typical college help needed.?

Question

so right now, im a junior attending one of the top 5% schools in the nation, according to newsweekly . im kinda scared because i really want to make it to ivy schools or other prestigious schools in teh east coast but my gpa is only a 3.5. in addition to that, ive also got 2 C`s my freshman year in bio and 2 C`s in math last year. however, i am a math level ahead, but getting a c ..anwyas, for sure in college, im not gonna go into math or science, but i think those 2 C`s are gonna hurt my admittance to schools i want. ive been on 2 sports team all my years here . im also in asb, mun, and a few clubs. i hear alot depends on teh sat scores, so im hoping ill do well on them when i take it, but ive already taken one sat2 - chinese and i got a 780. (im planning on retaking it) i think wha tim most worried about are my c`s . my school counselor told me that the colleges will take into consideration taht our school is one of the toughest academically, but im still worried.

since freshman year, ive been taking all honors classes and this year, 3 ap courses- english, calc ab, and us. and the rest, all honors classes. im planning on taking sat2 in us, math ( =[ ), chinese (retake) and english lit.

Answer 1

It's very possible that part of your application will be a statement from you and perhaps a recommendation from your counselor. That's the time you can give more information about the grades you earned, both the great and the average.

For math, you mention you are a level ahead. Does that mean you're taking calculus or trig now? Did you work with a tutor? Why do you think it was difficult? I think the fact that you stuck with it rather than attempting to take something else is in your favor. If you do well in other areas, perhaps there is something else going on? Yes, I mean a disability. I've worked with students in the past that could do everything you put in front of them unless it was math related, and it wasn't from lack of trying.

In high school I had classes that were classified as Advanced Program, and that automatically put me in the top 3% of my graduating class. I'm pretty sure there was something on my high school transcript that explained the program. You might want to see what is mailed out with your transcript and refer to it in your application.

Also, it would never hurt to track down someone at the school you are interested in, either someone in admissions or even an alum in your area. Giving the application a face means a lot when admissions is looking at a pile of look-alikes. There are also college fairs - they may have a representative on the road that you can talk to.

I don't know if your high school offers it or if you would be interested, but can you re-take a course during the summer months?

Even with the Cs, your GPA is excellent. Find ways to focus on the positive when it comes to your grades, your classwork, your involvement at school and your community activities (if you have any).

I worked in admissions for a time at a large urban university. The GPA was part of the criteria, as was the SAT/ACT score; we also focused in on subjects taken and credits earned, not so much the specific grade received for a subject unless it related directly to their intended major.

Your counselor can be your ally, too. They may have some experience with the college you're interested in. Trust them to give you guidance and let them know what you want to do, but do what you're doing now - thinking about the future and working hard to make it happen.

Answer 2

I agree that the C's are somewhat troublesome, but if you've been challenging yourself with rigorous courses and you are at one of the "top" schools in the country, I imagine colleges will take that into consideration. It isn't ideal, though. Keep up the work, try to improve the math grade, and see if you can demonstrate some leadership skills in the clubs. Great news about the SAT Subject test, though! I wouldn't retake Chinese, you already did very well. Your choice, though. For ivies or comparable, you'll need more Subject Tests...they prefer a math along with others, so you may want to really dedicate some study time to that!

Best of luck to you.

Answer 3

go to www.princetonreview.com, they have all the top schools listed and they will tell you exactly what each school will look at when deciding your fate. They will tell you how important each aspect of the process is to each school and believe it or not most of the ivy league schools gpas were around 3.8 or so but there are many other things they consider besides sat & gpa. Look it up, I think it will ease your mind. Good Luck

Answer 4

I don't think your high school will play a big role in where you get accepted unless the high school is some rich people prestigious apply to get in type place. Then it might have a tiny affect. Anyways, colleges don't like to see a C in any class.