Will a C- and other C's affect my chances of getting into an Ivy League such as Princeton?Answered
I just checked my transcript and saw that I have 3 C's on my transcript. I'm an A- student but struggled within the past two years due to depression. I got one C my freshman year and 2 sophomore year. My gpa isn't the best but pretty good, I have a 3.6 weighted. I got a C- freshman year in English but the following year, sophomore year, I finished the year with a 90. However, I've raised up my English grade throughout the year and I'm going to be in an English honors class junior year! Sophomore year I got 2 C's on Spanish and Geometry. But, I raised up both grades and I will be going into Algebra 2 honors and AP Spanish and Literature my junior year. I've improved. Will this impress the Ivy League admissions office or will it still affect my chances of getting into Princeton University? Should I still apply? If not, how can I improve my chances of getting in?
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Never say never, If you take hard classes junior year and really work to get all A's than your GPA should boost significantly and show growth to colleges. There is also space on applications to explain the reason why you got bad grades so you can use that to your advantage. Despite this your GPA will probably still be on the slightly lower end compared to other applicants, however if you do really really well on the ACT ,I would say 34 or above, it would show that you are academically competent compared to others because grades to colleges are largely a reflection of how well you will do in their school and be able to handle the course work, and if you do well on the ACT it will show that despite your GPA you still have the scores and brains to be a competitive applicant. Also are you a minority student, first generation, or low income ? You don't have to answer that to me if you don't want to but colleges also take those things into consideration and you having a diverse background or life struggles will make admission officers more inclined to look past a few bad grades in favor of looking at the context of your life.
To be honest, a 3.6 weighted is extremely low for Princeton. That being said, it’s not impossible. Try to get straight A’s for the rest of high school (or as close to all A’s as possible), and take rigorous courses. The fact that you’re taking AP Spanish is very good. Also remember, junior year is the most important year for grades. Another thing to keep in mind is that colleges like it when you’re grades are on an upward trend, and improve each year. Make sure to write about how you have improved, and keep it positive. You for sure still have a chance at Princeton, but it might be very difficult. Hope this helps!
Sorry to hear about your struggle with depression. It's wonderful that you have high aspirations. And you should be proud of yourself for trying so hard and taking care of your family at the same time.
The comments below are very thoughtful and realistic so I will not repeat what has been said. Given your depression issues you may reconsider the Ivies since they are so competitive. They can be a very hard place to be, and you could be very unhappy if you do get in. The competition is very considerable.
Many of my son's friends have applied and been rejected. These kids had stellar grades and scores. For example: one girl had a 3.96 unweighted GPA with 13 AP classes and a 1580 her SAT. She was lacking in other areas such as extra-curriculars and had no hooks. She was rejected form every Ivy League school she applied to including Princeton! She is now happily at Wash U.
Do you have a counselor at school who can help you explore colleges? They may be able to help you think about the right fit schools for you. You will find a great school. Good luck!
Unfortunately highly doubtful since all 8 Ivys have an average unweighted GPA of 3.90 or better. Perhaps if you were a highly coveted Division I recruited athlete that won a national title.
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Thank you for this amazing response!! I’m a realistic person so I completely understand everything about gpa and how competitive it is. However, I have hope. If I do really good junior year, I’ll apply. If not, I’ll just deal with it plus there are many amazing schools!!! But, I’ll definitely work really hard and continue my jobs to help my family :)