College Applications

[BoltzmannBrain17]

I'm very stressed out over college applications. I'm finishing up my last semester of Senior year and floundering. I have an abysmal GPA of around 2.5 and have been in absolutely no clubs. The only thing I have going for me is a 97th percentile SAT score. Other than that I have utterly bombed high school. Applying and getting into college seems like an insurmountable task. Any advice? Feeling very lost. I don't want to go to an ivy league school or even a state school. I'd be fine with a low-tier school. But I don't even know if they'd accept me. Especially since my SAT-GPA discrepancy shows a lack of work ethic and agency.

 

[Judge]

I'd be fine with a low-tier school.

What's wrong with that? I think you answered your own question with a sound solution. A chance to excel in a community college perhaps. So when you're truly ready for a university, you'll be in good shape to succeed.

I suspect you'd be shocked at how many bright, recent high school grads aren't ready for such a transition who don't even know it. You may already have an edge on them. Keeping in mind how aggressive those higher-end universities can be at culling their ranks of freshman.

We can't all set our sights on Harvard or Yale. And most of us shouldn't anyways.

Or another option is to consider a trade school instead...and bypass the whole academic scene. With a likelihood of less schooling, and more money earlier.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

Remember, education in an Ivy-League school is sometimes quite mediocre. Going there only means that you will not be allowed to fail and one is only there for the social connections. It is a characteristic of their graduates to fail upward because of those connections.

You may benefit from a community college or other small college where you can explore things to settle into what you enjoy. Well after I graduated with a Masters, I went back to a good community college to learn Applied Statistics, Statistical Design Of Experiments, and Statistical Process Control. All that was more valuable than my degree.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

The only "low tier schools" that exist are unaccredited, for-profit institutions like "University of Phoenix" or "Everest College". They are just money pits. I have never met anyone who actually got a job in the field that they studied at one of those schools. Buyer beware.

But a community college is an excellent choice. It's the same level of education as a university, but at a fraction of the cost. Also the class sizes are smaller, so you get more assistance from the teacher.

Is there a trade you're interested in, like carpentry, plumbing, landscaping, etc? I've said it before, and I'll say it again, go to Job Corps. Live on center and get certified, for free in the trade of your choice.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I was in the same boat as you 40 some odd years ago. Went too college, worked out OK. Incidently I was 95 percentile on the Sat.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

Also, is there a trade you're interested in, like carpentry, plumbing, landscaping, etc?

There is a shortage of skilled Machinists, or even very specific trades like tooling designers, who are in demand to support manufacturing.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

If I had followed my true calling I would have went to university, taken physics become a theoretical physicist. That's not how life works. Looking back it appears I made the correct decision.

 

[Butterfly88]

Agree with @Yeshuasdaughter that community college may be a good option for you. If you do want to get a Bachelor's you can always transfer later.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

That was my original plan 40 years ago I ended up with a three year diploma, second two year diploma and a certificate in Quality engineering.
Fail to plan Plan To fail.

 

[Luca]

Nothing wrong with going to a community college, it’s a great choice and you have easier access to a quality education
It’s also important to learn a skill or a trade.

It was more the social aspect of college that I struggled with…

 

[VictorR]

Excellent answers all around.

I absolutely have to agree with community colleges, since the majority of generic courses that you'll have to take, like first year English composition, calculus, statistics, etc., are going to be pretty much the same wherever you take them, and you might as well do it in a smaller class size setting where you can get to know the instructor/professor rather than in a lecture hall of hundreds where the teaching assistants won't even recognize your name.

Trade school, as others noted, is often underrated, since many trades offer stable careers, in addition to working relatively independently and having the opportunity to be self employed. Some schools have exploratory programs where you spend several months learning a bit about various trades. Even if you decide the trades aren't for you, at least you know how to handle some things in and around your home.

Something else to consider is studying abroad. Some countries in Europe have relatively low tuition, and English-speaking courses. I remember knowing someone who attended a university in Belgium for a year and mentioned that their grades were 100% based on the final exam - so if you're more of an exam person then an assignment/project person, that might be something to consider.

 

[BoltzmannBrain17]

Excellent answers all around.

I absolutely have to agree with community colleges, since the majority of generic courses that you'll have to take, like first year English composition, calculus, statistics, etc., are going to be pretty much the same wherever you take them, and you might as well do it in a smaller class size setting where you can get to know the instructor/professor rather than in a lecture hall of hundreds where the teaching assistants won't even recognize your name.

Trade school, as others noted, is often underrated, since many trades offer stable careers, in addition to working relatively independently and having the opportunity to be self employed. Some schools have exploratory programs where you spend several months learning a bit about various trades. Even if you decide the trades aren't for you, at least you know how to handle some things in and around your home.

Something else to consider is studying abroad. Some countries in Europe have relatively low tuition, and English-speaking courses. I remember knowing someone who attended a university in Belgium for a year and mentioned that their grades were 100% based on the final exam - so if you're more of an exam person then an assignment/project person, that might be something to consider.

Oh, I absolutely abhor doing assignments. I am 100% a test person. The fact that I finish each school year with in excess of 100 missing assignments is probably why my GPA is what it is. I am interested in going into academics, so I don't know about trade school. I really want to major in math.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I was good at passing courses by doing well on the final exam, You sound like a younger version of myself. Good luck. I was accepted for University entrance, but decided to go to college instead.

 

[Judge]

Oh, I absolutely abhor doing assignments. I am 100% a test person. The fact that I finish each school year with in excess of 100 missing assignments is probably why my GPA is what it is. I am interested in going into academics, so I don't know about trade school. I really want to major in math.

Consider that in most instances with a few exceptions college courses do not involve daily homework assignments like one would encounter in high school. At this level you're an adult, expected to manage your own ability to study after hours on your own terms.

Where in many cases midterm and final exams reflect the bulk of your grade. Which certainly reflected my experience in college. Whether participation was weighted at all seemed a mystery to me.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Watching the great courses, I guess you may really enjoy university level courses. My nephew did he just graduated. Starts first job in Feb. Keep mind the cost. That was the main factor in my decision. I took a lot of math courses in grade 13 equivalent to first year university.

 

[paloftoon]

I've met people who did well going to schools like University of Phoenix. I think one had some connections and another had other degrees and job experiences. It's not impossible to get a job, but prospects are probably less at unaccredited institutions overall.
In the short term, look for some volunteer organizations and conventions to do a good job in and invest your time in in addition to school itself. Doing a great job in all these spaces from here on out can only help.

Whatever you do, avoid jail time as much as possible. You might not have second chances or might have to figure out processes and pay out lots of money to get out of certain statuses.