<p>Yes! Please do EXACTLY as apprenticeprof suggests!!</p>
<p>@apprenticeprof Thank you so much!</p>
Hi everyone, it’s Lw9070 here. I want to thank all of you so much for all of your advice and encouragement to move forward with the application process. Also, I hope that if anyone is ever in a similar situation that he/she can read this and hopefully gain some hope and motivation from it.
Update on the transcript issue: A few weeks ago, one of my previous schools from my freshman year mailed another copy of my transcripts with my original grades (the Fs) to my guidance counselor. When he called me into his office to discuss “a different transcript” he had received, I was extremely anxious. I was afraid that he’d think I had manipulated my transcripts and that I would be missing too many credits to graduate. However, this is the complete opposite of what happened.
He, the transcript clerk, and I sat down to analyze the transcripts. After I explained to them that I had taken different classes at different schools, my counselor concluded that the first school I attended had awarded me grades based on my performance there (the As). Also, he said that it’d make no sense to add the original grades to my transcript since I didn’t receive credit from the other schools. Furthermore, it would only complicate things since I would have grades from multiple schools with the same dates of attendance, making it appear as though I had been attending two schools at the same time. Ultimately, he asked for my permission to not include those grades on my transcript, to which I agreed.
Update on college applications: After taking all of your advice to heart, I began a research on colleges and completely fell in love with a liberal arts college so I applied ED (meets 100% need) even though I knew it was a major reach and was convinced that I had nearly a zero percent chance of getting accepted. I also applied to CSUs, UCs, and some other privates. I was accepted to Willamette University with a very generous merit scholarship, and they noted in my acceptance letter that they were impressed by my recovery from a difficult sophomore year (note that I still have a semester of Fs on my transcript). I was very excited since I knew that Willamette was a school where I’d be very happy. I was also relieved when I received acceptance from a good CSU and Supplemental Questionnaires from UCLA and Berkeley, since that meant they were actually considering me. But I was even more thrilled when I opened my mailbox and saw a large envelope from my ED school. I am still in disbelief; I can’t explain in words how shocked and excited and grateful I am to have a place there next year. And I have all of you to thank for it.
@apprenticeprof I did exactly as you said. I only listed the current school I am attending on the CommonApp and explained the situation in the required explanation portion. No questions were asked. I cannot thank you enough for your extremely helpful advice.
To anyone who may feel stuck in a relatable situation: I am fully convinced that even the most competitive colleges care about the whole person and not just grades. Keep working hard, don’t let circumstances define who you are, and apply to colleges even if you feel that you don’t stand a chance. You may just end up at your dream school.