NC State University, international student admissions. helppp?

Question

Heyy guys

so this is alittle embarrasing sharing my marks with people. I'm not proud at all. But I have a really low GPA. I'm not dumb, alot of people are surprised at my GPA because they expect it to be very high. Mind you, we don't use GPA up here in Canada for high schools so I'm not sure whats high or whats low but i know mines low. Grade 9 and 10 I barely did any homework, I never tried and these two grades have caused my low GPA. However in grade 11 last year, i decided 3/4's of the way in to dropp all my classes except MCR3U (math univ. prep which i got a 74 in). On my transcript it'll show that I dropped out. So this year grade 12 I'm retaking most of those classes and will have to go through a grade 13. My goals for my grade 12 courses are a minimum of 88% which is realistic i just gotta do the work. But it still won't be enough to bring up my GPA a whole bunch. My GPA is anywhere from 2.55 to 3.1 (i was told different by people) 3.1 is the GPA i got from a GPA calculator on the internet, 2.55 is the one from my cousin doing it altho she told me she didn't know how to do it exactly but knew the rough idea.

Anyways, enough about how i suck at life. NC State is my dream school, I honestly would do anything to get in. But with a low GPA like that I probaly don't even stand a chance. Is there anyway I can bump up my chances of getting in or even atleast getting my application reviewed?

My extracurricular activites range from volunteering at Robarts Research Centre in London where they research different medical things. Teaching English in Thailand. Working with ex-child soldiers in Uganda and building temporary huts, handing out medical supplies. I'm also trying to start up snowboard teams for each school in my school district board (Thames Valley District School Board)

How are international students applications reviewed, are they looked at a bit easier are they not as picky? I don't know

Is there anything at all that I can do to get accepted? in all honestly, i will have a heart attack if i get a letter saying not accepted lol. Yah I do over react but I get it from every female in my family.

man, i don't know. I screwed up my life. If i could rewind time and do things differently I so would. I keep hearing from teachers that I'm smart but only if I would apply myself, well geez i know that but i can't do anything about it now.

if anyones got any advice or anything let me know! pleeeease :]

please no mean comments, i know i screwed up i dont need to hear it from you. only nice things

thanks so much

-hollyy

Answer 1

Apply to NC State anyway.  You can always enclose a letter to the admissions committee explaining how you dropped your classes, then realized what a mistake you made and went back to finish high school.  You've learned quite a bit about yourself by dropping nearly out and then having to go an extra year.  Explain to them how this experience has made you value education and made you more determined to go to college.

Does State still require letters of recommendations from teachers or guidance counselors?  If so, the improvement in your work ethic would be a major point in any letter from your school.  

NC State might turn you down, that's true.  If they do, get your first year of college out of the way there at home.  Get your 2 semesters of English comp, and some math, and a couple of science courses with their labs.  Get your psychology and sociology and public speaking and music/art appreciation over with.  Those are courses that you'll have to take at State.  When you reapply to transfer the following year, you'll have a year of solid college work behind you.  And if you work really hard for that stellar grade point average, they're going to have reason to believe that you're serious about coming down here to school.

NC State also does this limited-admission program.  LifeLong Learning, or something like that.  Someone whose high school grades don't quite meet admission requirements are given a conditional acceptance.  They can only take 2 classes each semester in their first year, and their grades in these classes determine whether or not they will be granted full admission the next year.  I don't know how this program works with International Students, but it's worth looking into if that's the type of admission you're offered.

Good luck.  You sound like you've gotten yourself turned around and know what your goal is now.  You'll get here.  And when you come down for school, send me an email.  My husband and I will introduce you to North Carolina style pork barbecue and Goodberry's Frozen Custard.