Ask a Scholar: Does a bad grade sink my chance of becoming a Point Scholar?

Question:  “I am an excellent student, but my math class destroyed me this semester. In the sea of A's and a few B's on my transcript, is a single D from that class. What is the reality of becoming a Point Scholar in this situation?”

Point Scholar Angie Gonzalez responds:

As long as you are meet the GPA requirements to become a Point Scholar, you should be fine. Even if you don’t, your GPA doesn’t define who you are. Point looks applicants and scholars as leaders, volunteers, doctors, engineers, teachers, musicians, athletes - essentially, who we are as a person. To be honest, when I applied to Point, I had a C right smack in the middle of my transcript, and I felt like it was the end of the world. My personal way around that was asking that professor to write my Point recommendation. Though I struggled in his course, he recognized that I was still a hardworking student, and he knew that I had other struggles to deal with that semester.

Point listens to the stories that come along with you. As LGBTQ scholars, we face more discrimination, have higher homeless rates, and are bullied more than our straight and cisgender peers. In addition to grades, we have to worry about coming out or keeping in the closet, how we act around our friends and family, or just figure out a way to survive. And if you’re also a person of color, from a low-income family, differently abled, an undocumented immigrant, or any other additional marginalized identity - the way your identities affect one another can also affect your performance in school. The amazing thing is that Point gets us. And Point’s mission is to serve LGBTQ students from all walks of life. So you have a D in a math class? I say, apply. If you have a good extracurricular life, volunteer at an organization, baby-sit for your family because your relatives need to work, then let Point know in your application. Trust me; Point will be very understanding.