GPAAnswered
I'm a rising senior with a 3.87 unweighted GPA (4.31 weighted, taking several AP/CIS/PSEO classes this year). My school does not weight GPAs, so I am only able to submit the unweighted one in addition to my transcript.
My grades have been decent throughout 9th and 10th grade (roughly one A- or B+ per semester with the rest being A's), but I got B's in AP Calculus AB and Honors Chemistry this year (I'm applying as a Sociology major and have straight A's in humanities courses). As my school's first semester ends in mid-January, I won't be able to send an updated transcript to colleges regardless of how I do this semester, other than my PSEO courses as my PSEO school's first semester ends in mid-December.
I didn't have any major personal life events or anything happen that caused these grades, but second semester of 11th grade I did struggle with my mental health (I have diagnosed anxiety and depression) seemingly out of nowhere which resulted in a bit of a decline, leading to the aforementioned B's. My counselor is aware of this and is planning on mentioning it in her letter of rec, and I'm also considering mentioning it in the additional information section.
As someone applying to several Ivies/Top-20's, how will this impact my chances? What can I do to make up for that on my application? Appreciate your feedback, thanks in advance!
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2 answers
Hi @ratsmoment!
I don't think two B's would affect your chances that much. Remember: grades are just one factor in the admissions process. Colleges look at them to determine whether they think you're ready for their academics, and if that's a yes you'll move on to be evaluated along other factors (like essays and extracurriculars).
Your grades will be on the lower end for, say, the Ivies, but your chances will depend on a host of other factors such as standardized test scores (I'd recommend our Chancing Engine for a more specific breakdown). The best thing you can do is ensure every other aspect of your application holds up so that these two B's are your biggest liability.
Lastly, I would not mention mental health in your additional information section. Your drop in grades is not that drastic, and it could backfire if an admissions officer sees this mental health connection as an indicator of future performance. I think it's best to leave that unexplained and let them assume you had a marginally more difficult semester due to some other factor like COVID. For more tips on discussing mental health on college applications, I'd recommend this blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-address-a-mental-health-issue-or-disability-on-your-college-application/
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions.
Hey! Thanks for asking this question!
To be honest, getting a few B's doesn't really impact your chances too much, especially if those B's are in AP and Honors classes. And, you have a valid reason for those B's. So to answer your question, getting a few B's will not lower your chances of getting into Ivies or top 20 colleges. Your GPA is still very strong. These colleges care more about the rest of your application (essays, ECs, letter of recommendations, etc.) and you should focus more on these now. If you write great compelling essays, it can really boost your chances.
What can you do to make up for those B's? Well, as I said, you don't really need to do anything. But getting a good test score on SAT/ACT may cover the grades. Maybe.
Hope you are doing better and good luck!!
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that makes sense, thank you!