Is university out of my league..

Hi, I've heard of many students in the same boat as you. However, there is still hope! I'm only a rising senior, but I've visited a lot of colleges. The overarching claim of all the schools I've seen seems to be that they view applications holistically. They don't just look at your grades, your essays, etc. altogether. They look at those numbers and such with your circumstances in mind. With that said, many colleges also allow you to add a little explanation for your grades a certain year. It's not really supposed to be where you put an excuse but rather a reason. Either way, some schools like UC Berkeley don't even look at your freshman year grades. In addition, many schools appreciate an academic growth spurt. If you can get your grades up and show improvement, that speaks VOLUMES to admissions officers. So all these things work in your favor.

Another thing that could help you is really study for standardized tests (like SAT and ACT). If you do well on those (like 1500+ on SAT or 34+ on ACT) but have initially poor grades on your transcript, admissions officers will generally see you as bright but just not having applied yourself yet. If you get those grades up this coming year, however, admissions officers will see you as bright AND having applied yourself. What I'm trying to say is not to stress TOO much, but definitely get your academic arc established. My neighbor was very smart, got 1590 SAT without studying, but did poorly in high school because he was rude to teachers and never did work (btw I'm not saying you're like that lol, just providing an example). His scores and (I don't know but maybe) his essays probably displayed his intelligence, it was just his grades that displayed his lack of commitment. He didn't get into any of the schools he wanted, but DID receive an offer from an ivy league to attend if he maintained good grades freshman year of college. And now he's transferring there. So yeah, let's say you don't get into your best school because of the grades you've been getting. Even then, there is still hope AFTER you graduate high school. Just don't give up and don't let it consume you.

Hi @Caliyah_Jones2024,

I believe you are in grade 11 right now. You have time with you and you can work on your grades for these two years. Get help from your peers if you need it.

Universities look at you as a person and not just a single criterion like grades.

You don't have to be depressed but certainly, this is also no time to relax. You need to buckle up and work on your Extracurricular activities and grades.

You start by doing anything you like at this moment and then go deep into it.

If you need any help just comment again on this answer, I'll be more than happy to help.

Regards