Very low GPA, but for a good reason

Applying to College
1

<p>My GPA is 3.17. This is the result of whole lot of crap that happened years ago, during my freshman year. At the time, my family didn't have a stable home. We moved from place to place, never staying for more than 2 months. Because of this, I decided to register for online classes rather than attend traditional high school, so I could get credits without worrying about constantly switching schools. </p>

<p>About 6 months after starting, our roommates stole our laptop. It was a rather odd situation, as we lived with them, yet still couldn't get hold of our own computer. Without a computer, I was essentially cut off from school. I couldn't access my courses. The situation took months to resolve, and by the time it did, I had failed 4 classes. I failed not because I didn't do well, but because I couldn't do and submit any work. </p>

<p>Those classes are why my GPA is so low. All my other grades are As and a couple **. If the vast majority of the students admitted to my chosen schools have high GPAs, will admission officers even consider my application, or will they toss it at first sight of my GPA? Most other factors, like SAT/ACT score, extracurriculars, etc. are within range. I'm not applying to Ivies or really selective schools. I'm providing these details in the "Additional Information" section of the Common App, but will admission officers even reach that point in light of my GPA?</p>

2

<p>Holistic approach admission offices tend to look into anomalies in apps they see. If you haven’t mentioned it already to your guidance counselor, do so. His/her recommendation will be the first thing they check to understand you as an individual applicant. If the rest of your record is good, you should be fine. Auto-reject based on GPA schools are less likely to look into things, but if you call ones you especially are interested in attending, you could try to explain your situation. Some schools throw out freshman grades, so if you look into how they evaluate apps, you won’t need to explain yourself for certain schools. Hope all goes well in any event.</p>