<p>I tried my damn hardest to move ahead in math and science in my freshman summer, and again this summer but my school makes it hard as ****.. they basically don't want kids to excel. (I attended a pretty crappy public school.) I was top of my class from K - 6th grade but then my social life skyrocketed and I stopped caring about school :/ I regret it. Because of this (& because I had 4 diff. teachers for Algebra 1 in 8th grade), I had to take Algebra 1 and Physical Science in 9th grade. I tried soo hard to take classes - I talked to my math/science teachers, department heads, guidance counselor and my grade-level administrators but the only class available cost thousands of dollars and was 30 min. away from home. My parents could not bring me because of work. </p>
<p>Anyway, besides 9th grade, I've taken Honors math/science every year and will begin taking APs next year. I am planning on taking Precalculus next summer so that I can take AP Calculus AB in my senior year. </p>
<p>This year, I'm switching to a really awesome private school. If I have my GC explain this all in her letter, do you think that colleges will overlook the fact that I was a yr. behind in math/science?</p>
<p>Yes, you should definitely have the guidance counselor elaborate on that, so the college admissions officer will better understand your special situation.</p>
<p>Edit: “my social life skyrocketed and I stopped caring about school”
Your excuse is somewhat absurd for college admissions officers to comprehend, by the way.</p>
<p>Attitude counts a great deal in the college application process. That you have such a negative view of your public school education is a distraction that can work against you.</p>
<p>There is no need for you GC (at your new private school?) to explain how much better your education has become now that you’ve changed schools. It’ll work against you. At each stage in your high school career emphasize the positive.</p>
<p>In your particular case you’ll end up with Calculus AB. That’s not “behind”. It was the best that you could do, and better than the vast majority of applicants.</p>
<p>Well, I don’t think that I’ll convey my attitude towards my public school anywhere in my application… I don’t want my GC ‘to explain how much better my education has become’. I want her to explain how I tried really hard to move ahead in math and science since my freshman summer but my city/school board (?) wouldn’t allow it. </p>
<p>I know I won’t be behind as a senior but I was behind every year before that.</p>
<p>I honestly think that it was a smart decision to transfer to a better school. I desired a better education, teachers who were knowledgeable about the subject they taught and were always available for extra help, and wonderful opportunities and resources to expand on my passions. Not to mention that I felt unsafe at my public school… arrests are common (a security guard was recently arrested for buying underwear from and having sexual relations with a freshman…another time, a kid stabbed a bunch of other students with a fork); iPods, phones, and money are regularly stolen, etc.</p>
<p>^^^ Lol, but that was middle school… It’s not like I’m going to tell my GC this.</p>