Hi, i think i have a bit of a unique situation (not in a good way) with my grades… Right now im in my junior year, and my gpa isnt that bad overall, i have an 89.75. Ive taken a few honors courses throughout highschool (freshman year i took honors english and world history, sophomore i took honors bio, math, spanish, and english, but this year all im taking is honors spanish and ap english, but ive signed up to take ap environmental and gov&poitics for next year, if that matters) but, in sophomore year, i got really, really terrible grades in math. In freshman year i was in cpa math, and i got an 89 average, so i thought id challenge myself and move up to honors…and it was the worst decision i ever made. I ended up with a 69 year average in math for sophomore year. Obviously, i dropped down from honors back to cpa, and this year so far i have a 91 average. I dropped down from honors science as well, but that wasnt because my grade was bad (i had a B average). So yeah, basically im an A to B student, except in sophomore year where i have a D in math. Which, ive heard, is REALLY terrible especially for state colleges cause some will automatically decline any student with a D grade. I’ve been crying (rarely not in a literal way) for the past year over this. My SAT score was 1260, but im going to take it again and hopefully get higher… Basically, i know that someone with my overall gpa and sat score would have about a 40 percentish chance (scattergrams on naviance), but since i have D on my transcript i dont know where that places me now. I have some extra curriculars, but i dont know if theyre good enough to even matter: i go to a youth orchestra every sunday, and i volunteered at an animal shelter. I dont know if this makes a difference either, but im a girl, and i want to get a degree in education and general science, or maybe zoology. Thank you to anyone who replies ^-^
You have a shot. Are you instate?
all i have to say is apply EARLY ACTION. if you dont, you probably wont get in. i had higher test scores, higher gpa, and all honors & aps all of high school (not a single non-honors class), 6 clubs, 3 season track runner, employed, and i was in state, yet i was waitlisted for an UNDECLARED major. as was everyone else who applied regular decision for umass. i got into other schools with acceptance rates 20-30 percent lower. however, people at my school who havent taken a single honors course in their life got in over me from applying early action. i wish i had applied earlier, because i know i’d get in. i’m actually super upset about this, but everything happens for a reason. i will be attending the University of North Carolina next year instead.
UMass Amherst wants to see that you’ve kept your grades steady or improving over the HS years. With that said, it doesn’t mean that one math class in the 60’s will kill your chances there, if the rest of your grades are strong. UMass Amherst will not auto decline for one D. Others might, but they will not. You have a shot. Take APs and honors in the subjects you’re good at. Continue in your ECs. Apply to UMass.
With that said, you mentioned you may want to be a science major. That does concern me, re: this math grade. You’re also not in honors science right now. You’re weak in math and in science for someone who wants to be a science major at UMass and other strong colleges. If you apply to UMass Amherst as a science major, you may not get in. But don’t freak out, you have an option. You may want to apply to them undecided instead - so formally, you’d apply to their "exploratory track " for education. Then once you get in and get on campus, you can change your major to the science you want. This will get you into the school. Telling them, up front, that you want to be a science major when you are weak in math right now, and perhaps also weak in science, won’t do you any favors.
Here’s info on their exploratory tracks: https://www.umass.edu/admissions/exploratory-track-program
You’d apply to the exploratory track for education, and not for science, so they won’t weigh your current math grades and level (and perhaps also your current science classes) against you. Once you’re in the school and in your first term there, you can change your major. And for that first term, you’ll take the math and science classes needed for your science major - applying to this exploratory track doesn’t hold you back from that in any way. It just gets you a better chance of being admitted.