Worried please help :/

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello All. I am a current Junior at a large high school in Virginia.
Recently this past summer, my father passed away in a sudden accident while I was out of country. This has affected my 1st quarter grades severely, and classes that normally would be a cakewalk for me, have become arduous and severely detrimental to my GPA. For example, in AP chemistry I got a D in the first quarter. There were not that many grades, and they were not weighted. I did poorly on the few quizzes we had, and on lab reports that weren't explained well enough (as in how to do them). Likewise my grade in AP US History for first quarter was around a C+. The rest of my classes are either A's or B+s.
At this point, I no longer wish to go to Johns Hopkins University. I want to stay closer to home, so I am now looking at in-state colleges. Mainly UVA, but I'm open to other options.
Here are some things about me:
I am South Asian (India).
When my dad was around our income was in the 7 digits (he was a doc.)
Overall, my grades aren't anything spectacular, but I am an excellent test taker, and I am not worried about the SAT (I took it in 9th grade and got a 1900, so with proper effort, I can easily get into the 2200 range)
My career path is set in stone: I want to be a Neurosurgeon, and I want to go to Hopkins for medical education.</p>

<p>The classes I took in Freshman Year were:
HN World History I
HN /Pre-AP English 9
HN Geometry
HN Biology
Phys Ed.
Finance
Spanish 2</p>

<p>Sophomore Year classes:
AP World History (Got an A in the class and 4 on the exam)
HN/ Pre-AP English 10
HN Algebra 2
HN Chemistry
Spanish 3
Phys Ed.
Computer Science</p>

<p>Junior year Classes:(these are the most advanced classes I can take at my school)
AP Chemistry
AP English Language
AP US History
HN Physics
HN PreCalc w/Trig
Human Anatomy & Physiology
Spanish 4</p>

<p>Senior Year classes I am going to sign up for:
AP US Gov.
AP Literature
AP Biology
AP Statistics (or possibly Calculus)
AP seminar (like a study hall for AP students)
AP Spanish</p>

<p>My GPA at the end of Soph. year was around 3.7 or 3.8.
My EC's include:
Science Honor Society
National Honor Society
NSHSS
Track and Field
Model UN
Wrestling Team
National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine
Volunteering at a meditation center
Tutoring middle schoolers for math
And I am in the process of starting volunteering at one of my local hospitals.</p>

<p>I'm projecting my SAT score to be AT LEAST above 2000.</p>

<p>Can anyone help me with what my best options are? And if I have a good chance of getting into UVA? What are the different "reaches, locks, and safeties" that are available to me?
Will colleges understand that my father's death has seriously messed up my grades? Will this be taken into account?</p>

<p>If you have taken the time to read all of this, thank you very much. Any help is appreciated, as the college cruchtime isn't really helping when I'm still trying to cope with grief.
Once again thank you.</p>

2

<p>I’m sorry to hear about your father’s passing. I don’t know enough to give you accurate information about options and chances, but I can tell you that there is space on your application where you can explain what happened and how it affected your grades. I’m sure the admissions officers will understand.</p>

3

<p>What more information can I provide?</p>

4

<p>You are a current junior. This is not “college crunchtime” for you. Your emotional strength and continued academic progress are your priorities. Your immediate goals are to get counseling to help you handle your loss, and to do the best you can to finish this semester with all work completed to the best of your ability.</p>

5

<p>“I am a current Junior at a large high school in Virginia.”</p>

<p>Your own guidance counselor is the one who is best able to advise you about your college options. Your school has years worth of data on college admissions. Make an appointment with your counselor, talk about what is going on in your life right now and how that is affecting your grades, ask about the best ways to get help with the classes that you are struggling in, and find out what colleges/universities your counselor thinks that you have a shot at. This is what your counselor is paid by the school district to do - help students with all the things that are going on in their lives. Go, ask, get some advice for your situation.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>

6

<p>I’ve already talked with my guidance counselor. I guess what I’m looking for is some sort of assurance that I am not completely screwed. I NEED to get into a good undergrad program to have any HOPE of applying to hopkins for medicine.</p>

7

<p>First, please let me say how sorry I am about your father.</p>

<p>Second, most applications, including the Common App, have an area called “Additional Info.” This is typically where you would write a very brief statement as to why your academic performance was impacted, due to your unexpected family circumstances. This is not a place to make excuses, but a place to add this information to clarify your transcript inconsistencies.</p>

<p>Try not to stress…</p>

8

<p>kachhan</p>

<p>I’m so sorry about your father.</p>

<p>You are not completely screwed academically. You are not even a little screwed. Colllege admissions officers are human beings, and this is a human process. Schools understand that some people have tragedies and that these tragedies affect their grades. This will be taken into account.</p>

<p>You should work with your GC on the best way to present this – GC interview, part of your application, both?</p>

9

<p>My condolence to you and your family, kacchan; it’s sad to hear about your irreparable loss. Your goal should be to reassess your life and what changes you have to make. Academically, you are doing well. Just keep up your espirt de corps. Good luck</p>

10

<p>Is UVA a lock or a reach for me? The worry for my future is really killing me</p>

11

<p>Get that 2200 you plan for and I’d say (especially with your circumstances), UVa is a match, if not a really low reach. Make sure to emphasize why going to UVa means so much to you to stay closer to home and how options are limited. Most kids of your caliber wouldnt have to worry even if UVa was a reach because they get more choices and can apply to many other equal high reach schools and expect some return. You dont seem have that same security of numbers with your limited circumstances. But your stats are fine and you will enjoy where ever you end up. Right now, focus on feeling better emotionally. Then, when your ready, go kick some academic arse in the rest of high school and college and get back on your game for grad school. Good luck kid.</p>

<p>Sincerely,
The Nocturnal Owl O.O</p>

12

<p>Thank you for your feedback Nocturnal, knowing that I can still get into UVa is a huge relief.
UVa recommends that if I want to major in Biology (or any science for that matter) they recommend a MATH SAT II subject test, which I am hesitant to take (math isn’t my strong suit, english,history, and science are). Will it be a big deal if i i take the subject tests in Bio and World History only?</p>