Very concerned high school sophomore in need of advice!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stony Brook University - SUNY
1

<p>Ok, so I messed up and I will NOT do it again! I am ready for change! :D... here are my stats so far:</p>

<p>Freshman: 3.4/3.7 - Most rigorous available
Sophomore: 3.6/3.9 - Most rigorous available, with the exception of math
Junior (projected): 4.0/4.7 - Most rigorous available
Senior (projected): 4.0/4.8 - Most rigorous available </p>

<p>My final GPA will be: 3.7/4.2</p>

<p>I have very unique ECs such as:</p>

<p>1.) Fingerstyle guitar (composer; almost at a professional level)
2.) Classical piano (really excel with this)
3.) Junior Educator at CMAquarium (Summer '12)
4.) Volunteer at the ASPCA, Job at Barnes & Noble (once I turn 16!)
5.) National Geographic Student Expeditions (Creative Writing; Summer '14)
6.) Will enter National essay contests
7.) Astronomy club (President)
8.) Quill and Scroll (President)
9.) Writer's club (Founder and President)
10.) National Honor Society
11.) Spanish National Honor Society </p>

<p>Reasons for low GPA thus far:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>In 9th grade, I discovered my love for the piano. I played it continuously, and thereby, I slacked off on my school work. I spent the remainder of my time composing pieces for the Fingerstyle guitar as well. I went to an extremely strict Christian school and was absolutely miserable. Each day I went to school, I'd have to listen to their hateful and hypocritical lectures about how everyone other than members of their particular religion were going to go to hell, and all that. I didn't fit in, so I got all my frustration out through music. I lived in the world of composition, piano, sleep. I was just trying to find myself. </p></li>
<li><p>This year, I now to go a new school. I love it here. I am learning to balance my trying to find my passions and who I am with school work, and thus, my GPA has gone up a little bit. But it's still not an indicator of my true potential. I'm working on it. It'll go up; I know it will.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Here's the problem:
I'm great when it comes to the Humanities. I have a 94% in Honors Spanish II, a 97% in Honors World History, a 98% in Honors English, and a 97% in Religion.
Math and Science kill me EVERY time! I could have straight A's, but I just suck at math and science. That's what's killing my GPA. </p>

<p>But I don't plan on majoring in anything that has to do with math or science. I'd like to go into English Literature with a minor in African American studies. </p>

<p>...Do I still have a chance, if I apply ED? </p>

<p>Thank you sooooooooo much for reading this. It really means a lot to me. I am just so worried.</p>

2

<p>Relax, it’s cool. Just keep on trucking, and you’ll get in. There’s no ED anymore, by the way, it’s rolling. But they seem to decide which order to process applications by seeing how the stars and planets are assigned.</p>

3

<p>Thanks! I mean the low grades that I have are in my weakest subjects, which won’t have anything to do with my major. So since I plan on majoring in English Lit, will they just focus primarily on my Humanities GPA?</p>

4

<p>I don’t know, but AP Literature or similar wouldn’t hurt. Your ECs alone could probably get you in, and your GPA isn’t too bad (but you have plenty of time to improve). See if you can make buddies with an English professor. Come in, ask about the program, the school, etc. You never know.</p>

<p>Try and do well on the SAT. I’m not even gonna offer advice for the reading and writing sections, except that if you get 1000 on the two combined you can skip 1 of 2 required writing courses. The math section isn’t THAT bad, it’s things you already know presented in weird-ass ways. Also, know how to store variables in your calculator.</p>

<p>You WILL have to take a math placement test, unless you do well on AP Calculus for some reason. If you do reasonably well on the placement test, you can skip out on the required math course. You’ll also need two natural science courses, but there are plenty designed for non-science majors, like PHY 112 (Physics of Color and Light) or AST 100 (Astronomy Today). Then you’ll need a “Implications of Science and Technology” course, but there are many ways to approach that, including courses on Sci-Fi literature, ethics, web design, or even video game culture and history!</p>

5

<p>Cool! Next year I’ll take AP Bio and AP European History (really excited for that!), and senior year I’ll take AP Spanish Lang, AP Gov, AP English Literature, and AP Art History, along with a regular physics course and honors pre-calculus.
I took a CE in math yesterday and got a 55, which brought my damn grade down to a 76%. I’m so afraid that I’ll have another C this semester. If I do…will that kill me? God, I hate Geometry. I just can’t do it. I don’t know why. Even my Chem. grade isn’t that bad compared to Geom.
Lol…math placement. I hate those. I over-think tests very often, and that always throws me off. It’s so annoying!</p>

6

<p>Check out Khan Academy. It’s a series of free, online videos that teach any things, especially math.</p>

7

<p>Yeah, I use that for Chem. and for math as well. But seriously, will another C really do me in?</p>

8

<p>Right now, no, probably not. Just make sure you get it higher in the future.</p>

<p>Also, if I were you, I’d scrutinize the undergrad bulletin to see if you could double minor or even double major with something that overlaps with your major, minor, or general ed. I can already tell that both your major and your minor are gonna have a lot of DEC’s, and having an extra bullet point on your resume with minimal extra work is always nice. Your mileage will vary, but in my case (Computer Science major with Business Management and Digital Arts minors), I’ll only have to take one extra course. It’s all about working the system.</p>

9

<p>Thanks! That’s cool, I’ll deff. check it out. So since I’m still in my younger years, they’ll give me some slack? I mean I was reading through the accepted list and it seems that people with 3.0-3.3’s have been accepted, and it seems that my GPA won’t go any less than 3.4 unless I really screw up big-time. There’s also SUNY Buffalo and SUNY Albany… You know of any SUNY’s or CUNY’s that I’ll have the best chance at?</p>

<p>Also, I’m thinking about doing this: Major in English Lit; minor in African American studies, and then an additional degree in Asian Studies. I love that kind of stuff. I’ll check that out to see if they’ll allow it.</p>

10

<p>And I’m also out of state if that helps.</p>

11

<p>I don’t know whether being out of state will help or not, but as for Asian Studies? Go for it! I don’t have time right now to see what kind of overlap there is, but I’ll keep you posted.</p>

12

<p>Thanks, BlueProtoman! :D</p>

13

<p>No problem.</p>

14

<p>Just wondering, Blue, do you go to Stony?</p>

15

<p>Ask me again in late August.</p>

16

<p>Lol okay :-)</p>