Can I get into a decent college?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I’m a junior high school student. I was new to the country, school, environment, and people. I skipped school a lot when I was a freshman because I was depressed and some other reasons. As a result, I got all F. I made mistakes and I regret it. I tried to get back on track and I took 2 nightschool make up classes in my sophomore year. I passed all my 9 classes (7 regular classes and 2 night school make up classes) with all A. I’m trying to get all A for the rest of my high school years. But my grades on the transcript for my freshman year is going to affect my overall GPA and it concerns me if I really have a chance to get into a decent college. I’m worried because I feel that I have the capability to go to a good college but won’t be able to because of the mistakes I made.

2

I think that,like a lot of kids, you made a dumb mistake. It makes you human, nothing less.

So stop beating yourself up about it. You’ve owned it, you’ve gotten back on track, your grades are rebounding.

As to getting into a “good college”-- I wish someone would define that term for me. I recognize “bad colleges”-- I’m not sure I would trust a diploma from some of the schools I see advertised endlessly on TV.

But there are so, so many schools out there that are wonderful places to live and learn and grow. Nope, they don’t make the threads here. But they’re absolutely the right places for kids who attend them.

So, yes, I think you can absolutely get into a ‘decent’ college. Better than that, I think you can get into a wonderful, fabulous college that will prepare you for the future you want and deserve, where you can surround yourself by people who will help you enjoy this very special time in your life as they help you to grow.

It probably won’t be Harvard or Yale. But it’s out there somewhere. Do well on your SATs, Get good letters of recommendation from teachers who can address your potential and your rebound. Make sure your guidance counselor is aware of your rebound,not just your rough freshman year. Write a killer essay that makes the reader get to know you, to have you on his campus.

And find the kinds of schools I’m talking about.

3

and adding…no matter what college you go to, you have the opportunity to shine. If you stand out beyond the other classmates you will have the opportunities to work with professors and do research or whatever. You can be a big fish in a small pond and stand out.

4

There are many colleges that will give you a chance. Junior year is important, so stop worrying and start focusing on what really needs to get done

  1. Take challenging classes and do well on them
  2. Figure out whether the SAT or ACT is for you (download a practice test of each and take them) and study
  3. Get your testing done. Depending on how you did on your practice test, you can start taking your test after Christmas break, in the spring, or at end of the school year. Aim for your best score by the second to last test date so you have one more sitting as a backup.
  4. You need to figure out your final list of colleges to apply to by the beginning of your senior year

If you are a us citizen or green card, you have an in-state public university system that gives you lower tuition, so start your list by looking at those, then add other schools. If you are an international for US college admissions purposes, start by looking at colleges that offer financial aid for noncitizens or look at colleges in the country you are a citizen of, if that is possible.