not done so already.
You may get admitted to one of your more selective schools, but there are apparently, every year, students with stats like yours, who ONLY apply to very selective schools and are not admitted to any.
Don’t let that happen to yourself.
Apply to a safety - maybe your state flagship or another state school, a private college that has an acceptance rate of 50% or higher… okay? So, just in case, you are not admitted to any of the very selective schools, you will have at least one college option (two or three, if you also apply to a second or third safety school)
If you’ve applied to safeties already - good!
I agree, one B is not gong to break you at this point.
The fewer students whose major concern is grades, the better!
One B senior year won’t make or break any application. Sounds from your post like the more important issues are lack of meaningful ECs and mediocre essays… Be sure to apply to some schools that are less selective than your EA/ED schools.
How is your course rigor - did you take all available honors/AP courses? At most high schools, the val has to take the strongest schedule, but at some, they just need the highest unweighted GPA.
Since you applied to multiple early schools, does that mean you applied to some combination of MIT, Caltech, Chicago, Georgetown, etc.? A near-val at an above average high school should have a shot at those schools, if the test scores and ECs were within range…
@goldenbear2020 I applied to Columbia and Chicago. Rejected Columbia, deferred Chicago. My guidance counselor was really shocked that I ddn’t get into one and got rejected to one. I guess my Columbia supplement was awful (I had some people reread it and they said it definitely was not good) and my UChicago one wasn’t amazing (rushed; also, Chicago essays that get in are just wow). But I showed my CommonApp to people and I say this not to sound pompous but most people I showed it to said it was the best college essay they’ve ever read; my counselor said this and a few people cried. And I have international awards in piano and DECA (business competition) and have the most rigorous course @happy1 and have over 5 leadership positions, and people were questioning why I was shooting so “low” by earlying to Columbia. In hindsight I know that the two schools I applied to are among the top 5 most selective schools in the country, but everyone around me was already banking on me getting in and I guess I fell into their trap. Needless to say, Id be hella grateful to get into any elite college at this point. I changed my college list completely after getting both these bad news; ditched Princeton and Yale and Stanford, and tacked on a bunch of “second-tier” but super awesome schools I love (think Amherst, Vandy, - yes, I know they are awesome, selective schools) and solid (high) match schools like BC and Emory. I already got into a safety business school which would be my last resort.
Sorry if I sound grade-obsessed. I’m just incredibly depressed and worried and questioning why I spent so much time in high school working for something I was never destined to have. And if I got destroyed in the early round with a 4.0, I can only imagine the bloodbath regular round without that 4.0.
Advice for future applicants: apply to schools you like, not prestige-wise but fit-wise. The silver lining is that my rejection from Columbia made me apply to a bunch of LAC-esque, more social and undergraduate-focused schools that I always loved. I think I tried to fit the mold of the intellectual book-worm who wants to read Socrates and loves a core curriculum: judging by the Columbia and Chicago results, obviously I didn’t do so well. And NEVER, EVER think that you are too “good” for a top 20 school and let people convince you that you are a shoo-in anywhere, and don’t start picturing yourself at any school until you are accepted (based on the vibe I got from everyone else, I already started planning where in NYC I would get coffee every morning). Take complete control of your college choices. I always wanted to apply to Dartmouth early ever since Sophomore year but my family and friends kept saying I could do “better” (not bashing on Dartmouth at all, I love that school) and I convinced myself that Columbia would fit my bill. This is not to imply Dartmouth is easier to get into (although the numbers do say so), but I do feel they would appreciate my personality more and that my essays would’ve been liked more. And finally: be yourself, especially if you have top grades and good ECs and are a strong candidate. At that point, colleges will either accept/reject you based on fit, so be yourself and the right colleges will find you.
(Just realized how ranty and self-reflective and non-related this became)
“I applied to Columbia and Chicago. Rejected Columbia, deferred Chicago. My guidance counselor was really shocked that I ddn’t get into one and got rejected to one”
I would actually take this to be a good sign, since your guidance counselor is likely to be familiar with how your class rank (or rough estimate), test scores, and ECs would be viewed by selective schools. While you didn’t make the cut for Columbia ED, you will likely end up at an excellent school that’s a great fit for you.
Sorry about your situation. There is a mindset that seems prevalent that where you are accepted is a measure of your self worth. That is only true if you make it true. Your advise to others really sounds like advice to yourself. I would only add this to your “rant”, your goal is to be educated and learn. Everything you’ve accomplished till now indicates you are extremely good at that. It’s that passion for learning that defines you not where you do it. You will find opportunities everywhere if that is your goal. Good luck with rest of your applications and don’t let a potential B get you down.
I took my comment from your initial statement which read: “I’ve been told that my essays were so-so. So are my extracurricular activities apparently”. What you need to grasp is that even with perfect grades, great ECs, and the rest of the application being impeccable, that admission to these schools is a crapshoot unless you have a major hook (ex. recruited athlete, legacy donor, being the President’s daughter etc.). Unfortunately the very top schools simply have too many qualified applicants for the spots available.
So you are right to use this as an opportunity to find a school that will be a great fit for the next four years. I know people who say that not getting in early was the best thing to happen as they ended up at a better choice/fit of a college for them. Hope it works out that way for you. As long as you have a balanced list with a safety (which it sounds like you do) then you are fine. (Although I would caution that Amherst every bit as selective as other top tier schools on your list – it is not in the same group as Vandy). Good luck going forward.
Where you get into college doesn’t determine your self-worth! At the end of high school, what matters is not where you got into college but rather what you learn. I can assure you that having all As and a rigorous course load has taught you a whole lot about a whole lot of subjects that will no doubt help you in the coming years. Also, to get these good grades you need to be motivated, have a proper work ethic (at least in some places) and time management.
What matters after high school is what kind of person you emerge as. If you’re pompous and entitled, you’re probably not going to do too well after high school. However, if you’re dedicated and passionate, you’ll do great anywhere. In fact, you’ll be in a better place than all of the students who go to top colleges because of prestige.
A B is FINE! As long as you try your hardest and learn the best you can, how can they expect any more from you? If you aren’t trying your hardest, well, then it’s on you and you should focus on trying your best before you concern yourself with how others will view it. In the latter, the problem is much worse than simply a B on your transcript.