<p>I’m currently a junior at Stuyvesant HS with a 92% unweighted GPA (5 AP classes so far). I’ve had a lot of complications in my high school career because of two deaths in my immediate family. Is that considered reasonable for the average I have? My junior year has been better and I have gotten a 2350 SAT and 750 in SAT II Chem and USH. I also have really strong extracurriculars. Am I Harvard, Yale, or Brown material? Especially being from Stuy. </p>
<p>first of all, im very sorry for your loss. second of all, i think a 92% average is already pretty solid (coming from stuyvesant). your entire application will be considered within the context of your school and within the context of your circumstances. since the application review is holistic, they will take any special circumstances into consideration when reviewing your gpa, stats, etc. i think you have a shot at all of those schools, but i think you know that already anyways 
good luck!</p>
<p>@artistgirl97 Thanks for the response! Has anyone else here been in a similar situation? What were your results? </p>
<p>I am deeply sorry for your loss. Both my kids attended Stuyvesant High School, so I know the school very well, including the past College Office head Patricia Cleary, as well as the new one, Casey Pederick. If you go through the stats, which have now been transferred over from Stuy’s propriety software to Naviance, you will see that Harvard, Yale, and Brown over the last 12 years have accepted very few students with your average (you might actually be able to count them on one hand from all those schools). I’m not sure of their circumstances, but I would take that as a huge wake-up call. By all means apply to Harvard, Yale, and Brown as reaches, but those colleges tend to gravitate to Stuy students with 95+ averages. Please speak with Ms. Pedrick as to whether you have a realistic shot and make sure to include plenty of target and safety schools.</p>
<p>And FWIW: It doesn’t matter what another student has experienced – you will be graduating from Stuyvesant Hight School – a “feeder” school to the ivies – so that is way different from someone else’s experience. </p>
<p>Sorry for your loss. They will not consider the death in the application process, but if you think you want to address it in some way in your essays, then do that. I don’t mean the death per se and how it affected your GPA, but maybe how you had to overcome these major changes in your life and how you have moved forward (shows perseverance).</p>
<p>Also, you teachers and/or GC may mention it also when they talk about whatever dip in your grades or class work occurred during that time.</p>
<p>This advice is for wherever you apply. Not just YHP.</p>
<p>Don’t know if this helps but I know of a person who lost a parent in the 9/11 attack. They had mediocre to subpar grades and scores but was accepted to a top Ivy nonetheless. Adcom’s do take unusual circumstances into account. Personally, I would ask your GC to explain the situation and use your essays to be upbeat and showcase your talents and strengths. I’m sorry for your losses. It must have been hard to pick yourself up after each one of those tragedies. Wishing you the best.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses, everyone. @gibby Do you think mentioning my circumstances in my SSR will be enough or should I do something more?</p>
<p>I think having your GC mention the circumstances in your SSR is appropriate and enough – that’s gives you the ability to write about your love of learning in your essays. Whether that will kick you over the fence with Harvard, Yale, and Brown though is anyone’s guess.</p>
<p>I agree w/gibby. Your personal essay length is very limited. The colleges want to see what makes you tick – what drives you – what defines you. I’m not trying to lessen the affect of your loss – but unless it truly is your no. 1 or 2 item, use the space to sell yourself and describe the kind of person you want to be. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>Thanks for your responses. Also, @T26E4 I wasn’t planning on writing about the passing of family members in my essays because, although they have been a major part of my life in the past couple of years, I feel like there are a lot more topics I could write about (sports, EC’s where I have leadership qualities, clubs I started, research, a charity I started etc…). I wanted to have the passing of my family members be mentioned in my Secondary School Report so colleges get a sense of my difficult situation. I was wondering if that’s enough for colleges to understand that I had a difficult high school career (bc of the deaths) and is why I have a lower GPA (92%) than I would probably have if the tragedies didn’t occur. @T26E4 and @gibby do you guys think my approach is a good idea?</p>
<p>^^ Yes, I think having your GC mention it in the SSR is the way to go. When an applicant mentions something like this, however well phrased, it tends to come off as excuse-laden. While a GC can put a spin on it and say something like (repurposed from MIT’s website:<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/writingrecs0”>http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/writingrecs0</a></p>
<p>
</p>
<p>^^ Good find @gibby! Exactly the right way to go @cnfsedcollege1</p>
<p>Here’s a video inside the Amherst adcom. It shows consideration of people presenting personal hardships, e.g., “My father’s alcoholism wrecked our family,” or “Our family’s business was destroyed in a fire leaving us with nothing.” Considered in the context of an otherwise sterling application, they seem to enhance the chances. But I didn’t get the sense they would overcome not being otherwise qualified–whatever that means. </p>
<p><a href=“College Admissions: Inside the Decision Room - YouTube”>College Admissions: Inside the Decision Room - YouTube;