<p>Hello, I would like to major in computer science or computational media at Georgia Tech, but I don't think I have a chance of getting in. What do you guys think? My school gives seven points for every honors and AP class which will be included in the scores below:</p>
<p>9th grade (1st semester, 2nd):
IT Foundations: 94, 98
Honors Algebra: 89, 103
Health: 99
Government/Civics: 97
Honors Lit: 99, 92
French 2: 83, 86
Honors Bio: 94, 94</p>
<p>10th grade:
Honors Lit: 89, 90
AP CompSci: 90, 94
AP World History: 94, 93
Honors Chem: 83, 87
Honors French 3: 83, 78
Honors Algebra II: 89, 87</p>
<p>11th grade (guessing second semester since not over yet):
TAG Directed Study (learning a little python and c++): 100, 100
Physics: 73, 71
Honors Pre-calc: 77, 78
AP USH: 86, 93
AP Bio: 77, 79
AP Lang: 87, 88</p>
<p>My SAT score total was 1900, and I don't really have any EC's besides some Beta club. My brother graduated from GT in 2007 in microbiology, not sure if that helps or not.</p>
<p>I forgot to mention, but next year I am doing cross country and I will be doing joint enrollment at GPC.</p>
<p>Lets start with what you gave us and then look at what’s missing. If I leave in the 7 points and calculate your GPA, that’s a 3.17 with GT weighting. If I take out the 7 points, it’s a 3.08. Either way, it’s a very steep uphill battle with those numbers. Usually you want a GPA over 3.7 with GT weighting to be competitive.</p>
<p>You also don’t look to have the strongest Math/Science record. It seems like you’re gifted in CS but the logical thinking required there isn’t transferring over to Math/Science. Maybe you’re just disinterested in those subjects?</p>
<p>The SAT is also below average, but you didn’t give the section breakdown. If you have a very high Math and the Writing/CR are a little lower, that will help. You might want to retake or consider the ACTS.</p>
<p>And your ECs… well I think you point out the issue. You might want to consider getting more involved on campus this year or even consider starting your own club. Maybe something around programming. It’s usually very easy to start a club in high school and it looks good on an application.</p>
<p>All things considered, I think Tech is a reach. Though even if you have to start elsewhere, if you can prove yourself in your first year with a high GPA you should be able to transfer in. Tech only considers your college GPA when considering transfer admissions.</p>
<p>I think I will have to go the transfer route, though obviously going right in is preferable. Regarding my SAT, the break down is about even with my math in the mid 600’s. Honestly though, and I realize this is a rather overstated thing to claim, but I just never studied for anything or tried hard enough. I was talking to my AP Biology teacher who had me for Honors Biology in 9th grade, and he pretty much told me that he knows I am a smart student based on how I did previously in his class, and that I’ve probably just lost the drive to care about things anymore, besides my interests which happen to be programming and whatnot. I have just wanted to get out of high school since freshman year because I just don’t like a lot of the people around where I live nor am I interested in high school academia. </p>
<p>I realize I am a huge screw up and I should have done better these past few years, but I really want a chance to get into Tech and do what I really love doing. I suppose I’ll have to go through a different route to get there, but… Oh well I suppose.</p>
<p>With that attitude, you’ll never get anything done. You’re not a “huge screw up” unless you call yourself that. No one will ever have as high of an opinion of you than you, so the more you downplay yourself, the more others downplay you as well. So stop the self-deprecation.</p>
<p>What you did to do is take a long, hard look at yourself and figure out what changed. You were an excellent student in 9th grade, a good student in 10th grade, and a not so good student in 11th grade. Why? What happened? Don’t tell me “I didn’t study” unless you studied in 9th grade and then gradually stopped. Don’t try to make excuses like that. If you lost interest in school, why? What makes you think college is going to be any different? </p>
<p>Usually when you see a GPA drop off like that, it’s more social than academic. Did you get into drugs? New friends? Did you move? Are you having a difficult time with girls? Are you suddenly depressed? These are all rhetorical, but these are things you need to think about, figure out the problem, design a plan of action, and take action. Your grades are what they are in the past, but you need to make sure they’re better from this point forward.</p>
<p>If you have to go to GSU then transfer to GT later, it’s no big deal. No one cares where you start college, just where you finish. However the concern is that if you do not address the issues you’re having in high school, they’ll linger in college and you won’t be able to transfer to GT. That changes your entire life.</p>
<p>I did not try in freshman year nor that much last year. I suppose I studied a little more, but I think it’s just my classes were not as difficult, so going on without studying or caring was more so possible. I did not get into drugs or anything. I’m honestly not sure what’s wrong besides my lack of caring.</p>
<p>But thank you for all that. I will try harder for sure.</p>