<p>Here's my situation. I bet it's a pretty common one. So, I got some pretty-good-but-not-great test scores. Two 5s and a 4 on 3 APs, 2100 SAT with a perfect score on the Critical Reading Section, some sort of National Merit something. But then my grades are a little...special. During one semester I'll get a 37, a 99, and an 86, and that **** averages out to a lot of Bs, some Cs, one D, and no Fs thanks to my indefinable allure. My weighted GPA isn't too bad, but since it's a small school I'm only in the second quarter and will probably go further down. I'm taking all IB courses and am an IB diploma candidate. Now, my extracurics- nothing. Debate, Model UN, and a club called the W____ Theological Forum, but no sports or awards or anything because our school can't UIL. My teachers will give me good recs because I'm freaking awesome and they know it. </p>
<p>To the universities that all translates into "Another moderately-talented but lazy middle-class white girl. DENIED."</p>
<p>How do I stop this from happening, besides from building a time machine? Yes, I have a sob story. But so does everybody else, and this is freakin' college admissions, not Law and Order: SVU. I don't think they want to hear it, and I know I don't want to tell it. I know I can't go to Brown or University of Chicago, but I would really like to go to a nice little liberal arts college. Does anybody have any tips for me? Have you been where I am and went on to fame, riches, and booty? Are you in the same place as me, eating stale Cheetos and surfing the internet while you should be out saving the world? Should I get the Pope? Would the Pope help?</p>
<p>Wow, there’s a lot underneath your post. This might be a little harsh but you asked for tips so here goes. The first thing I’d do is get an ego check (“allure”, “freaking awesome”, etc.) or you will be eating stale Cheerios even if you do get into a good school. The second tip is to choose your recommendations wisely because if you are who you say you are as a student, don’t take it for granted that you’re going to get great recommendations because your teachers know BOTH your ability and achievement, and a so-so recommendation might really sink you. Third, get a handle on why you get distracted from your studies because there are so many more distractions in college than in high school and college professors really won’t care if you have allure or are awesome if you don’t do the work.</p>
<p>If you’re looking to go to college right away, find a good fit for your needs, but be honest about what your needs are relative to academic achievement. But if you want to go somewhere more special, take a year off to grow and address your situation, and then demonstrate that growth in a future application.</p>
<p>The pope would only help if you’re catholic xD . </p>
<p>I second the ego check- ‘fame, riches, and booty’? I assume you don’t mean booty in the pirate treasures form of the word- though I could be wrong - and ‘allure’? How does allure have anything to do with your bad grades? </p>
<p>You know, I honestly thing your best bet is to tone down on the college front. There are TONS of great small LACs that you can find- and maybe they’ll help you save the world if activism is your thing. You didn’t really say exactly what you wanted, but perhaps you should check out college board, and search for colleges that would fit your GPA and test scores. Don’t go for name-brand right away- pick three or four schools with no names that actually fit you to consider first, and then move on to more well known schools. </p>
<p>Find out exactly what you want besides a name. Art history? Germanic studies? Biology? Big on sciences or Big on languages? A faith based school? Brown and Uchi have specific personalities - that I feel are slightly different, and if you’ve seen any of the mailouts by either school, you’ll know what I mean- and you can look for similar atmospheres anywhere. </p>
<p>Be super polite to your teachers if they write you recs, because being egotistical won’t bode well for them. Bring up your grades if you can.</p>
<p>As I’m sure people have told you, your high school grades DO actually matter. Your life isn’t going to be ruined because you got bad grades, but you won’t get into the same colleges you might otherwise have been able to go to. Don’t expect your "freaking awesome"ness to compensate for poor grades; colleges see a lot of students who insist they are better than their transcript shows, and the admissions officer will not care much.</p>
<p>Well, I was in the same boat as you with a “low” gpa (3.4) and “high” test scores (2060). I just poured my soul into my essay along with other things and I’m happy to be going where I’m going next year - USC. :)</p>
<p>Let me be very clear about my advice to Clara and pokesurfer - it’s look in the mirror time. If you have ability and you aren’t getting grades, there’s something wrong and it’s more than likely your dedication to learning. If you view your current position as, “how can I get over on the admissions committee,” then you are not addressing the underlying issue and you will continue on a path that will not lead to long-term success. If on the other hand, you view your position as, “how can I learn from this and rededicate myself to learning,” not only will you put yourself in a better admissions position, you will better prepare yourself for life.</p>
<p>Squadus, I hope you’ve chosen the latter path and wish you the best success at USC</p>
Hi Clara, it’s been 7 years since your post. Could you provide an update on how your life went. What college did you get into? Did you finish it? What would you do differently and what would you advise?
My daughter is in a very similar situation, Mensa level IQ, high ACT and AP test scores but low grades due to late or missing work. She was recently diagnosed with ADHD. Just started her second year of high school and we already see Fs. She did not have to study until high school and was a straight A student whose teachers raved about and saw a great future for her. I hope this post will reach you. Thank you!
@makeyourdestiny Hi, if you click on someone’s username you can see when they were last online. The original poster of this thread was last on in 2011, so it’s kind of unlikely that they’ll be back to respond to your question. If you want advice on your own situation, you’ll get more responses by making a new thread.
. </p>