I'm melting. Advice???

Pre-College Topics High School Cafe
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First… I would like to say that getting on this website always make me feel really bad about myself, so I don’t get on here often.
I’ll explain.

I am currently a junior. I have a 4.0 GPA, and I have a 30 on my ACT. I am in the gifted program. I have taken AP Classes, Dual Credit Classes, and college classes (at a real college). I don’t feel like listing anything else.

Why does this website make me feel bad? In the back of my mind, I do know that this is pretty flipping good compared to the average population. According to a lot of what I have read here, the stuff listed above is not even that great. It’s definitely not good enough to get me into my dream college (Standford). A year ago, this website crushed my hopes of ever getting in there.

That’s not really why I am writing this…I need some advice:

This is my 2nd semester schedule:

PE (required for graduation)
AP CALCULUS
AP US HISTORY
AP CHEMISTRY----my first chemistry class ever.
AP ENGLISH AND COMPOSITION

I have an 87 B in Chemistry and a 88 B in Calculus.
I have a 92 in AP English. That grade has been dipping up and down between a 94 and 92 for the last month and a half.

and I am melting. I have 3 grades that are on the edge. I KNOW that I’ll be able to make an A in Calculus, so I am not worried. I just made really dumb errors on the first Unit Test.

Chemistry and English are another story. I am juggling them both…

I am a very depressed person. I don’t want to lose my 4.0. I don’t have much going for me in life. My 4.0 is one of the few things I can be proud of. Once that is gone, any chance I had at a really good college in gone. Its so TIME CONSUMING. NO MATTER HOW MUCH WORK I DO, I NEVER COMPLETELY FINISH!!!. THERE IS ALWAYS MORE!!!
I’m so tired. I just want to take a nap. What’s gonna happen if I get a B. Can I still get into NYU? Will it hurt me as much as I am thinking it will?

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First of all, a 4.0 is not what gets you into college. It’s just a plus. Likewise, a 36 ACT is not what gets you into college. Past a certain threshold–different for each college–your grades and scores are fine. Say, 3.7 UW GPA and 2250 SAT, or something, for Harvard/Yale/Princeton/Stanford/etc. (And it is *Stanford, btw.)

Focus on being the best YOU you can be. That’s what they’re looking for–someone who can offer their college something different or unique. And in the end, does it matter where you go to college? You get your degree, you go to work, nobody cares anymore. Plenty of high achievers don’t go to ultra-selective schools. There aren’t enough seats in them for all of the valedictorians in the country, let alone the similarly smart top 5%, 10%, whatever.

A 3.9 is just as good as a 4.0. There is so little difference between the two: one class, two classes. You have time to study for and retake the ACT, should you feel like doing so. You have time to bring your grades up. It’s about halfway through the semester; you probably have spring break soon? Work hard and then give yourself a needed rest while on break. Take time to recharge.

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Also, if you’re really and truly depressed, seek help. Depression can keep you from performing at your full potential. Counseling/therapy might work for you.

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This website is not a good representation of students as a whole. The people that frequent CC are typically overachievers, the top 1%, etc. Furthermore, I believe (and many others do as well) that many people lie about their stats, or at the very least, embellish their profiles a little to make themselves sound good. So do not let CC make you feel bad. It’s a website. It is not real life. I’m not telling you this just so that you’ll feel good; this is the truth. Just because you aren’t the “perfect” student that you so often see on here does not mean you’re not a great student.

Secondly, you’re worrying too much. A GPA is just a number. I know, it sounds cliche. But really and truly, it will not define your entire life. Getting a perfect GPA is overrated; no one’s doomed for community college simply because they got a 3.9/3.9 rather than a 4.0. Getting a B won’t hurt you; I’m positive that you still stand a chance to get into NYU.

Yes, certainly be proud of a 4.0 But don’t not be proud of your GPA if it ends up being slightly lower than that. There’s nothing bad about something less than a 4.0. Beyond high school, your GPA won’t matter, so it’s pointless to get worked up about it.

That is not true. Read what I said above.

There’s always going to be more work. Okay, say you get a 4.0 in high school? Are you done with work? No. Then you have college. And then you have a job (and that’s when the real work begins). So yes, there is always more work. Instead of trying to finish your work once and for all, just take it one step at a time and enjoy the journey. High school is a LOT more than your GPA; what’s important is your high school experience and what you learn, not what your GPA is.

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ignore what everyone says on here, focus on the best you can be and not how well they portray themselves to be. I just have a question about your schedule- why is there no foreign language? i’m from NYC so i’m very familiar with NYU and they really like it when people take a language all 4 years, maybe it’s something you should consider adding.

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LOL. OOOPPSSS. I accidentally spelled STANFORD wrong. oops. ooops. oops. Imagine what the admission people would think If I wrote an essay to them and did that. I was in an emotional place while writing this.

Thanks for the advice. I am just going to do my best. Hopefully, it all turns out okay.

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BTW arios… My school only goes up to Spanish II, and I took that last semester. We don’t have anything past Spanish II. I don’t know what to do about that…? :neutral_face:

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Then they’ll look at that in the context of your school, not in the context of the kid in a school an hour away who took three AP foreign language exams. Take some deep breaths. You’re doing the best you can, and that’s what matters. Now go take that nap.

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The average GPA at Harvard is only 3.98…

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Who told you that, without a 4.0, you have no shot at a good college?
They were wrong.

There are thousands and thousands of “really good colleges” throughout this nation.

As to the meltdown, deep breaths. Talk to your Chem and English teachers after school, ask what they suggest.

But first and foremost, give yourself a break.

And to be honest, as a high school teacher in a college prep school, I’ve got to tell you: CC is NOT reality. Here, everyone is shooting for ivies, state schools are maligned, and community colleges are “where dreams go to die”— I actually read that in a post yesterday. Since it was in HS LIfe, I’m going to go with the assumption that it was the ignorance of youth, not the experience of someone who actually had a clue.

The reality is that the vast amount of high school juniors are just starting to think about college now. They have no idea where they want to go. They’ll take the SAT this spring, get a look at their scores, and go to guidance for help on which schools might be a good fit.

The vast majority of posters here are KIDS, just like you. All they know is what they’ve read-- here!! They have no experience other than, perhaps, their own.

So don’t let anything you read here (except, of course, this post :slight_smile: ) effect you in any way. The opinions of other kids as to your chances or your plans or your progress are no more important than your own opinions. Speak to your guidance counselor!!! He or she can see your records, knows your academic work, and can best advise you.

The best of luck to you!

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A 3.9 isn’t the end of the world :slight_smile: That’s actually REALLY good. In fact, for the most selective university in my whole state (UF), more than 80% of people with an unweighted GPA of at least 3.7 get in. Almost everyone with a 3.8 UW GPA gets in! So a 3.95 or something is great!! Even ivy leagues don’t expect a perfect 4.0 UW. Just close! So enjoy what you’re learning :slight_smile: You’ll learn SO much more if you try to relax and genuinely enjoy the content you’re learning. And if you’re having trouble on chemistry tests, go to a youtube channel called “Crash course”. they have like 40 videos that cover a large amount of the AP Chem curriculum. Plus, it’s presented in a fun format. good luck!