will college admission officers understand..?

Applying to College
1

to start off, i am a rising junior and i have a very ugly GPA (below a 3.2)

but let me explain,
i grew up and went to middle school in the city, but my family decided to move to an island towards the very end of my 8th grade - months before my graduation and most importantly, my state examinations for 2 high school courses i was enrolled in - i started a brand new middle school [literally] weeks before the state exam! so, i ended up with a C for both classes and inadequate exam grades - absolutely horrible. it is darkly printed on my transcript, haha. yet, i then moved again during the summer of freshman year to a new high school in a new city. the worst part: i barely adjusted to my previous, new school.

as a teenager, it was emotionally grueling for me. from friends, new surroundings, and social life. i had people leaving my life, and i had strong relationships fading away. but, most importantly, my grades were ruined from the start. in addition, i never got to choose my high school courses as well, i couldn’t take honors freshman & sophomore year since i was the new girl. clearly, my high school “path” so far, has been very heinous.

but, i still tried to keep up with the new school and the new system - on that note - i truly hope i can continue my second year in this new school, successfully, since junior year is really the last year i’ve got.

overall, i hate excuses and i know its my fault for not handling my situation maturely, i guess. but, do you think universities will understand my situation and forgive me?
“resilience” is my favorite word and i continue to live each day with that in my mind; i focus on my passions and i help myself stand up everyday.

oh and before i leave, do you think it’s possible to raise my GPA to possibly a 3.5 or at best, 3.6? I am aware of the challenge that arise when it comes to raising GPAs, but maybe, is it possible?
I have my heart set stone on NYU, Notre Dame, and Cornell.

i hope to hear back soon, thanks -

2

If you have a 3.2, and you get nothing but straight A’s the next three semesters (junior year, and first semester senior year) then you will be able to get your GPA to almost a 3.6. That said, gosh, you’ve got your work cut out for you.

You’ve got to do more than just get straight A’s though…you have to do something above and beyond, whether it be an unbelievable summer internship between your junior and senior year, starting some sort of small business, or writing a book. You have to do something that can wow people. At this point, you have to give the admissions officers a reason to admit you, so that they can overlook your less then stellar first two years.

At this point, your fate is in your hands. Do you have it in you to exceed all possible expectations? Ultimately, how you handle yourself this year and the next will determine if you are truly meant for these amazing schools. This is the test. Work hard and you will pass. Give into the demons that plagued you in the past, and you will fail.

It is your future. Best of luck.

**Sorry if I sound oddly epic, just finished a lord of the rings marathon with some friends.

3

actually enjoyed your ‘oddly epic’ feedback and while at it, why is the lord of the rings so wild, its all over media!

haha anyway, when you mentioned about going “above and beyond”, i wonder what i can do… especially with my intended concentration [which is literature]. i’ve been applying to some poetry clubs in brooklyn and i’ve been planning to publish my writing, but there’s nothing “massive” when it comes to internships - unlike science and math.
and you know, i want to focus on what i love, instead of just randomly apply to things i dislike.

on the other note, i do plan to join a league for tennis and hopefully, take part in cross country this fall.

oh and thanks for the feedback-

4

In interest of efficiency, I’m going to be blunt here - for someone that hates excuses there are a lot of them in there, please do not bog your essays down with too much of that. Moving around compared to other hardships people face, well, will hardly be considered a hardship by some. Don’t focus on that being such a negative and cause for your gpa, rather emphasize what you learned from the experience - and don’t consider each separate move as unique. It is really just one aspect of high school. Also, to keep it real, there are plenty of kids with 4.5+, high test scores and great ECs that don’t get into Notre Dame and Cornell, you need to cast a much wider net. And NYU isn’t known for aid, so you need to check the financial on that and any school you are considering. Getting straight As would help, but how likely is that, really? Better to start a more sound list of schools. No one should have a dream school that has such low acceptance rates set in stone. Way toooo risky.

5

i appreciate the honesty and i hope i can fight out of this mess.
thanks-

6

The state exams in NY are all the same so I don’t think it should matter where you took them. If you apply to any of the SUNYs, I wouldn’t mention moving as a reason for low scores. If it was 8th grade, those grades won’t be on your transcript anyway.

Doing interesting ECs won’t make up for stats that aren’t competitive for a reach school. Do your best to raise your GPA and focus on getting good SAT/ACT scores, then build your list based on the profile you have not the one you wish you had.

Talk to your parents about a budget and create a balanced list that includes financial and academic safeties, then add matches and reaches. Don’t fall into the trap of having a dream school. And think about adding a couple of CUNY and/or SUNY colleges to your list. They’re good schools.

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yes, i know the location of where i take the state exam does not matter. however, the conflict in my position is that, i didn’t learn some necessary material clearly since i was not able to start school right away. oh and also, i took a high school science and math course in 8th grade, so the grade is on my transcript - which also calculates into my GPA [since its a high school course].

new york is an unique state.

8

Starting a business or writing a book are not tips.

OP, aim for balance and understand you just can’t control everything. But you can try your best, without obsessing. When the time comes to focus on a college list, aim for balance in that, too. In NY, btw, you could consider the Guaranteed Transfer program. If you don’t know what that is, look it up.

9

I’d suggest that you are going about this backwards, to have pre-determined your colleges and now trying to twist and turn and claw your way into them. Please consider spending the next years doing your best and letting your curiosity and interests lead you. Then find the school that fits you the most. It is a sadly perpetuated myth that one needs to go to a big brand name school to succeed in life. I do wish you the best.

10

I cringe when I see a student write “I have my heart set on…” Do not set your heart on any school. Use your brain only. Find schools where your stats are in the middle 50th percentile. I am guessing you don’t have a test score yet, but even with a very high one, you can pretty much forget the schools you listed. If you do manage staright A’s and a high test score, give them a shot. Run Net Price Caluculators first. See what you can afford. Google the Common Data set for any school of interest, or use the website College Data to determine where your stats fit in. Be practical to avoid heartbreak.

11

Before I say anything with regard to your future prospects, let me say this: whatever happened to you was completely out of your control and you shouldn’t let it bring you down wherever you go.

Now, do well in school (lol I sound like a true Asian parent) Get involved! Join as many EC’s that you know you’ll enjoy. Make friends! Don’t let your past seep into the present.

As for the schools you want to go to, I hate to say this, but you have to be realistic. I highly agree with @snarlatron because when I was about your age right now, I really REALLY wanted to go to UPenn. I thought that by being there, I would help build my dream of being a doctor. However, as high school went on, I found that physical therapy was the right fit for me. I wouldn’t have to constantly jump from patient to patient, and I would go through a lot less schooling. By the time I ended up applying for schools, my GPA and EC’s were definitely enough for me to qualify for top-tier schools, but none of them had the program that I wanted. That’s how I ended up at my current school, USciences.

If you really want to apply for these schools, wait until the end of junior year. See where you lie. Do you have the academics and ECs that would give you the baseline to qualify? What do you have that sets you apart? And lastly, can you and your family afford the school?

Remember, just because you don’t go to a big name school doesn’t mean that you won’t end up being successful. Thing change between now and the time you apply for schools. Look for the schools that you know you’ll definitely fit in at.

Hope this helped and best of luck! You can do it :slight_smile:

12

why is it that when you read “i hate excuses” you always know that they’re about to offer an excuse?

13

You’re going into your junior year next year? You have no chance at all at Cornell or the others on your list (with the exception perhaps of if you’re applying for writing and your portfolio is outstanding, and by that I mean WOW.) And NYU doesn’t give good non-loan financial aid. That does’t mean you can’t apply; but don’t make these schools your “dream school” until you apply, get in, and see their aid offers.

Do well your junior year. Keep going with at least one of the extra curriculars that you are already involved in, and try to do something special in one of them. If your interest is poetry/writing/lit, then try to find things that allow you to expand within that field - enter poetry contests, tutor kids in English, write for your local weekly newspaper, participate in your school’s literary journal, and so on.

You’ll need backup schools even if you do great this year, as your chances of getting into the schools you list are not good. Have you looked at the SUNYs and CUNYs? I ask because as a NY State resident, if your family makes less than $100k, you get free tuition. That includes to Hunter College (a CUNY), which is good for writing. Brooklyn College is also very good, and a CUNY.

Have you looked at Emerson? I think you have a shot there, and they’re good for writing. Others I like for you include SUNY Purchase, SUNY New Paltz, Bennington, Sewanee - U of the South, the New School. You’ll have plenty of choices, but it’s a matter of picking at least some schools where you’d have a good shot of getting in. Then if you also want to apply to some reaches, okay, great.

14

of course. i am definitely looking into other universities as well.

for those who answered, thanks for the feedback and “wake up call”-