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It depends. Can you show an upward trend now? That is, over the course of the rest of this year and next, are you in a place mentally to improve your standing?

If your answer is "no," I would strongly caution you against applying. Could you still get in somewhere? Possibly. But is it a good idea to add the stress of college admissions and then college itself to your psychological load when you're struggling? That's something you have to answer for yourself, but personally I would caution against it.

One thing I will say is that if your home situation is a big contributor to your mental health struggles, it may be worth applying to less selective colleges this cycle and then attempting to transfer in a year or two. You should absolutely feel free to apply anywhere you'd want to attend, regardless of selectivity, but if finances are at all a concern this may be the smartest option.

Another option, if you're on the upswing mentally but feel a bit crunched for time in building your applicant profile, is to enroll at a local community college and potentially transfer to a four-year institution later on. I knew a couple of people who did this at Stanford, and they overwhelmingly agreed that it was the right call.

Fundamentally, admissions committees are looking for candidates with strong potential. If your grades were consistently poor throughout your schooling (or got worse over time rather than better), this is a red flag. If you can show that you went through something difficult and came out stronger, it will work in your favour, especially if you have recommenders who can speak to your perseverance. But no matter what, don't apply for college if you're not in a place mentally to make the most of it.

Thanks, Anon! I’m happy to be able to help.

By “no hooks,” you mean there’s nothing that sets you apart from the masses? Compared to the rest of the REA pool, you will look even less impressive than you would if you were applying RD. 

A large portion of the REA applicants consists of legacies (expected to apply early) and people with a solid shot at getting in, who are applying early so that they don’t have to do a bunch more applications come January. While there are certainly mediocre students who apply REA because screw it why not, there tend to be fewer of these proportionally than in the general applicant pool.

That said, you should never apply somewhere competitive without a hook. If you don’t think you have one, find one, make one, or set your sights lower. As much as it sucks to hear, run-of-the-mill applicants don’t get into top schools, and it’s better not to waste the $70-150 on an application if there’s nothing that sets you apart.

Fortunately, pretty much everyone intelligent has a hook. Some are more publicly celebrated than others (patenting a cancer treatment, publishing a book series) and some are quieter, more personal (learning to play a game, meeting a long-lost famous family member that you found solely by getting interested in some esoteric sub-field of a sub-field to which they happened to have contributed significantly...). Both types are beneficial. Both types get you remembered. Do. Not. Apply. Without one.

Yep! Send me an email at genericappblrurl@gmail.com with the following info: 

I also recommend reading this post and this post before having someone look at your work.

Yes, they do! Especially in a case like yours. Regarding extracurriculars, focus on what you have done rather than what you’ve missed out on. As long as you’ve been using your time well and genuinely are prepared for college-level study, having a nontraditional background like this will not hurt you.

This is a chance to express parts of yourself that the rest of your application doesn’t cover, or to explain things that may benefit from additional context (weird transcript, gap semester, “that was the year my parents died in a fire and I was sent to live with my creepy uncle who turned out to be the antagonist of a children’s series”). If this is the common app additional info section, it’s alright to leave it blank; if it’s part of a school’s supplement, might as well cover your bases and let them know what you had for breakfast that morning.

The most common type of “gimmicky essay” I’ve seen is the essay that follows the typical “hero’s journey” structure while being thoroughly devoid of true vulnerability, portraying the author as someone who was imperfect in some way but then beat the odds and is now functionally flawless. Stories like this feel generic, and demonstrate absolutely nothing interesting about the author. Unfortunately they are quite common. Examples include “I was doing poorly at school/[insert extracurricular here] but then I Really Tried and did better!” and “I never accepted [thing about identity] but I worked really hard and now I do!” and “I had this Big Life Trauma but guess what! I’m better now!”

Obviously there are ways to write about these topics that aren’t gimmicky; the difference lies in how you, the author, present the story. To avoid being gimmicky, regardless of subject matter, write thoughtfully. This is a point I think many applicants miss: barring truly special circumstances, you will not impress the admissions team with a story that paints you as the hero. 

Concrete advice: 

Let me know if anything was unclear, and best of luck with applications season!

Hey anon, glad I could help! Lots of people ask similar questions, but everyone’s situation is a little bit different, and in this process nuance is key.

While you definitely don’t need both, shooting for a top score in one or the other is a good idea. These standardized tests are supposed to help admissions officers contextualize your high school GPA, since every school’s grading is slightly different. However, since you’re taking APs and college courses, you’re in a better position than someone with an identical GPA taking regular high school courses, and, at the end of the day, perfect test scores matter a lot less than the rest of your application. 

Another point of strategy: since you haven’t actually taken the full SAT yet, I’d suggest focusing your efforts on improving your ACT score rather than taking the SAT at all. Some top schools require you to submit every sitting of every test you take; your improvement narrative for the ACT will look a lot better without additional low SAT scores.

Yes! I’ll look at essays year-round for those folks targeting schools with spring or rolling admissions. If you want help getting a head start, that’s fine too! Just know that I prioritize taking students with earlier deadlines.

Parents can be useful eyes, but it’s definitely not necessary to let them read your essay! In your case, I’d suggest working directly with a guidance counselor or college essay specialist, since they’re far enough removed from your personal life that reading something wildly personal won’t impact your relationship together. I’m also happy to be that person if you do end up pursuing this idea!

3.7 is not that low, my friend. Maybe things have changed since I was admitted, but quite a few of the people in my class were not straight-A students in high school. 

What do you do now? Be excellent. Don’t worry about your GPA, just keep kicking ass at whatever you do. 

Thanks anon! I’m here to help 

The low score alone won’t disqualify you. There are lots of reasons for a single, non-repeated low score that have nothing to do with a person’s abilities. However, getting multiple low scores will reflect poorly on you as an applicant.

It’s always a safer bet to take the extra test if your family can afford it. I checked the website for their exact language -- “strongly recommend two subject tests.” This is a process in which you really want to have all your bases covered. If you’re fully confident that your admissions officer will be able to tell by your transcript alone that your schooling has without a doubt covered the requisite topics, then feel free to skip it, but know that it’s a risky move.

Don’t bother mentioning it. It won’t make you look particularly good or bad for the reasons you described, but it could make you seem a bit desperate. There is nothing remarkable about maintaining your baseline level of performance during the school year at a distance. 

You can definitely DM me! In general, if you’ve got a fighting chance, I’d say go for it, but otherwise you’re right, the question is more nuanced.

When I applied this was an option! Not sure if that’s changed. I do not think it’s required, however, since applying to Stanford with an indication of major preference doesn’t tie you to that major in any way.