<p>Alright parents, this has been one of the things that I've been wondering... This board is made up of the most exceptional people I have ever seen... I really do believe that the future of the world really does post on this board. However the people posting here are not the majority of students. Do any of you have truly average students? Below are my High School stats (mind you, I'm up to a 3.9 GPA now, I really buckled down once I hit the JC)... If I was your kid, what would have been your advice to me concerning where to apply and my future.</p>
<p>3.3 UW GPA
1000 on the SAT (it was around that, I honestly don't remember the exact score)
AP Econ
AP Political Science (took them both at the CC, so no AP scores)
I made Honor Roll once
EC's:
ASB
Journalism (spent 2 years as an editor)
Care (program that helps freshmen ease into High School)
Safe Rides- Program dealing with drunk driving
I was very involved also with the Every 15 Minutes program... I did not directly praticipate in it, but I did make the video that was shown at the assembly the next day.</p>
<p>That is my High School life in a nutshell... If I was your kid, what would you have told me to do? Would you have been dissapointed with my preformance in school?</p>
<p>I would have asked you what you wanted to do, then we would have talked about what you needed to do to get there.</p>
<p>I think "average" is a cop out. Everyone has dreams. How seriously you take them, and what you're willing to do to reach them, is what distinguishes you from everyone else - not your SAT scores or you GPA. Of course, those things can be important in certain contexts, but without your own sense of direction and motivation they don't mean squat.</p>
<p>Anyway, it sounds like you have that, or you wouldn't be doing so well now. Just don't look back and mope about how your path was different from someone else's. At this point, you might have ten times the drive of some of the people here, and who knows where that will land you.</p>
<p>I think it's wonderful when somebody gets it together to get into an elite college right out of high school. But that's not the only way to do it. I took a year off, then went to a two year state campus after I graduated from high school before I transferred to a four year campus, and I wouldn't trade any of that experience for the fanciest school out there.</p>
<p>For the record, to this point I'm thrilled I went the CC route. I've learned (yes I know they'll be more difficult at a university) what to expect form classes, and I've learned that I'm honestly not that stupid. Hopefully next year I'll be going to UCLA.</p>
<p>I don't think everyone matures academically at the same rate. One kid might be learning how to be an amazingly mature human being while getting ho-hum grades in high school. While some backward driven oaf gets high scores, but doesn't know anything about himself, or those around him. He might get into a great school, but that doesn't mean he's going to make good use of it. Or maybe he'll spend his college years learning how to be human.</p>
<p>The point is, there's nothing stopping you from figuring out what suits you best, and then going for it in your own sweet time. And maybe the future of the world depends on you doing just that!</p>
<p>Well, it is hindsight now, but with the AP classes and GPA and ECs looking pretty strong relative to the SAT I probably would have suggested taking the ACT and maybe applying to a couple of SAT optional schools (and not submitting the scores).</p>
<p>I think it is true this board has many overachievers on it. However, please do make your voice heard. Many of the issues discussed you can both relate to and contribute to here. And many issues can provide insight into the search process.
Concerning your stats., you will find a college somewhere. If I were you I wouldn't aim for very competitive colleges, upper tier, because even if you did get in it may be too hard or there could be problems finding folks like yourself. If you are a junior make a point of applying early at larger state colleges, if that is where you want to go, and be prepared to accept a campus which may not be the one you wanted. So apply to a numbert of colleges. And don't overlook these smaller state colleges. I have a neice who went to a small state college, went to a larger state u. for a masters, then went to another research u.for her phd and now has been offered a job as as an asso. prof at a large state u.! There are MANY college kids just like you who have great success in college!</p>
<p>And another neice went to a small state u., easily found a job in her field (advertizing which I consider competitive), got married and quit that job and moved to Maryland, then easily got another job in her field there. Oftentimes a job interviewer will look at the person, they decide whether they like or want that person, or the person is right for the job- and the degree is merely reinforcement that the person has the where-with-all to stick at it, and has the brains to learn. Just being a young person, that is, not looking for a high salary is helpful in the working world today.</p>
<p>Allena (nice name), I went to City University of NY for a masters when I came here. I've always gotten what I wanted out of my career and no one says that I went to a third tier college when they consider me for anything. I'm not saying everyone should follow this route. But people put too much emphasis on college admissions to elite colleges, in my opinion. Education is an extremely personal thing and you get what you put into it and what you bring to it in the first place. Sure, it is great to have famous professors teach you and that Harvard name sure gets you in the door initially. I graduated in 1981 in the middle of a recession. I had trouble initially finding a job with my degree from City U. Eventually, things got better and I was judged on what I knew and how I did in my last job.</p>
<p>At the moment, my education is page 4 on my resume and no one even looks at it. Or perhaps they take a peek at the end of an interview. I don't know..</p>
<p>If you want to go to UCLA, I'd recommend retaking the SAT (or ACT as someone suggested). Your CC GPA is very good and place you in good standing for admissions to UCLA. Are you a California resident?</p>
<p>UCs do not look at SATs for transfers. To go back to the original question (because you will most likely be a parent one day) if I were your parent the first thing I would have done was assess your potential. Was your school performance living up to it? Was there some remediation I could provide to help you achieve your potential in school? I have kids for whom As and high scores come easily and one with a learning disability for whom they don't. We gave him the support needed to do his best as we did the others. His path sounds similar to yours, a cc to UC junior transfer. You seem to say you weren't buckled down in high school. As a parent I would have done what I could to help you understand what you would be giving up if you did not take school seriously. After that I'd just let you run with the ball, it's yor life. The good news is you seem serious now, good luck at UCLA!</p>
<p>Thanks, Kirmum. I did not know about UC transfers not needing SATs. But, Allena, you will find a lot of valuable information about transfers at the 'Transfers' forum on collegeconfidential. Take a look there.</p>
<p>If she's got a 3.9 GPA at junior college, she's not academically average. I think mensa160's has an important. If she sees herself as average, then she's limiting herself.</p>
<p>First off quick correction, I'm actually a guy... Typically my screen name is AllenA, the A is just my first letter of my last name... No biggie though... </p>
<p>Second... I've been posting at this website for more then a year, just not typically on this forum; I'm always over at the transfer board.</p>
<p>I've worked exceptionally hard over the past two years. I think one of my biggest problems was confidence. In High School I started hanging out with the smartest kids in the school, and honestly while most people would see that as a good thing, it was a terrible blow to my own confidence. While I was spending my time with smarter people, it made me feel dumb, and it's interesting to notice that my grades did go down a bit.</p>
<p>Since starting at my CC, I've put a lot more time and effort into my school work. After I got my first 4.0 (ever) I was in shock, and now the fact I've done it 3 times (I've had all A's in classes since I started, I've got a 3.9 GPA however because of the two classes I took at the CC during High School where I got B's) in the last year and a half. Honestly for the first time I don't feel dumb, and feel much more up to the challenge.</p>
<p>I posted this mostly because I look all over this board and these are honestly the smartest people I've ever seen posting. You parents are all experts it seems at this college thing. My parents have not been that involved (they support me and help me financially) mostly because they did not think I'd take college all that serious, especially after I took fluff (my life was student government and journalism that year)my senior year. When all of the sudden I'm getting good grade and want to go to a major university they were shocked. Also I'm the oldest kid in the house by several years, and am the first dealing with the college admissions process. I've done this entire process alone for the most part. The people who post here are incredible smart, and you parents are some of the most involved people in the process out there. I was honestly wondering, if we went back a few years and you were my parents, would you have been disappointed in those grades? How would you have dealt with me?</p>
<p>In hindsight I'm (as are my parents I think) disappointed with my performance in High School. While I thought I did fine at the time of graduation, looking back I know I could have done much better, and could have possibly been equal to many of my friends who I viewed as being so smart. Also I don't regret going to a community college! I think it's been one of the best things I've done, because now I'm ready to enter a real university and I do believe I'll be able to handle the course load and succeed once I get there.</p>
<p>Correction: If HE's got a 3.9 GPA at junior college, HE's not academically average...</p>
<p>Allen, it sounds like you've got things figured out pretty well. You just have to start giving yourself all kinds of credit for accomplishing what you have on your own. I hope you don't spend much more time wondering whether people here would have been disappointed in you back then. I think what you are doing now is fantastic. There are a lot of kids who underachieve in high school, for all kinds of reasons. It's a hard thing to turn around, and you've done it. Congratulations!</p>
<p>So now what? Have you applied anywhere as a transfer yet?</p>
<p>I applied to all of the UC's (with the exception of UCSC, since I absolutly hate the city of Santa Cruz), as well as Tulane, but only because they sent me such a huge volume of mail and kept making it slightly better for me to apply. I got annoyed and sent in the application.</p>
<p>The only school I wanted to apply too, but decide against was Cornell. While I think my grades could have worked, I did not really wish to retake the SAT, that is something I'm happier leaving behind me.</p>
<p>My kids have not always gotten A's in every subject and neither has (or had) a 4.0 GPA ever. Even when one got a B- or lower (on a test, for example), I would always say..."do you feel you did your best?" If they said yes, that was the end of it. I felt my kids should try their best, and if they had legitimately done so, I was never disappointed with their efforts.</p>
<p>Allen, I'm not sure if we ever really answered your question here. It's very hard to know how I would have advised you years ago, if you were my child. Maybe your parents could have lit a fire under you if they'd been focused on college matters, and maybe they couldn't have. The important thing is that you have taken responsibility for your own life, which is what we all have to do sooner or later. </p>
<p>Good luck with your applications. There are some very interesting UC schools, and I've been hearing about happy students at Tulane, so something is bound to pan out for you. I'd love to hear how it goes.</p>