Hello Everyone…
I am currently a sophomore in a public high school in Maryland (school year has not ended yet, next school year will be a junior)
Stats
uw gpa - 3.40 w gpa - 4.11
{I understand my GPA is, but believe it or not, but I am in the top 40-30% of my class. My GPA is very low because when I entered 9th grade my dad was diagnosed with stage 5 colon cancer and doing school work at a time has been very hard. My dad has also been in and out of the hospital because of ammonia, deadly hemoglobin levels, and kidney failure.Also my mom has not had the easiest time dealing with this because of the medical bills and bills left on her.I For some test and quizzes I have not been able to study for at the best of my ability. }
sat - 1580 M-800 R-780
ap classes I have taken so far
ap gov - 2
ap comp sci pri
ap us history
classes taking next year for junior year
ib english
ib pre calculus
ap world history
ap biology ( double period )
ap comp science (java)
gym
clubs and activities
debate team captain
spanish honors society
enlgish honors society president
math team
programming club president
newspaper staff writer
varsity cross country
varsity track and field (indoor track and outdoor)
mesa club (4th place state winner for baby breathing rate calculator using aurdino )
Colleges I will be applying to…
-Montogomery College (community college) safety school
-Harvard (applying for fun to see if I get in, high chance of not getting in) out of reach school
-Stanford ( my dream school applying for fun too) out of reach)
- I think I might apply to 2 other ivy’s for fun to see if my luck is in my flavor
UMD out of reach
-UMBC out of reach
-Overall I think I might go to community college then transfer to an ivy league HOPEFULLY
-I have 300 community hours
Questions
-Would writting about my dads sickness be a good common app story?
-If I were to get 4.0 every quarter during my 11th-grade year what would my GPA be (unweighted cumulative and weighted)
be?
-Is it possible for me to go to an ivy league?
-on a college app should you write about something sad or happy?
-If I were to get straight A’s the rest of junior and senior year what would my unweighted GPA be?
-how to get access to scholarships and grants
-should I retake the SAT?
-should I do subject tests?
-what is the benchmark SAT score that will make me a more secure better applicant for college?
-should I quit running sports to focus on school work? (so far during this year of 10th grade my graders were better then last year when I took easier classes, but now i do a sport. I am not sure, but doing a sport has helped me managed time better)
-should do internships?
when should I apply for FAFSA?
Is it okay to do clubs that I like, but might not be in line with my career path?
What are some things I should improve on for my college app (through grades) ?
what are ways to improve your GPA?
What should I do this summer that will help me with my course work?
Should I take the ACT ( I did a practice test twice and at home and got a 14 and a 33 before)
Should I do dual enrollment over with a local college near me?
Has anyone got into college with low grades but decent test scores and gotten into ivy league schools?
I think that you can get into a good university. I don’t think that you can get into Harvard or Stanford for undergrad.
IMHO you should try to do as well as you can during your junior year of high school. Try to have your grades be a bright spot for your Mom and Dad. Then I think that you should apply to a range including in-state public schools. I don’t think that I would give up on UMD if you can do very well for your junior year.
I am pretty sure that when I was a graduate student at a top school (Harvard, Stanford sort of level) there was a student there who had done their undergrad at UMD. I am certain that there were students there from schools that were ranked slightly lower than UMD. Harvard and Stanford are not impossible for you for graduate school.
Are you a merit scholar? Is that 1580 your actual sat score or a projected one? I’ve never heard of someone taking real SAT in 10th grade.
@Trashception that is my SAT score, I took it on My 4th when my school gave it out for free. I took it in 10th grade since one of my electives I took an SAT studies 101 that definitely helped me do well l. It was a little odd since I was the only 10th grader taking it, but it since I did well on PSAT my counselor said I should do and it ended up going well.
Do you have a college counselor at your school? Choosing between CC and Ivy is not the best way to go about things – there are lots of wonderful schools out there that you should explore. Many Ivies only take a handful of transfers, I think Harvard takes about 10-12 transfers a year…so bad odds. BUT there are great schools like Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan, Vassar, Colgate, Hamilton etc. Broaden your list for more matches and reach/matches. What do you want to study? Do you want a big school or small? Think about someplace where you would thrive!
If your dad’s illness had a profound impact on you as a person, then yes! write about it, but it should be about you. Do really well junior year, and if those SAT scores are real, you should be golden for some awesome schools!
I’m surprised you aren’t a national merit scholar then, that really helps with the adcoms imo. Oh well, that SAT score is going to take you places! In general, the Ivy schools aren’t the only good schools in the US. Vanderbilt, Cal, Duke, MIT, Stanford, CalTech, ect are all fantastic schools that I place higher for some majors over ivy schools.
No need to take the SAT again but be sure to take the PSAT in the fall as that provides an opportunity for merit scholarships. The need for SAT subject tests depends on where you are going to apply - look at each school’s requirements.
You should be able to calculate your potential GPA - every high school calculates differently so figure out how yours does (my daughter’s curriculum handbook detailed how it was calculated at her school).
Why do you think UMD and UMBC are out of reach? Your SAT score is well above UMD’s middle 50% and you have an opportunity to improve your GPA.
It’s also important to have an open conversation now with your parents about money for college - what are they willing to contribute? How much do they expect you to contribute? Have they saved any money? Etc.
@Trashception , the OP is a sophomore. Only the junior year PSAT counts for merit semi-finalist consideration. If the OP did that well on the SAT, s/he will likely do well enough on the PSAT as a junior to qualify for NMSF.
@ahitsamy , do not quit a sport to focus on school. That would be a huge mistake, unless you hate the sport. Do not write about your dad’s illness. Let your GC mention it in his/her recommendation letter. Do research schools besides CC and Ivies. Really, there are lots of excellent state schools, as well as private LACs where you have a shot at getting in.
@Massmomm ah yes you are right. Great, OP has a great chance at being a finalist
What are you interested in studying?
Are you interested in staying east coast or willing to go anywhere?
You’ll have many options to choose from, just maybe not the most elite school. Plus, even with a perfect record you might not get into a tippy top school.
What have your parents told you about how they expect you to pay for your education? Sit down with them and run the Net Price Calculators at the UMBC, UMD and Towson or Salisbury. Run the NPCs at the websites of a few other places that aren’t Harvard or Stanford. See what the results look like. If you find that you will need a lot of aid, spend some time in the Financial Aid forum here.
Your GPA is not hideous, and your SAT score is very nearly perfect. Save your money for the AP and IB exams. Do a bit of review before the PSAT which could land you a score in National Merit Scholar range. No ACT needed at all.
Are you going to do the full IB program, or just the classes that interest you? School isn’t out quite yet, so go talk with the IB advisor at your HS and your counselor. Get some suggestions about places that are likely to admit you if your GPA doesn’t go up next year, and places that are likely to admit you if it does go up.
It looks like you have lots of AP and IB courses available, so unless you specifically want a higher-level course that you can’t ge that way (e.g. whatever would come after Java), there is no reason to complicate your life with dual-enrollment classes.
MC can be a great place to start, but if you finish high achool with a boatload of good AP and IB test results, it probably makes better sense just to head straight to UMD/UMBC/Salisbury/Towson if you need to stay in state. Don’t be afraid to accept a second semester admission at UMD if you are offered that instead of fall admission. And, be sure to apply for any of the scholarships at MC that you are eligible for. Happykid only needed to pay for books there because of the scholarship she landed.
If you start at a cc you won’t qualify for merit aid as a transfer to 4 year schools. Find a safety you can afford for all 4 years.
Relax a bit about this and concentrate on good grades during your junior year. There is nothing you can do about the terrible situation you faced with your family , and colleges will look at 10th and 11th year grades much more closely anyway. Your 1580 is outstanding and no reason to take an additional SAT or ACT. Do concentrate on the PSAT, which can get you merit money at many schools.
You should consider subject tests, depending on the colleges you apply for, Some require 1-2 of them, most don’t care.
How talented are you with running? That is another path to a good school.
In MD you need to get 2-3 wring to quality for that