<p>Check this out:
<a href=“http://www.neuroscience.pitt.edu/undergraduate/[/url]”>http://www.neuroscience.pitt.edu/undergraduate/</a></p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>CH78, I cannot stress enough how important it is to spend time analyzing how the QB could benefit you. First, the deadline of September 30 will help you focusing on what needs to be done today as opposed to tomorrow. Then the notification of being a finalist on October 25 will provide you a real assessment of your applications and the potential success. An immediate benefit is that your application will be forwarded AND seen by 20 colleges (and counting since Chicago just joined.) A few immediate benefits is that your name might end up on the short list of students flown to a campus for a paid visit. You mentioned Bowdoin … they are very active in this regard, as so are many others. Remember that most visits are by invitation; you cannot be invited if they do NOT know you. </p>
<p>Further, this application is free of any charge, and many schools will offer fee-waiver for the regular (or sole) decision appplication due in December or January. In the event you are not matched to any school, you should be able to forward your application to twenty school with remarkable ease and little expense. </p>
<p>In the event you are matched, … well … you’d be done just after Thanksgiving. Worse things could happen! :)</p>
<p>Here are the 20 partner schools + the Tyng scholarship at Williams. </p>
<p>Amherst College
Bowdoin College
Claremont McKenna College
Chicago
Columbia University
Emory
Notre Dame
Oberlin College
Pomona College
Princeton University
Rice University
Scripps College
Stanford University
Swarthmore College
Trinity College
Wellesley college
Wheaton College (IL)
Williams College
Williams College: Tyng Scholarship
Yale</p>
<p>PS Regarding the financial aid, for the time being, you should only focus on the FAFSA and what role your father plays for THAT part. As far as reach schools, please remember the surest way to be rejected is by … not applying!</p>
<p>How high should my first term senior grades be?
Once again my classes are</p>
<p>A.P English Language and Composition
A.P Microeconomics
College Macroeconomics (at a local public college)
A.P Calculus AB
Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
A.P Chemistry
A.P Psychology
Biology Projects (Research)</p>
<p>Would high grades make a significant difference?</p>
<p>Of course high grades make a difference.</p>
<p>Why not get some intrinsic fulfillment out of learning for the sake of learning rather than worrying about what kind of grade you need to get?</p>
<p>ch–you mentioned a bad term when your aunt had cancer–what would your average be without that term?</p>
<p>High grades will make a big difference–in those course, high grades prove you can get high grades doing university level work. They indicate that you will be a high performer at their college. ADmin doling out massive scholarship money likes to bet on the sure thing–the kid who will be a sure high flyer when he gets to their uni. Like berurah’s son at Duke.</p>
<p>A strong recommendation from your research professor would also prove that you are top flight research material. No recommendation will make them wonder–what was wrong with that relatoinship. You’ve got to get that.</p>
<p>(Are you sick of getting answers that sound like heaps of work? Don’t worry–do your best and you will get the ticket you need).</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That depends on the timing of your applications. In some cases, your grades won’t be available by decision time. The grades are, of course, important but not overly significant unless you incur a severe … drop. Your choice of classes is probably carrying more weight. Raising a GPA through senior grades is mostly a fool’s errand. Objectively, you already earned the scores that will build your application file.</p>
<p>Fwiw, with your schedule, I would again encourage you to get all your application work before school starts again.</p>
<p>Without that term my spa would probably be a 93.2.</p>
<p>Can really really high grades (96 next term) make an extermeley significant difference though?
Princeton said that would be the most important term for them.</p>
<p>Could I get a rec from one of the undergrad/grad students instead. Or since I know the undergrad student better could I ask to have it co-written.</p>
<p>Look, I don’t know anything about any particular college. But you have made a claim that your grades dipped because your aunt had cancer. Colleges do understand that grades have to be viewed in context. At the same time, they really want to make sure that any excuses–no perjorative meaning implied–are valid and that whatever the problem was it is over and done with and will not affect your performance in college. If you don’t do well the first semester of senior year, it’s possible that some adcom is going to think that either the aunt with cancer story is a phony baloney excuse or if it isn’t it’s an ongoing problem that will stop you from doing well in college. </p>
<p>Your first semester is more important than it is for most students because you apparently had a weak semester and you need to prove that is just an aberation. Moreover, grade trends do matter and unless things have changed, P’ton doesn’t look at 9th grade grades. So, if your bad semester was during soph or junior year, your GPA as Pton will calculate it is worse than you think it is. If it was in 9th grade, you’re okay. </p>
<p>That’s just my personal opinion, of course. I mean it’s my personal opinion that grades senior year are more important for students who have had a grade dip in the past.</p>
<p>It was in 10th grade. So If I do really well next year it will show that it wasn’t an excuse and it was a real problem?</p>
<p>CH78,
Does your aunt live with you? Did you miss school because you needed to travel with your family to take care of/visit her? Is the grade dip acriss the board for that semester or in one or two courses? These will help put this dip into some context and would be appropriate for the GC to include in the recommendation letter.</p>
<p>My sons’ GCs ask for clarifying info like this (both from the students and parents) before they prepare rec letters, in large part because the guys attend big public schools and it’s hard for the GCs to know everyone that well. We met with the GC in the spring as well and discussed with her how to approach specific issues, including serious illness in the immediate family.</p>
<p>My grades for that term were
Honors Chem-90
Bio Projects-90
English 4-85
Global History 4-88
Spanish 4-85
Honors Trig-75</p>
<p>It was more of the emotional impact it had on me. But even more on my mom. I had to comfort her and be there for her and the REST of my family. It also hurt my outlook on life. It was the first sickness in my immediate family. My average was an 85 for that term.</p>
<p>First term Freshman Year-93.1
Second Term Freshman Year-93.5
First term Sophomore Year-94.5
Second term Sophomore year-85.5
first Term Junior Year-91.33
Second Term Junior Year-92.5</p>
<p>As you can see it really was just that one term.</p>
<p>The thing is that your grades aren’t actually that low, we’re talking 5/6 PERCENTAGE points lower than other semesters.</p>
<p>A significant drop in grades would be a whole grade point.</p>
<p>I understand that your aunt’s illness was upsetting for you, but if you weren’t driving her to chemo/taking care of her on a regular basis it’s just not a very good explanation for your drop in grades.</p>
<p>The illness or death of a parent/sibling/close friend or an illness of one of these individuals is a more run of the mill explanation. </p>
<p>Were you/are you very close to your aunt? If not, your excuse comes off as an excuse rather than as an explanation.</p>
<p>Because of a different situation I sucessfully explained a second semester junior year GPA that dropped from uw 3.8 (first semester) to a 3.0 (second semester). It can be done, but my reason was much ‘better’ ie serious and directly impacting my person than yours is.</p>
<p>Talk to your GC about how to explain/if you should even bother explaining your grades.</p>
<p>That’s a great point CD.</p>
<p>BEfore your GC writes your recommendation letter, give her a good list of your accomplishments–to remind her.</p>
<p>From what you say–your grades only dipped slightly in that term. You can list what happened for your GC–and ask her to frame it in a positibve light. In light of your other difficulties at home, I think it’s fair to list that as a simple explanation. Other posters are taking a harsher view–but your family is living below the poverty line, surviving an abusive father. That the illness tipped you over a bit makes perfect sense. Don’t sweat it.</p>
<p>As for super duper senior grades–you’ve done your best to date to get to that average for that schedule–with Intel and everything else. Do your best and realize a 99% average may still not be enough to woo Princeton to your app over other BS apps. It’s in the hands of the Gods now, kid. And your essays and recs.</p>
<p>Why don’t you think you can get a rec from the professor? You need it. The grad student rec will just raise doubts about your role on the project. Attach your request for a rec to a bottle of wine–but get that rec. Attach a list of your contributions to the project if necessary.</p>
<p>Don’t worry–he/she will want to see you do well as a reflection on their project.</p>
<p>Waht about your teacher recs? You need teachers to be able to check off that ‘Best student’ in the class category. Do you have any teachers that would write that for you?</p>
<p>Take xiggi’s advice and start those essays NOW!!</p>
<p>I have one teacher who said she wrote me a SUPERB rec for that program at columbia med which is for minorities/economically disadvantaged students because she though I could really benefit from it. I am hoping the same thing will happen for the college recs.</p>
<p>You need two teachers who want to see you soar. Sounds like you have one–who is the other one?</p>
<p>Don’t forget–you can ask for essay editting here on CC. There are some great essay editors on this forum (I’m not one of them).</p>
<p>Ask the grad students for advice about how to get that rec out of the professor.</p>
<p>The other one will hopefully be my social studies teacher. He used to teach at an arts/music high school. I was one of the best students in that class second term and my level of participation in the class discussion was insane.</p>
<p>Does anyone think I said add Cornell and remove UNC? Cornell acceptance rate at our school for those above a 90/1400 seems to be at 70%.</p>
<p>Me! I’m guessing the scattergrams for UNC are higher? That’s a good reading of the scattergram–and I would guess Cornell’s fin package will be better?? </p>
<p>Make a spreadsheet–list the eight schools on your current list (in order) and thne list the fin aid package you think you’ll get. Call their fin aid offices and ask about your dad’s status.</p>
<p>List the deadlines for each.</p>
<p>Look through the course offereings–for junior and senior year. Sometimes there are huge differences in what’s on offer. Make a note of your findings on your spreadsheet.</p>
<p>have you downloaded the stuff you need for QB? Started writing essays? There are some good essay threads in the parent forum.</p>
<p>Remember what xiggi said:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Make a time line showing when you need to complete what forms for which scholarships. Make sure you don’t miss any deadlines!</p>
<p>The application will not be out until August 15th. I looked at last year’s app and ahve started thinking about those questions. </p>
<p>Qill QB be a significant boost?</p>