Absolute failure, any real hope left?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Before you read the rest of this, understand that I mean ABSOLUTE failure. I've seen several threads with a similar vibe, and their posters come off as slightly pretentious. When you read the actual thread, they describe a 3.2+ GPA, 2000+ SAT scores, 5+ ECs and all (or at least mostly) APs. </p>

<p>This is not those threads.</p>

<p>My high school career has been a dismal failure. I started freshman year with an 83 average (probably a 3.1/3.2 GPA) and spiraled downwards since then. At the end of my sophomore year I finished with a 63 average (failing), failed most of classes (only passed two) and they are all regular curricula classes. So that means no APs and no honors. I also failed my Trigonometry regents and missed my Chemistry regents (standardized testing to evaluate if you've retained information taught of the course of the year, a complete crock in my opinion).
I am not a deviant though. Never had detention, suspension or even any sort of reprimand from teachers or deans. I'm not a suck-up either. I openly chastise and berate the system that we are condemned to, that decides whether or not the future generations of our family grow up in a multi-million dollar beach house in the Hamptons or a six floor walk up in some shoddy apartment. But I digress, I am somewhat of a rebel.
I've worked in my school library since the first day, and even helped rebuild it. I'm not big on reading. I have gone through several volumes of the Harvard Collection and enjoy pontificating about spacetime and our relation to the cosmos. </p>

<p>Any other relevant information:
- Long time Lego builder
- My mother is a computer troubleshooter/technician, so I have a natural pendence for computing and things of the like (got my A+ certification at 15. Didn't follow up on it).
- I am not involved with local communities, although I did intern a small boutique for a few months.
- I got a 1510 on the SATs when I was in 7th grade.</p>

<p>I want to get into a business school that will open up actual opportunities or even delve into politics. I only have JHU, MIT, NYU and University of Pennsylvania in mind. If I worked as hard as I could, and even managed to get pushed into advanced classes for my junior and senior year, is there hope of acceptance into any of these schools?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

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<p>Hmmm. Most of those top-tier schools are looking for very high academic success. If you transfer to a smaller university/CC for a year or so and get grades, maybe you’ll be able to get into one of the schools you mentioned.</p>

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<p>Thanks for your speedy. I’m guessing you mean accepted into a smaller university or community college. Wouldn’t I better doing my 3-4 years for undergraduate studies and then applying to one of the schools that I mentioned? </p>

<p>But what I’m really asking is if there is any hope left for me to get into one of those schools for undergraduate studies.</p>

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<p>Honestly, if you plan on doing graduate studies, just get your undergrad at a smaller state university (and get good grades obviously), then apply to one of the schools you mentioned for whatever graduate program you’re interested in.</p>

<p>The downside to transfering schools during undergrad is that (most of the time) it will result in a “5-year plan”.</p>

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<p>Does getting my graduate degree effectively nullify whatever college I end up in? And what is a 5-year plan?</p>

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<p>Not necessarily. But a graduate degree is so much more important; as a result, your undergrad (and the university you got it from) won’t matter that much.</p>

<p>And the “5-year plan” is exactly as it sounds – it is where it takes 5 years to complete your bachelor’s degree.</p>

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<p>Interesting. So the best course of action would be to find a small state university, get in, take the courses relevant to what I want my graduate degree in, do all four years in that state uni, do well (obviously) and then apply to one of my preferred educational institutions for my graduate studies?</p>

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<p>Bump, I guess.</p>

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<p>Yeah, that’s probably your best bet.</p>

10

<p>Lego builder? I am going to need clarification…
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