<p>Stress has taken my GPA and turned it into a 3.6 mid-junior year, and I don't know what to do. I'm passed it all now and trying to salvage this year, but I don't think I can repair the damage from last year as well. I'm just going to make a list:</p>
<p>-Dad had a stroke.
-Mom and Dad in/out of mental hospitals.
-Mom in regular hospitals a good 4 months out of each year due to lymphedema and cellulitis.
-Both parents unemployed and now on disability.
-Parents then separated.
-Grandfather diagnosed with cancer and died with me holding his hand.
-I have Bipolar Disorder, and all this stress makes it much worse.
-Stress caused me to develop IBS, making me miss more school than I should have.</p>
<p>I'm not a charity case. Never have been, never will be. I'm not looking for sympathy, just a little understanding. I did the best that I possibly could in the situation I was placed in, but it wasn't enough. I'm now stuck with a mediocre 3.6 GPA and I don't know what to do about it. </p>
<p>On a good note, though, I received a perfect score on my SAT. I don't know if that will balance out my GPA, but it can't hurt. </p>
<p>NYU is my first choice and I'm doubting that I'll get in, at this point. What can I do to make up for a crappy junior year?</p>
<p>I would take a close look at Wesleyan, Northeastern, Fordham, Duke and Boston University as they may have better financial aid for you than NYU by far.</p>
<p>Good.
My other motherly advice is to join a support group once you get to college. You have had too much to handle in your teen years and you would benefit from a safe place to think through everything.</p>
<p>I love your thread title - that’s an excellent question to ask. Maybe in a footnote to your main essay: “Despite a LOT of lemons last year *, I still earned a 3.6 and a 36. I learned from all my experiences that there really is a silver lining blah blah”</p>
<ul>
<li>the list you wrote at the top of your post. Just a big ugly list as a footnote, just as you wrote it. </li>
</ul>
<p>The implication is that you’re a success despite the footnote of a really bad year.</p>
<p>I also agree with the Very top school suggestions - especially if your other grades are better than your Junior year - because they want to take someone who is smart and a hard worker and you fit the bill, AND because they offer great aid.</p>
<p>I also agree with the cautions against NYU and all other schools that don’t “meet full need” or that “meet need” with loans. Just because FAFSA says you’re broke doesn’t mean that schools have to cough up the difference. Most don’t.</p>
<p>You can and should whine about it all. Particularly Bipolar disorder- someone that undeniably affects your ability in school, emotions aside.</p>
<p>BTW, with two unemployed parents on disability, your EFC from FAFSA should be next to zero…</p>
<p>I agree with GeekMom in a way; I think it would be better for you to focus essays and such on positive aspects of your personality and such, then hit them with your list of hardships at the end. I think revolving an application/essays around hardship is a really lame. I mean, you just want to share your hardships with them, not beg for sympathy (in my opinion).</p>
<p>I wasn’t sure if I should include anything about it in the essays or not, but you’ve all convinced me.</p>
<p>Thanks alot for all the help :)</p>
<p>EDIT: Wait, so is it really worth it to apply to a few ivys? I mean, I don’t expect to get in, but if there’s somewhat of a chance it’d absolutely be worth it.</p>
<p>I think like 400 kids received a perfect 2400 on their SAT. With a kid like you who has gone throughout problems with your family and have maintained a decent GPA, you never know. You’ll get into NYU for sure. Ivys will be tough, but apply if you want.</p>
<p>Perfect score? Kid, apply to Ivies. There is an “additional information” section on the Common App that you use to explain your situation without being whiny in the essay. Being a published writer is a huge advantage (unless you self-published or something but doesn’t look like you did) because of the fierce competition. If it’s a legit book from a legit publisher, it will be comparable to having a hook. A 3.6 is really not bad, especially if it’s unweighted. If you get into, for example, Harvard (or really any comparable school), you will be expected to pay nothing, whereas NYU might expect you to take out a few loans.</p>
<p>My advice is to let your HS GC do some of the whining for you, he/she can give a factual accounting of your health issues and their impact on your school attendance. Then, use your essay to bring in some of your other challenges, but not in a whining manner, rather in a creative essay that shows something about how you think and deal with the world around you.</p>
<p>Agree that you should NOT count on NYU giving you a good FA package just because your FAFSA EFC is low.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you should mention bipolar disorder on your application. It seems wiser to leave that one out considering some schools may be skittish about it.</p>
<p>As for the rest, leave it in somewhere and congratulations on doing so well at such a difficult time! And make sure you have an iron clad financial safety. Or two.</p>
<p>Have you looked at Questbridge? You sound perfect for that program. Check out that website to see if you could qualify. There’s a good thread under Financial Aid and Scholarships.</p>
<p>Side Q, with a 2400, how did your PSAT go? Depends on your state, but a 215-218 ish will qualify you for national merit in almost all states, and be another really night highlight on your application.</p>