Got a lot of Bs This Semester, Do I Even Have a Chance for a lot of my schools?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Hi,

So I am a rising Senior, and I am worried about whether or not I should even apply to a lot of the schools on my list because of my second semester junior year grades. I got all Bs besides Academic Decathalon Class. I had all As the previous semester, and for all the previous semesters of high school. I was having many different financial and family difficulties at the time, and while that isn’t an excuse for my grades dropping, my struggles this semester definitely made maintaining As in all AP classes pretty hard. I’m going to post my CV and dream schools below, and hopefully someone will tell me if I even have a chance at them.

CV

Academics:

Class Rank- I was in the top 5% but now I am in the top 10%. We have a class of about 530 people. My school is very competitive and the classes are known to be pretty hard compared to most other schools in the area.

Course Rigor- All honors and AP. I have taken: AP Chem, AP Art History, AP Physics I, AP World, AP US History, AP English Language. I have finished 3 years of honors French, and also honor Pre Calculus. I’m taking 8 AP classes next year.

Grades- I got all As (besides an 88 in honors Geometry freshman year), up until second semester junior year. I got all mid Bs that semester. I now have a 3.7-3.8 unweighted GPA and a 5.09 weighted GPA.

SAT/AP- Just took my first one with no prep, got a 2100. Took the June 6th one, hoping for a 2200 now that I studied a bit. I got a 5 on the AP world exam, and I hope I did well on the ones I took this year!

Race/Income- My race is “Other”, not really sure what I am, I’m a mix. My family is high income, but we took a MAJOR financial hit this year and had a lot of hardships such as total lack of money to pay bills, and a dying family member. I had to pretty much become the man of the house and take care of everyone.

ECs:

I am an avid photographer/filmmaker, I have turned this into a business, and I make a good amount of money selling prints and shooting for companies. My work has been featured on CNN, ABC, and FOX. I have also many international, national, and local awards for my art. I mainly do astrophotography and landscape photography.

I am currently doing a research internship at a biomedical company. I am helping do research on effective cancer prediction and diagnosis techniques with circulating tumor DNA technology with real patient data. I am using a full state of the art biochemistry lab, and working alongside experienced professionals. I will be giving a full report on my research in August for the company.

I teach disadvantaged high school students Math and Science after school for volunteer hours

I also volunteered in a local hospital caring for people and cleaning things up summer of sophomore year

I volunteered extensively at a local clinic of indigent and uninsured migrant worker for 2 years

I was part of my schools academic decathlon team for a year

I did UIL Science and Math competition for 2 years

I am in National Honor Society

I was the sole caregiver for my dying grandmother for the past few months. Not sure if I can put that on an app, but it was certainly a hardship and I had a very hard time balancing that and school.

I run my own business of buying, selling, and making clothing. It generates quite a bit of revenue for me. I’ve made a bit of money doing marketing for other internet companies too

Schools I want to apply to:

Stanford
Princeton
Cornell
Yale
Brown
Columbia
UC Berkeley
UCLA
UPenn
UT Austin

I know these are reach schools for every student, but I’m just wondering if it’s worth my time even applying because of the all the Bs I got this year. Thanks!

2

I’m not totally sure about this one. Could your hardships this year explain your B’s? If yes, go for them all! If not, I would set your sights on a tier lower, and maybe only keep Cornell on your list (I’m not too sure about the UCs). Also, make sure to keep in mind that these were B’s in extremely hard classes. Good luck! :slight_smile:

3

My hardships would definitely be the factor behind my Bs, I also have pretty severe ADHD, and I couldn’t afford medication 2nd semester.

4

Yes, why not to try?
But also apply to safety schools. Your stats aren’t bad and try to lift your SAT for a 2250+.

5

I would still apply. Try to let them know about your hardships, but don’t be whiny about it/make excuses.

6

You can keep Brown, UCLA, UT Austin, and UPenn (unless you are looking at Wharton, then no). It depends on your major, which unless I missed it, you did not specify. Your weighted GPA is suspiciously awfully high, but colleges will recalculate it anyways. Just get back on track first semester next year!

7

Well, it’s a 5.091 out of 6. PreAP and AP classes are weighted higher. That’s what it says on my transcript. I don’t know how colleges calculate weighted GPA though.

8

Ordinarily, I’d say that your second semester of your junior year has shot your chances to hell. However, in your case, especially if you have contributed to the support of your family with your obvious hard work and business sense, I think you might find favor with an admission committee or two among the most selective schools. You need to have your guidance counselor write a glowing letter explaining your difficult circumstances, and indicate that your courage and perseverance have been nothing short of extraordinary. Essays and letters of recommendation will be vital to successful application.

Remember to give special emphasis to your photography achievements, especially the recognition you’ve received from the networks, et. al. Combined with the guidance counselor’s explanation of your difficulties, you will show to admissions committees how much you have achieved in spite of those problems, and how much of a self-directed, self-starting individual you are.

Good luck to you.

9

I just don’t know how to prove to them I actually have had hardships. I feel like a lot of people of lie about this kind of stuff. And I don’t know how the colleges will believe me. Do you have any advice on this?

10

Have you talked with your GC about that?
As @notjoe said, try to speak with him/her.

11

This is part of the reason why it helps to have your guidance counselor’s assistance in this matter. The admissions committees often rely on guidance counselors for an objective view of the applicant. As well, if you have professional credits for your work that can be independently verified, that will lend a great deal of credibility to what you assert.

12

@notjoe I don’t even really know my guidance counselor. I’ve only met her one time. I don’t know how I’d get her to help me on this. Also, I know you said that my chances at the “most selective” schools are shot to hell, but do you think I have decent chances at Brown, Cornell, Penn, and the UCs?

13

@su1xsu2xsu3,

Your guidance counselor is still the person with who you at least need to start. You need an adult advocate who can offer an objective view of your situation, but still act as your champion. Even if you don’t currently know her, a decent guidance counselor will assist with this sort of situation. Other possibilities include people to whom you directly report, or with whom you directly deal with the networks and your photography. Other possibilities include teachers who know you well, or other administrators. Don’t stress too much about whether or not your story is believed. If you are telling the truth, schools come across students in difficult circumstances every year, and they manage to figure out what’s really happening.

As well, I didn’t say your chances are shot to hell. I said, based on these grades ORDINARILY your chances would be shot to hell. Pretty much at most highly selective schools. But given your circumstances, I think there is some chance that one or more admissions committees will look upon your difficulties, contrast them with your overall achievements, which are pretty cool, and give you a shot. I think that’s possible for any school you’ve listed. You’ll need to pick your grades back up starting the very next grading period, and you will need someone to go to bat for you in terms of providing the objective view of your circumstances.

You seem to be an intelligent, resourceful, creative person. Dig deep into those inner resources and figure out who it is who can independently speak to schools on your behalf. You have what it takes.