COVID Year GPA screwing up overall GPAAnswered
So for context, my sophomore year (20-21), was the pandemic year. That same year I had a major death in the family and my mom was diagnosed with cancer. It basically was a disaster and I could barely keep it together mentally, let alone focusing on my work and keeping my grades up. They weren't bad, my final GPA was a 3.2 (uw) and I typically have a 4.1 (uw). Now in my junior year, my grades are back up and normal, but my overall GPA is lower than I'd like (3.7 unweighted). I'm worried its going to affect my ability to get into the schools I want to. Am I worried for nothing? And how do I fix it, besides getting good grades this year and next, when, I'll be dual enrolling.
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3 answers
My biggest piece of advice is to utilize the common app Covid-19 essay option. It allows you to write an essay on how the Covid pandemic affected you. Here is the prompt:
Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces. For more information, check out our COVID-19 FAQ.
This way you can let the college know your circumstances and why you are in the situation that they see on your transcript. You can also mention these issues in your other essays and even bring them up during an interview if the college does those. If there is an interview, most DEFINITELY mention this! This will really help your college application. Your GPA is already great as a junior and as long as you do well and get all A's it will only rise. Otherwise, show how you triumphed over these adversities and they will most likely accept you. Just make sure the other aspects of your application are also up to par with the college's requirements.
I wish you the best of luck!
First of all, I'm sorry for the diagnosis of cancer and for your loss. It depends on the college you want to get into. If you are enrolled in college-level classes, you can get a higher GPA. It also depends on how many college-level classes you are in. If you keep up your grades, I don't see how your GPA wouldn't go up.
I would suggest looking at the schools you plan on going to, and seeing their enrollment requirements. Pretty often, they will say how they consider your grades/GPA from the COVID year. For example, I'm planning on going to a school in California, and they're not considering grades from the Spring, Fall, and Winter of 2020. If you're still not sure, try contacting counselors :)
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