I went to a very low, bad high school during my freshman year. I put in absolutely no effort, did almost no homework, and ended up with a 3.6 gpa (we weren’t allowed to take APs freshman year). When I say this school is bad, I mean North Carolina is the lowest in teacher pay and it showed at that school. I barely knew students who went to good colleges. I moved then, to a much higher-ranked school with much harder academics. Of course, given I had only ever went to a bad school, I struggled for a while with grades. At my lowest, I had a 2.7 unweighted (sophomore year first semester), but I now (senior year) have a 4.0. I know it’s not great, but does it at least count as an upward trend? Should I bring up my move to explain my low GPA in my essay?
This is a great example of why students shouldn’t try to “explain” things without having a GC or similar review it.
I bet that to you this is a great excuse. However adcoms may have a different point of view as they read your story.
A big problem they face is sorting out kids with a genuine love of learning and interests outside of class from those that just build a record to look like that kind of kid. A parent can tell their kid to take AP/honors classes, pay for tutors, and make them participate in good ECs. This is why teacher recs are important in understanding the kid better, as are the student essays.
But you’re going to make it easy for them. As you say “I put in absolutely no effort, did almost no homework” and so were not prepared for a better HS. This may not be a convincing excuse for low grades to adcoms looking for self-motivated students. Nor, in general, does blaming others come across well. In college or at work it is better to accept responsibility than to deflect it to others.
I definitely won’t mention that, of course. I just wanted to clarify how easy that school really was. My recommendations are actually really good and show how well I do when I’m passionate about something, especially in the creative fields that I’m applying to major in. I have taken eight APs and I believe that my schedule is generally rigorous. I just need to explain somehow that it wasn’t just that I suddenly stopped caring sophomore year after doing alright freshman year.
I would suggest that any explanation could best be made by your HS guidance counselor - it is tough to move during high school, and once settled there you have really shined of late. Many colleges don’t even look at freshman year grades, so it may not even matter. But your HS transcript will include the transfer of classes from the prior HS, so a note from your GC about it is perhaps warranted - even if they only say the prior stuff should be completely discounted for GPA purposes, or accepted as fulfilling requirements.
Congrats to you for being a “late bloomer” - turning things around is of course way better than starting high, and then dropping off.
You probably won’t be getting into the tippity-top elite schools, and you may not be eligible for some GPA-related merit aid scholarships, but you are still a desirable student for many great colleges.
Best of luck to you!
^^The prior school transcript is probably something of a saving grace for the OP, as that is where the 3.6 gpa was acquired. It is the leap to the more demanding school, and the dip in grades and gpa, which will show the level of achievement possible, as the OP states.