Do I have any chance? Columbia RD 2017

artobsessed
Mon, 08 Oct 2012 10:42:32 +0000

SAT I: superscore 750 R, 760 M, 800 W composite 2310
SAT II: Spanish and US History, both over 700
Senior Course Load: AP Spanish V, AP Eng Lit, AP Calc AB, AP Biology, AP Macroecon, AP US Gov, AP Studio Art (7 total)
Junior Course Load: AP Spanish IV, AP Eng Lang, AP US Hist (3 total)
Soph. year took AP World for an aggregate total of 11 APs

EC: President of NAHS, President of Student Ambassadors (seeks/welcomes potential students to my private high school), representative on the President’s Council, Senior Class Secretary, member of Poetry Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions, and Key Club

Teacher Recs: My AP English teacher and physics teacher, both adore me

Work: 200+ hours of volunteer work over high school career, had a part-time job all junior year and the past two summers

The Great Hurdle - GPA: drumroll 3.51 W/3.29 UW
Yes, this GPA is repugnant. That being said, it encompasses my fresh/soph grades that were truly horrible. Although I was taking heavy classes, I did poorly in all because I was suffering from depression. My junior year grades come out to a 3.9 W and Senior year will be at least a 4.3 W.
I talk about my depression in my essay, but also about how I was always afraid to express academic interests until I came out of depression junior year and began excelling in every field. I justify my passion for learning through my appreciation of Plato/Socrates. It’s a pretty nice essay.

Anyways, I adore the community at Barnard and appreciate the intellectualism and activism at Columbia. I understand the foundation of both schools and center my life around their sort of mantras.

My question is: is this GPA an ultimatum? Is it impossible for my essays/SAT scores/ECs to counterbalance this travesty?