<p>HEY, this was crossposted from the "Chances" forum, but I made a few minor additions.</p>
<p>I am applying to several other schools, but I've had my eye on St. Olaf for a very long, long time. However, I did not perform well my first few years of school, doing especially bad in my math and science classes; however, I continued on an advanced/college prep course.</p>
<p>I'm about to admit something rather sickening.</p>
<p>My cumulative GPA is a 2.83 on the 4.0 scale. My current one is 3.6, and so I'm hoping that will do...something.</p>
<p>I was disheartened. St. Olaf has been a sort of a fantasy for me, so-- yeah. BUT! BUT!</p>
<p>I was told by several CURRENT Oles that GPA does not matter as much in the face of WHO I am-- and I believe that comes off strongly in my application. I am CRAZY about writing, art, and Latin and made sure to mention it; my AP English teacher gushed about my love of fiction (and, yes, of writing it) in her recommendation, and the second letter, from my Latin teacher, sparkles. I am president of the local Junior Classical League chapter.</p>
<p>Actually, the state chapter, too. We're the only class in Wyoming. I've consistently placed in the top ten at the JCL competition. I feel I should mention that before me, the presidents did nothing; Wyoming is...an infamously apathetic delegation. Promotion, promotion, promotion, and rabid at that.</p>
<p>I feel my essay was strong, an opinion shared by several school faculty members. I'm not so concerned about that.</p>
<p>I'm really, really into community service. And when I say "really, really," I mean that I didn't do it because it would look good on an application-- I did it because I like to meddle. If things aren't going right in the community, by God I'll change them. My group wrote and lobbied for House Bill 145 to help raise political awareness in students, which was passed and allowed sixteen and seventeen-year-olds to serve as election judges. I was the first one to do so (generals and primaries!), and served as the "voice" of this project. I helped a representative of the Matthew Shepard foundation to design an anti-bullying program, which we presented at my old middle school, work with my group's Suicide Awareness Prevention Team (SPAT), give safety talks in schools, coordinate events between the group and my workplace (the county library) that promote drug and alcohol use prevention and awareness, and...the list goes on. I'm also an official presenter for our VERY FIRST NATIONAL CONVENTION with the National League of Cities.</p>
<p>I got a 28 on my ACT the first time around (I blame that on laziness), and a 31 the second-- and I would have been higher were it not for that math (25). Yuck! The verbal sections were pretty much made of win (31 and 34 the first go 'round, with a 27 English/Writing, and 35/33 the second go). My SAT score, I think, is decent-- writing at 680, math at 560 (YUCK), and verbal at the very first 800 in my school's history.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>And those Oles keep reassuring me-- and so does my counselor, who is pretty much forcing me to apply to places like this even though he knows my-- well, somehwat dismal GPA. I'd love to go. I'm just not sure I can. (My mother is not so optimistic-- she has her sights set on the University of Wyoming for me. Eee-yuck, why you cee kay. Last place on earth I'd like to go? Yes in-deed.)</p>
<p>Still, I am goshdarn worried about this all to the point of being messily sick all over the bathroom floor.</p>