<p>1st Post!
so…I’m about to begin my junior year and I’d like to get an idea of my college chances since I have a unique situation. I spent my freshman year at a public high school, taking the hardest classes a freshman could take. I ended the year with a 4.0 and was ranked 1st in my class. I received a full scholarship to a boarding school that doesn’t calculate GPA or rank. I had a rough start to the year(my best friend was killed in a car crash during the 1st term,my grandmother died in the 2nd, and being away from home was hard too) so while I got all A’s the last term, my final grades were mostly only high B’s. This year, I will be taking the hardest courses possible and I expect to do extremely well. However, I’m worried that my sophmore year will prevent me from getting into a great school. </p>
<p>Extra Info-
-1st gen college student(1/2 hispanic 1/2 asian)
-Based on practice tests, I should score around a 710 on all sections of the SAT
-I was the freshman representative on the homecoming court(I doubt that will count for anything though)</p>
<p>EC’s-
-Varsity Swimming(I will be a recruited athlete almost everywhere I apply)
MVP,all-league, team captain(11&12), easterns finalist in 100 fly and 200 IM
-I was elected a dorm prefect and the tour guide head for the upcoming year(both are “extremely unusual” at my school after only the 1st year)
-Bible Discussion Group(head)
-AIDS Awareness(head)
-Young Democrats club</p>
<p>My college list(I want to major in either Political Science or International R.)
Georgetown
Columbia
George Washington
American
University of Penn
NYU
Occidental
Boston College
Claremont Mckenna</p>
<p>Have your counselor explain it to the colleges in the rec letter. The colleges will understand and take it into account. A few high B’s are okay, anyway, even without an explanation. If you think it was really made an impact on your grades (it doesn’t seem like it), have your counselor explain.</p>
<p>Just explain your situation in a mature manner to the schools. They should be understanding. And if they are, then I think you have excellent chances.</p>
<p>And most of all…relax. You will be fine. Just do your best and get the highest SAT score you can, and let all of that sort itself out. </p>
<p>Don’t obsess about prestige names. Pick the colleges where you would be HAPPIEST as a student…because you will be living there for four long years. You will know it when you visit…that gut feeling of “this is ME!” or conversely, “this is NOT me!” Every person is different and has different interests and needs. </p>
<p>And dont forget that scholarships are often the best at the schools where you will be at the top of the entering class, than at a school where you may be in the muddled middle. So consider that as well, if finances are a big issue.</p>
<p>Don’t obsess about the past either. Everyone has a story to tell and you need to explain yours…but its also important that you mature and show that you can pick up the pieces and grow from it. Maturity is a big factor in college admissions, because maturity is the single most important factor in determining success in college. Colleges want to know you will be happy and succeed if they admit you.</p>
<p>And remember that you are not defined by the name of the college you attend. If you get into a highly prestigious college, good for you. But even if its a great state school, that is also very good. </p>
<p>Employers are not hiring little princesses and princes. They want mature young adults who come with creativity, a positive attitude and a “can do” work ethic who can solve problems. Because life is never perfect and no job or corporation is perfect either. </p>
<p>You also might want to consider some other small LACs (Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Macalester, Swarthmore, Wellesley, etc.)* in additio to Occidental. Many of them have a highly personalized admissions process where they sit around a table and discuss every applicant and consider everything like the specific circumstances of your sophomore year.</p>
<p>Depending on how well you do your junior year and first semester senior year, you can still have lots of great choices. Good luck.</p>
<p>*Top LACs with strong political science in urban/suburban locations (which based on your list above seem to be your preference)</p>
<p>p-i-p, relax, as a high achieving hispanic/asian, recruited swimmer you’ll be a person of interest to every college in America. No guarantees of course but there’s nothing in your profile that would keep you out of any college.</p>
<p>Most likely your boarding school has a good college counselor who will provide guidance and will help explain your somewhat uncharacteristic rocky start. Colleges know the rigor of academics at these schools and will understand that a student coming from an average public highschool into an intense academic atmosphere may need some time to transition, even without the personal issues that you faced. </p>
<p>I think you’ve had some good suggestions for additional colleges. It’s a bit early to narrow down your list so just keep investigating. Tufts is excellent for IR as is Johns Hopkins. </p>
<p>I’d also second the suggestion to look at some of the smaller liberal arts colleges and I would add Amherst and Williams to pointoforder’s list.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t eliminate any of the super-selectives either, like Princeton or Stanford.</p>
<p>Most people who go into international relations or foreign service get an advanced degree. Though some universities – especially the ones actually based in Washington – offer especially good undergraduate opportunities, you can move on to graduate school from just about any undergraduate environment. So, do your research, and try to concentrate on finding the best fit for YOU. </p>
<p>And relax, anxiety is normal when you think about college, but in your case, you’ve nothing to worry about and everything to look forward to.</p>
<p>don’t worry yourself with this whole chances bull. you’re totally doing everything you can and schools will cut you slack because of what you’ve been through. at the end of the day, it’s a way better use of time to do homework or something else productive than worry about who will accept you.</p>