<p>Okay, im fully aware that i am a stretch at best, but lets say ED, what are my chances if:
freshmen year uw/w: 2.00 gpa, my brother had cancer so I missed alot of school, pretty much nothing else happened
Sophomore year: 3.75 gpa uw/w, won best biology student, best history student, best English student, played varsity tennis. Started a very well received comedy show on my schools bulletin, won a tri-county biology contest, volunteered for 30 hours at an aids food bank
Junior 3.85 uw, 4.3 w: took 3 APs and an accelerated, ran varsity cross country, v tennis, won best physics/ap bio student, most fluent Spanish student. was the ap ush representative for leadership, became a safe school ambassador (a bully fighting program), volunteered approx 100+ hours total at the free teen clinic.
That summer I took precalc and Spanish 3
Senior: 3.85 uw, 4.4 w: senior class president, 60 more hours at the teen clinic, a humanitarian trip to Nicaragua. Another year of cross country and tennis
Since sophomore year I've been a scholar athlete, and have continued my comedy show (the school actually gave me a period for it)
I go to a backwoods school in north California and I'm top3% of my grad class
2150 sat
My teacher recs are really great! What are my chances?</p>
<p>Well based on my research on this site and others, I’d say you have a chance. Even though your GPA wasn’t good your freshman year, it improved a lot, and Harvard will like that. You could also write an additional essay in the supplement explaining why your freshman GPA was low. You’re ECs and service look great, especially your trip to Nicaragua. Your SAT could be a bit higher, but it’s probably fine. How are your SAT subject test scores (if you’ve taken the tests yet)? Just make sure you write a killer essay, and you’ll probably have as good a chance as anybody. Good luck!</p>
<p>physics:790, Bio:750, US Hist:750</p>
<p>You have a chance, but I wouldn’t like to say it’s all that much more than average. Some schools (including Princeton) do recalculate your GPA to exclude your freshman year grades; I’m sure all colleges will be sympathetic to your low grades because you had a very good reason for them, but it would also probably be worth your while to apply to some colleges that do that.</p>
<p>wow, thats great! i was not aware other colleges (non-UCs) did that, thanks!</p>
<p>I agree with exultationsy. But Nonetheless, I have never seen someone who suffered a low g.p.a with a good excuse be accepted. If the drop was no that drastic, it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. Take my advise with caution though, I might of just not of been exposed to these applicants.</p>
<p>Basically it comes down to, Harvard will have to see if you are a better applicant than a 4.0 student. </p>
<p>In summary of my advice, yes your excuse is completely valid to me, but maybe not to erase that semester completely. It will help that you had a good reason, but you have to be extra special in the rest of your app; you’re still being compared to the rest of the applicants.</p>