<p>I go to a small public school in Virginia and I have taken the hardest courses that my school offers (so keep that in mind while you are questioning my lack of APs). I have no story behind my slacking off, other than that I was lazy.</p>
<p>9th grade
Keyboarding-B
Advanced English 9-B
PE-A
Spanish II-C
Geometry-B
Earth Science-B
World History to 1500-A</p>
<p>10th grade
College Accounting-B
Advanced English 10-B
Appalachian Studies-A
Classroom Drivers ED/PE-B
Spanish III-B
Algebra II-B
Biology-A</p>
<p>11th Grade- STRAIGHT As
Office Administration
Horticulture
Advanced English 11
French I (no Spanish IV)
College PreCalculus
Chemistry
Advanced US History</p>
<p>12th Grade- Have straight As so far and will get them for the year
Greenhouse
College Biology
1st Semester College US History (Online) 6 credits
1st SemesterCollege Sociology (Online) 3 credits
2nd Semester College Creative Writing 3 credits
2nd Semester College Civil War/Reconstruction/Gilded Age 6 credits
French II (Ind-Study)
Drama
College Calculus
College English
Advanced Government</p>
<p>Rank: 20/100 or 24/98 (the latter is what my guidance counselor told me that I had today which directly conflicts with my transcript so I’m going to talk about it tomorrow because I’m totally screwed)
SAT: 1990 May, 2150+ for October
Subject Tests: 710 Lit, 720 USH</p>
<p>ECs: Academic Team Captain, member of team since Sophomore year
Interact Club Founder and President- senior year
Senior Class Secretary
Active in Youth at Church- since 6th grade
Forensics Member-senior year
Cross-Country member- senior year
FBLA- member since junior, historian senior year
Scholastic Bowl Member</p>
<p>I am really worried about this for obvious reasons. I accept full blame for my bad grades, but I realize that there is nothing I can do to change them now and I was literally about to have a breakdown today when my guidance counselor told me that my class rank was even lower than I expected (I literally have a copy of an official paper with the same grades on it that says I am 20/100). I really want to prove to the W&M admission that I know that I have made bad mistakes, and that I have really worked hard at fixing them. So how do I do this?</p>
<p>So, just looking at my stuff you can see why I might be questioning how admissions will look at my application. Do you think they will see a student that was simply lazy and might revert back to this or do they see a student that drastically changed his academic life and will continue to succeed in the future? I personally feel that I would never let my grades slack off… but how do I prove this?</p>
<p>You have strong leadership and an upward trend, which is certaintly preferable to a downward trend! Your rank won’t destroy your chances, but your chances would be much stronger if your SATs were 2150+ like you admitted. Your courseload is fine if it is the most rigorous in your school, and it’s great that you’re taking Calc. On the other hand, W&M considers Physics important on your schedule. Your SAT IIs are really good, but they’re not very important to W&M admissions.
Maybe include your upward trend in the “extra info” section of the common app. I think you have a shot if you write really great essays and have good recs. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks… I’m actually hoping for 2250 or higher on the SAT, but I put that because its very likely that I will at least did that.</p>
<p>Also, my rank might go up around 10% by the end of first semester because I’m taking a ton of weighted classes that my classmates don’t have… but I’m applying ED so that doesn’t matter. Also, my school doesn’t offer physics, so I couldn’t take it.</p>
<p>Does anyone else have a suggestion of what I could do to improve my chances? I’ve already had an interview, which was moderately successful, I think. I think I might’ve gotten a perfect score in CR on the Oct. SAT, but I’m not sure (I know for a fact that I didn’t get better than 730 in Math). So, if I have an 800, does that drastically improve my chances? What exactly should I put for an explanation on the Common App? I think I should own up and say that it was my own laziness that made me get such mediocre grades, but I’m not sure.</p>
<p>Really, I just want to know how I will be received. I think I will have really good recommendations from at least one teacher that knows the extent of my situation.</p>
<p>Did you address any of this on your application to W&M?</p>
<p>What I think you should do is:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>see if you get in ED. Personally, I think your chances are the same as most anyone’s: about 50%.</p></li>
<li><p>if you are wait-listed, see if your local CC offers Physics either online or in the classroom and take it along with the ACT.</p></li>
<li><p>if you are denied, then re-group, and apply someplace else!</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I didn’t explain my grades because I thought it would come off as whiny and my guidance counselor should explain that a little anyway. As far as physics is concerned, will it really matter if I just start taking it now? I might be able to do it through the local community college but it will cost quite a bit; I looked at doing this over the summer and decided not to (time was and is an issue as well).</p>