Effects of Abysmal Attendance?

Applying to College
1

<p>I was wondering what impact bad attendance has on my chances for college admission. And by “bad attendance,” I mean that I have been to school for 4 days since November 17, 2006. I’m doing all my schoolwork and will end up with a 4.0+ GPA this trimester.</p>

<p>The colleges I would like to be admitted to are MIT, CalTech, and similar colleges.</p>

<p>I got a 217 on PSAT, I expect to get <em>at least</em> a 2200 on the SAT and 34 on ACT, and my cumulative GPA is 4.22.</p>

<p>I’ve also taken all the hardest classes I can possibly take at my school, and I’ll be taking college classes next year. (I’m in my junior year, currently)</p>

<p>By the way, I’ve been out with chronic stomach aches (real ones, lol).</p>

<p>Will the colleges find out about my terrible attendance?
Will they care?
Will it in fact increase my chances, if I can get a 4.0 without anyone teaching me?</p>

2

<p>It is unlikely that they wlll find out about your attendence unless it is reflected in you teacher recs, or on your transcript.</p>

3

<p>It does show up on my transcript. It’ll say “Absent: 50 days” or something similar–and I’m sure my teachers will make comments.</p>

4

<p>2200 SAT and 4.22 won’t cut it for MIT/Caltech. 2300 and 4.5 might.</p>

5

<p>um…chronic stpmach aches…I am going to assume you hvae been to the doctor because how in the WORLD wiil you be able to deal with attending a college if you can’t attend HS</p>

<p>I am not being sarcastic, but you REALLY need to figure out what is wrong or college, you will fail</p>

6

<p>The average SAT at Caltech was 1500, which equates to 2250 now–and 4.5 is hard to get when there’s not enough AP courses at the school. I’m assuming since I’ve taken the heaviest courseload possible and gotten the highest grades possible in math and science, I’ll gtsome credit from an -IT.</p>

7

<p>if you have been unable and are still unable to attend your school due to illness, do you think you will be able to deal with college if your medical condition isn’t taken care of?</p>

8

<p>It depends what you mean by <em>deal</em>: I know I can do well in all my college classes with my illness, if that’s what you mean.</p>

<p>And I’ve been to a doctor… there’s no diagnosis.
They think it’s stress from school, but I don’t know how it can be, because I don’t even try in school.</p>

9

<p>if you can’t go to class, how can you “deal”</p>

<p>if you can’t go to HS classes, how in t he world do you think you can sit through a college class, do you think you will be able to take all your tests in your dorm room</p>

<p>and how do you take your tests, etc</p>

<p>and IF you don’t deal with this know, wether its stress, an ulcer, an obstruction, do you think you want to spend your college time in your dorm room</p>

<p>and if suddenly you are “all better” seems suspicious</p>

<p>can’t go to school, have no diagnosis, aint’ seeing a therapist, do my tests at home, don’t have to participate in class, yet will be able to deal with college</p>

<p>untll you figure this out and are honest about it, you will sink in college</p>

10

<p>and if you think, well, I can go to class in college, why aren’t you going NOW</p>

<p>if you have a true illness, you need to deal with it BEFORE heading off to school, all off which seem to be away from home</p>

<p>why do you think you can deal with college classes when you can’t deal with HS ones that are easy</p>

11

<p>My point is nothing is going to suddenly magically change when you go to college, if anything it will get HARDER and if you are incapable of going to school now, why do you think it will all suddenly get okay for college?</p>

<p>I am not understanding your thinking…</p>

<p>Homeschooling, which is essentially what you are doing is fine, that is not what I am talking about</p>

<p>I am talking about your physical and mental health, and suddenly being put into a pressure cooker like MIT and Caltech, on THEIR schedule, their test times, not being able to just do it all at home, etc, why do you think you can “deal” if nothing changes and you can’t deal NOW</p>

<p>This is what the schools will seeL</p>

<p>a smart kid with no medical problem that has be confirmed who stay home…</p>

12

<p>First, I am going to a therapist, against my will, lol. I have had an upper GI (checking for ulcers and stuff) and blood tests (checking for H. Pylori and other diseases) and fecal and urine samples. </p>

<p>I don’t like to seem cocky, because I don’t think I’m that smart, but:
I have never come across a challenge (academically) that I can’t handle… I have never bombed a test, I’ve never not understood something, I’ve never needed help from anyone. I’ve never studied for a test or even done much homework outside of school. School has come so easily for me that I can think of no way that I wouldn’t be able to do just as well in college.</p>

<p>And I would at least e-mail my professors… idk</p>

13

<p>I don’t know how I’d go to my college classes… I’d at least go to the tests. </p>

<p>All my colleges ARE away from home, but who knows… maybe home is the problem.</p>

14

<p>You don’t seem cocky, just a bit naive. Most bright people who go to ordinary schools in ordinary towns have never blown a test. Doesn’t mean they can excel at MIT nd Caltech.You will need very high SATI and II scores to be competitive. Your sister will give you a tip at MIT.</p>

<p>But 2 plus months of an undiagnosed illness is scary. I’d work on getting a diagnosis and treatment before college.</p>

15

<p>My sister? I don’t understand. I don’t even have a sister.</p>

<p>I supposedly go to the best school in Iowa (if that means anything).</p>

<p>And I know it sounds stupid, but I can’t think of any way I couldn’t do just as well at a competitive college.</p>

<p>I’ve been the best academically all my life, I just can’t comprehend not being the best.</p>

<p>In regards to the diagnosis, they’ve essentially given up on physical diseases, so I’ve got to deal with biofeedback therapy and other shrink crap.</p>

16

<p>You have to show up…! </p>

<p>You need to know that you will be in a sea of the BEST, surrounded by over achievers, in a very competitive world who have some notion that its gonna be work</p>

<p>IF you have this attitude that all will be easy, that dealing with the therapy is grap, you will not do well in school</p>

<p>You have this attitude that you are this hotshot, special person, who is the best…well, sorry to break your bubble, you are a dime a dozen in the college world, your stats are good, but so are thousands of other kids</p>

<p>you need a serious attitude adjustment if you think you you will be the best at MIT…</p>

<p>and if you don’t go to classes, and think you don’t need to, good luck</p>

<p>and if you think the therapy is crap, and its not physical, you have some serious issues that are causing you such pain you can’t leave the house, yet you think college will be a cake walk</p>

<p>yeah, you are cocky.</p>

17

<p>Whoops, confused you with someone with a sister at MIT. Best school in Iowa, is that an oxymoron? J/K!</p>

18

<p>I’d love to add my own little twist, but citygirlsmom has it. You need to step it up a notch. Higher level colleges (assuming they aren’t Hah-vard, where you get an A for being so smart as to get an acceptance, and for being able to write long, annoying sentences with far too many clauses and stupid philosophical addendums, such as this one, – oh, and don’t forget the darn latin, for no practical reason) will demand both excellence and hard work. You are probably not stupid. You are almost certainly not a genius, and it would take a genius to “breeze” through the tough work load you can expect.</p>

<p>Finally, when you get to the workforce, either you show up, or you don’t get paid. None of this applies, of course, if you are so darn smart that you can start your own company or seize the world with your own initiative. Or if you can marry success.</p>

19

<p>"You have to show up…!</p>

<p>You need to know that you will be in a sea of the BEST, surrounded by over achievers, in a very competitive world who have some notion that its gonna be work</p>

<p>IF you have this attitude that all will be easy, that dealing with the therapy is grap, you will not do well in school</p>

<p>You have this attitude that you are this hotshot, special person, who is the best…well, sorry to break your bubble, you are a dime a dozen in the college world, your stats are good, but so are thousands of other kids</p>

<p>you need a serious attitude adjustment if you think you you will be the best at MIT…</p>

<p>and if you don’t go to classes, and think you don’t need to, good luck</p>

<p>and if you think the therapy is crap, and its not physical, you have some serious issues that are causing you such pain you can’t leave the house, yet you think college will be a cake walk</p>

<p>yeah, you are cocky."</p>

<p>Wow…way to be a *****. Who do you think you are? If you really think that this girl is a “dime a dozen” then you are the one who is deluded. Although she may not be the smartest person in the world, she is very intelligent and may very well become the “best” student at MIT or wherever she decides to attend.(if she truly does not study and gets those types of grades and scores, who knows)
Also, a small tidbit.
You do know that many intelligent people never went to the required classes in HS and still did well academically right?</p>

20

<p>Problems with your app might arise with the teacher recommendations. Sure they know you’re smart, but you haven’t been there to participate in discussions or labs. It doesn’t seem like they will know you as more than a collection of make-up work.</p>

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<p>I understand that you are in a difficult situation, but this attitude is not going to help you succeed at a school like MIT or Caltech. You may very well be capable of doing the work and you may be accepted, but those two schools are academically difficult to even the most brilliant of students. You will be surrounded by the best of the best and the biggest fish from a variety of ponds. You may be able to handle it, but you will have to work hard, and from your description, harder than you ever have before. I hope your health improves and that you find a solution; just realize that MIT or Caltech may not be the best option for you.</p>