HORRIBLE GPA (not exaggerating)

polaris746 · May 31, 2005, 12:25am

I’d like your opinion on my chances at WUSTL, Northwestern, and Emory.

Let me tell you straight up. My GPA is the weakest part of my application, as it is horrible. And I’m not talking CC-horrible (which is probably around something like a 3.7 uw). I mean like, horrible – and this is partly (if not fully) due to my horrendous freshman year. Note that I am not looking for sympathy here, because I know I will not get any. I haven’t read of anyone with a lower uw-GPA than me on this board.

My freshman year was abysmal – if you had looked up “asian failure”, “counter-strike addict”, or “procrastinator”, you would’ve seen my picture covering that entire page of the dictionary. I basically thought I could get away with the minimal work I had been doing in middle school – and learned that life was not so easy – the hard way.

Freshman year:

(Unleveled) Literature and Composition I: C+
(Unleveled) World History I: B-
(Honors) Algebra II: C
(Unleveled) Advanced Earth Systems Science: C
(Regular) French II: C
(Unleveled) Symphonic Band: A

Pretty funny, eh?

Then I realized that I’m in deep horse poo and started trying sophomore year:
Note that I couldn’t get into any hard classes my soph. year because I had such horrible grades frosh year

(Regular) Literature and Composition: A-
(Regular) World History II: A-
(Regular) Geometry: A+
(Regular) Biology: B+
(Regular) French III: B+
(Unleveled) Introduction to Debate: B
(Unleveled) Symphonic Band: A+

(I should probably take this time to note that I go to a fairly competitive public high school with a good reputation. It use to be one of the top 100, but it has been declining as of late – it is still a good school ranked about 300th in the nation. Grade deflation is rampant especially in English and Science courses.)

With my decent sophomore year grades, I was able to take more rigorous courses junior year:

Junior (Realistically projected):

(Regular) American Literature: A-
(Honors) AP US History: A-
(Honors) Advanced Math: A
(Honors) AP Chemistry: B
(Honors) AP Statistics: B
(Regular) French IV: A-
(Unleveled) Symphonic Band: A

Not exceptional, but clearly better than my last two years. I understand that I am not close to ivy-material, but I am confident about my positive trend. I just don’t know if this trend is TOO positive… or TOO MUCH of an improvement from frosh year (i.e. my frosh year grades are too terrible to even receive consideration).

Here are my next year’s courses:

(Unleveled) Contemporary Literature
(Honors) AP Biology
(Honors) AP Calculus AB
(Honors) AP European History
(Honors) AP Physics B
(Unleveled) Symphonic Band

Realistically speaking, my uw-GPA is not going to be above a 3.5. Heck, it probably won’t end up above a 3.4 if I take out Symphonic Band – and this is all assuming I absolutely rock my finals and 1st quarter of senior year – because my current uw-GPA is like a 3.2.

<hr>

Realistic projections:

AP US History: 5
AP Statistics: 5

<h2>AP Chemistry: 3</h2>

Real scores:

SAT Reasoning Test: 2100 (cr-700, m-700, w-700 (8))

Retaking October, aiming for 2250.

SAT Subject Test: Biology -> 800
SAT Subject Test: Chemistry -> 750
SAT Subject Test: US History -> 800
SAT Subject Test: Japanese -> 790
SAT Subject Test: Math IIC -> 800

ACT Assessment: 32 composite

Oh, and I’m a Japanese citizen with a greencard (permanent resident - MA).

<hr>

Extracurriculars:

I don’t want to bore you so I’m just going to put on my really major EC’s, ok? ok.

Symphonic Band (9, 10, 11 (section leader), 12 (some good leader position))
Baseball (9, 10, 11, 12) (NOT on school team!)
Yearbook (9, 10, 11, 12 (Editor))
Intramural Softball (10, 11 (manager), 12 (manager))
Japanese Language School (K-11 (alumni))
Student Government (12 - class council)
National Forensics League (10 - policy debater)

Some achievements:

-Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductors Association (2-time silver, 1-time bronze medalist - Symphonic Band)
-Massachusetts Science Fair (9, 11) (Certificate of Achievement)
-National Youth Leadership Forum on Medical School Admissions nominee (11)
-Japanese Language School of Greater Boston Alumni
-PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Certified
-1st Place Division-A Tournament at Tennis Camp
-CPR Certified

Volunteer:

530 hours
-CIT at a Japanese-American Institute (10, 12 : combined 480 hours)
-Tutoring (combined 50 hours)
–ESL
–Middle school standardized testing
–Elementary school math
–English tutoring in Japan

Work experience:

Student-tutor at a Kumon Math & Reading Center (10, 11, 12)

<hr>

My truest passion lies in the game of baseball. I wasn’t able to tryout freshman year due to a sprained calf, got cut sophomore year, and wasn’t able to tryout junior year because of elbow tendenitus. What luck, huh? I still managed to play in local leagues, etc. I also love to deal with/teach little kids, and my own native language – which explains my 480 hours of CIT community service at a Japanese-American camp, along with my numerous hours of volunteer tutoring and work experience at Kumon.

Will my above-average standardized test scores and my EC’s make up for my below-average GPA? How about the fact that I’m not your average science-olympiad, math-team-captain, piano-for-12-years, 2400-sat Asian? shrug

What are my chances at WUSTL, Northwestern, and Emory? I’m thinking of a WUSTL ED, but would that be pushing it? Because my friends and I sure think so. <slaps self=“” for=“” slacking=“” frosh=“” year=“”></slaps>

Tami · May 31, 2005, 1:03am

Actually, the so called “low GPA” isn’t too bad, considering that you’ve had an upward trend so far. In addition, your EC’s are awesome, and your SAT scores will almost certainly be a strength in your application.

Do apply to WUSTL, add some safetites also, and I think you’re pretty much set.

quitejaded · May 31, 2005, 10:23am

Don’t worry about it. :)

jamimom · May 31, 2005, 10:33am

ED is not a good choice for you as your Mid Year grades could make a big positive difference in your application. Since a lot of kids go waay down senior year, if you can do the oopposite, you would be in decent shape.

Also, your class rank will figure into the equation–find out if your school ranks and where you fall if they do. If a class rank is given, your GC should note that it is adversely affected by a bad freshman year which has been overtaken by good grades in a very rigorous curriculum in a tough school, if all of this is the case.

I would suggest you go right on ahead with your list but as all kids should do, look at some safeties that address your weakest point. A school like Case Western or Carnegie Mellon would be good matches. Start looking for less selective schools where you strive as some safeties. That is the challenging part of the college process, not picking your dream schools but schools that you can enjoy and get what you want that are not so well known or selective.

polaris746 · May 31, 2005, 2:36pm

Thanks for replies. As jamimom noted, I was thinking that ED would not be a good decision for me. Speakig of mid-year grades, do second quarter grades go to colleges if I applied via regular admission? Regular admission deadlines are Jan. 15, and my school’s second term does not end until the end of January. Will the college be waiting for those second quarter grades before making their decision?

Also, since financial aid isn’t a concern, is it reasonable if I go ahead and apply ED to WUSTL? If I get deferred, I can still re-apply for regular admission, right? This brings up another important question:

Does getting defered from ED negatively affect your chances as a regular applicant? (I’m guessing not.)

Thanks again.

CC_Admin · May 31, 2005, 2:41pm

Dude. How do you get a C in a regular class? For that matter, how do you get a C in any class?

I’m sure there is a college out there for you though dude, good luck, I hope you find a good one.

I admire that you were obviously entirely honest though.

polaris746 · May 31, 2005, 2:55pm

Heh, you think a C is bad? For that freshman science class, I had a D+, C-, D entering the fourth term. I literally cried myself to bed after getting that 3rd D, but it was my fault for not getting stuff in on-time anyways. I managed to pull an A- fourth term and pull it up to a C.

That’s pretty funny actually, in retrospect. Have you ever heard of anyone pulling up a solid D to an A- in one term? <proud of=“” self=“”></proud>

I’m pretty sure it was the effect of this computer game called Counter-strike. I would come home, play until midnight, start my HW, take a break around 2 in the morning, play a few more hours, go to bed, and end up not having my HW the next day. Repeat.

Fun.

Oh yeah, I also remember the days when I would go into a French test, sleep for the first 50 minutes, and jot something down in the last 5 and get like a really high F. I was proud of myself.

CC_Admin · May 31, 2005, 2:59pm

I had a friend in California who just didn’t do his homework and played that game all night.

Then he’d fail classes, but he came into Biology and I was all excited I got a 101 on the first final, so he got a 104 lol. He was a really smart guy, but a common sense idiot.

polaris you are kinda like me but I always pull up the grade. We had to take a class simply called reading in 7th grade. We turned in these sheets with two sentence summaries and the page range we read out of books. I didn’t turn in any of them, and I got my gradesheet that was the one for the last chance to fix your grade.

My teacher would always forget to count things let. So I pulled my grade from a 44 to a 99 for the finish lol.

system · May 31, 2005, 2:59pm

CounterStrike is the shiznit, though I never really got hooked on it, I pretty much played it all winter when snow was a foot high

polaris746 · May 31, 2005, 3:02pm

hahahah. I think the only reason I’m getting decent grades now is because I learned how to pull up my grades before it’s too late – because I’m still a pretty big slacker.

Another freshman memory:
I started my science fair project the day after it was due, BSed all data, and got a C+. woot.

CC_Admin · May 31, 2005, 3:05pm

This year I had to take World Geography PreAP because it was a freshman class at this school and I took their sophomore class my freshman year.

So, we had this semester long project of creating a country that was going to be like half our grade.

He went on and on about how we should work on it as he taught us how to do the different parts of it, and “don’t put it off until the last day.”

I put it off until 8PM the Sunday before the Monday it was due, I finished it, turned it in, and got a 95, second highest grade. This babe who got a 99 said she worked on it all semester. I don’t believe it, I think she screwed the teacher.

LoJT · May 31, 2005, 4:08pm

Haha, the whole counter-strike sounds like me. Except, I was hooked on a game called “Ultima Online” an awsome MMORPG, btw. But um… it stole 4 years of my life, starting from 5th-9th - then I snapped out of it. Too bad, I’m in just about the same case as you, with the whole Freshman messup, minus the awsome Standardized tests. I got 2C’s in Honor courses, and a B in a CP course. I’m now top 25.

Not to hijack your thread, but the whole thing about not early decisioning because of GPA. Do you think if my GC wrote something explaining how poorly motivated I was freshman year, and that’ i’ve done a turn around would be OK for a top25 student applying to Columbia SEAS ED? or should I jsut wait for RD, since i’ll be raising my grades?

jamimom · May 31, 2005, 6:03pm

You can request 1st quarter grades to be sent, the midyear report to be sent, the third quarter to be sent. Usually only the Midyear report is required by colleges but in a situation where early grades are low, it can only help to show this continuing trend.

Spetsnaz_Op · May 31, 2005, 8:24pm

you exaggerated, is that even below 3.3?

system · May 31, 2005, 8:34pm

actually for me it was starcraft back in 7th grade

nonconformity · May 31, 2005, 8:41pm

I had a 3.4…It’s not THAT horrible.

funkyspoon · May 31, 2005, 8:43pm

working at Kumon is always a good thing ;)

polaris746 · May 31, 2005, 9:05pm

I’m glad someone knows what Kumon is.

Anyway, I had a question up there that wasn’t answered:

Since financial aid isn’t a concern, is it reasonable if I go ahead and apply ED to WUSTL? If I get deferred, I can still re-apply for regular admission, right? This brings up another important question:

Does getting defered from ED negatively affect your chances as a regular applicant? (I’m guessing not.)

CC_Admin · May 31, 2005, 9:29pm

So, what is Kumon lol?

Some of the people on this forum are such pompous jerks who aren’t even that smart.

This is the thread of cool people. Slackers that are still making the A’s lol.

goofball06 · May 31, 2005, 9:42pm

You have nice test scores, so maybe try to take some college classes ASAP to show advanced-ness and raise GPA? Just wondering, what do you wanna major in?

HORRIBLE GPA (not exaggerating)

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