> instead of wasting time on HW and studying, I've spent my time learning Python and C and Linux administration and dozens of other potentially useful skills (t

> instead of wasting time on HW and studying, I've spent my time learning Python and C and Linux administration and dozens of other potentially useful skills (that haven't helped much in college applications, but will be useful in and after college). Actually, you should mention that in your college app. For certain schools, especially ones that at least pay lip service to a "holistic review" process, that might be more interesting than your GPA.