<p>I have, more or less with weighting or not, a 3.5 GPA
I feel like that's not good enough for the schools I'm applying to, although I have outstanding SAT/ACT scores, extracurriculars, etc. For the first two years of high school, I had an 88 and then an 89 cumulative average and took absolutely no honors classes (with the exception of AP Art History). Once I reached junior year, I buckled down, took rigorous AP's, and now I will graduate with 6 APs and 2 College courses. In the additional information section that allows you to explain your not-so-good grades, would it hurt for me to explain as to why I didn't focus the first two years? Or is it condescending, because there are kids with deceased parents or that have learning disabilities that use that box to explain themselves? Have any of you done it with a GPA similar to mine?</p>
<p>I would say unless your reason for not focusing those first two years is the death/sickness of a parent or some REALLY special circumstance, I wouldn’t try to explain it. If its just that you didn’t buckle down until junior year, they’re going to see that in your transcript.</p>