<p>Me and quite a few of my friends feel that we can't get into a good college, be successful and make our parents proud.
A lot of us don't know what we even want to major in.
A group of us scored lower than 1500 on the SATs..</p>
<p>I'm sure there are more people than just us out there...
Me and my friends live on the west coast of US. California to be exact.</p>
<p>We'd like to hear some stories of those who felt or just didn't do so well or great as they'd hoped in high school
and eventually went to a worthwhile college.</p>
<p>We need hope and some inspiration.
and perhaps even some tips.</p>
<p>It would be nice if other than just inspirational stories, other soompiers can post how they feel about getting into college.</p>
<p>My story..
I scored a 1390 on the March SAT Reasoning. I live in an asian home and my parents want me to go into science, medicine..all that.
I doubt I can get in...at least, that's just how I feel.
Other than that, I'm not even sure if I want that.
I dont know what I like.
Nor am I good at anything or bad at any of my subjects.
I feel, so average.
My GPA would range between 3.0 - 3.75.
I'm a junior in HS.
Schools that I've looked into are SJSU, SoCal, UCDavis..
But I don't even feel if any college is right for me.</p>
<p>Cheeeeer up!
You can ALWAYS retake the SAT and block out the scores you’d rather not send to colleges. Also, if the SAT isn’t your thing, you can always try the ACT. So many colleges don’t even require standardized test scores anymore!! Visit fairtest.org for more info!</p>
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<p>Hey, I know why you’re having problems.</p>
<p>Also if you need an inspirational (and true) story about getting into college - violence between my parents escalated so far during my senior year that I had to basically engineer the separation of my parents (who are now back together because as much as I love my mother she doesn’t think at all when it comes to my father). We lost our house and my mother uncle (flew in from South Dakota, thank god) and I had to move the entire house by ourselves. I took the ACT one saturday immediately after the move without studying at all, and got a 34, 4.0 in school during this time, and got into Rice with a full ride.</p>
<p>You got a 1390. That’s awesome (it’s also what I got on the SAT). Try the ACT. Screw what your parents want - they will probably be dead halfway through your life, as sad as it is, and you’ll be left empty if you live your life according to what they want. My parents want me to go into biology and medicine too (because apparently that’s the only ‘real’ science, lol) and I’ve firmly stated that I’m going into either planetary science and studying the moons of Jupiter or going into video game development and fiction writing or even yacht design, all things my parents deem ‘unworthy of my “GREAT INTELLECT.”’ I am currently working in a biochemistry lab (have been all year) and I hate it. I will not study it to please my parents, neither should you. Becoming a doctor is laughable for me. Your only goal right now is to figure out what you like. Do what I did and basically live on wikipedia for a few days or so and collect a bunch of interesting topics, and read books on the most interesting ones. That will definitely open up some completely new possibilities for you.<br>
You must enjoy something. Think about what you like and then look more into that. Hobbies - video games? sports? reading? drama? If there’s anything you like, anything at all, a career in that will be more satisfying than one forced on you by your parents.</p>
<p>I cannot stress this enough: LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE, DOING WHAT YOU LIKE.</p>
<p>Take this, I’m from an Indian household and I didn’t get into any of the UC’s I applied to (UC Berkeley, UCSD, UCLA, and UC Davis). See, I suffered from depression my sophomore and junior year and thus my grades basically sucked. I hardly studied (glanced at my SAT/ACT books) for my SAT’s and got a 2040, and ACT’s I got a 32, basically showing how if I did study, and if I had applied myself I wouldn’t have to worry. The thing is, I’m really scared myself that I might be going back into depression because I didn’t get into any of the colleges I wanted to go to. On top of that, my mom keeps emphasizing how I screwed up. At the same time, she emphasizes my potential. </p>
<p>The thing about Indian households is that the parents only care about the “braggability” of the college their kid is going to. Sure, parents that have kids my age or older know there’s nothing wrong with going to community college. In fact, it saves money and your kids will turn out more mature. However, my parents are really young. So in turn, all their friends have kids that are still in middle school, and their younger kids are just entering elementary. They have 1 or 2 other friends with kids that are in college. Thus, my parents are automatically “ashamed” of me just because I didn’t get into any of the prestigious schools I applied to. I keep telling them I’ll work hard in community college and get into UCLA/UC Berkeley but my mom keeps telling me how I ruined their “reputation” in society and how I should just go to Saint Louis University (one of the prestigious schools I DID get into).</p>
<p>I got into San Jose State and Santa Clara, and other privates as well but I’m not really into them. </p>
<p>My friends, even though they’re Indian/Pakistani, don’t understand, because their parents are older and their community has dealt with this before. They keep telling me to stop living for my “Indian community” and instead live for myself. I think you should follow that advice too. You may not impress your parents now, but you can apply yourself in college and impress your parents later. Whoever wants to talk can talk now, but when you become rich and successful … they’ll regret it.</p>
<p>im guessing you got a 1390/2400 and not 1390/1600 (cuz the latter score would be good and nothing for you to worry about).</p>
<p>as far as getting into college, you don’t have to go to the stereotypical ‘good’ school to be successful. my two cousins went to community college, and one is already a nurse, happy with what he’s doing and making close to 6 figures (the other one is on her way to doing the same). and im sure that they, too, didn’t do so hot on their sats.</p>
<p>what im trying to say is, you should keep an open mind. the way to success is not necessarily good grades, good sats, good school, good life. despite what your asian parents may say there are OTHER OPTIONS. </p>
<p>also, a lot of your success has to do with attitude. instead of sulking about what you CAN’T do, find something you CAN do and work with that. there are lots of people who aren’t stereotypically ‘book smart,’ but they do well in life anyway. it’s about staying positive and making the best of what you have. </p>
<p>i know parents are difficult. especially asian ones. try to talk to them and make them see things in your perspective. i believe in you.</p>