Ok, so here’s the story. I am a horrible person. I got caught cheating 3 times, (one was because I accidentally brought in a phone to a test) and after the third, I got a one-day suspension. I am very grateful to my school because this is profusely lenient for my offenses. I currently have a 3.7 gpa, because my freshman and sophomore years were pretty bad; I’m trying to change things this junior year with my current junior year 4.0 gpa, but as you can see, I’m horribly failing, even though I have improved from my previous years. I’m really scared. My parents have expectations, I have expectations, and I really don’t know what to do with my freaking impulsive dishonest self. I want to see my current chances right now if I can really change things and still get into top schools. Please help me.
There are 3 separate issues for you to think over:
- You are not a horrible person, but something has led you to repeatedly make bad choices.
- A 3.7 is not “horribly failing.”
- Kids here are under the thrall of “top schools.” If you do some reading and research; many CC threads deal with this in detail, you might see that it is you and not your chosen school that will lead to your personal success, whatever that maybe, down the road.
You will go to a good school if you keep up your current efforts. Colleges love to see a story of a kid who turns themselves around. Of bigger concern is the cheating. You admit you cheated at least twice. Was something going on in your life that might have influenced you to do,that? Have you made amends with teachers? Have you taken steps to,ensure you won’t do it again? Have you talked with your guidance counselor about why you cheated? Your counsellor will include this info in the recommendation. If there was some kind of drama in your
Ife, that can affect you negatively and your counsellor shoudl know about it.
Also, the above poster is right. Do not set yourself up for disappointment by focussing on “top” schools. The best school for you is the one that fits your style, your academic ability, and your financial means. Be sure you are looking at those schools first. Learn about the schools you are LIKELY a to get into, and focus your efforts on them, and by all means, add a couple of reach schools in, because you never know. Are your taking AP and honors classes? All schools want to see those classes on your transcript. If you just went back to school, maybe see if you can still do an AP instead of a regular class. All colleges, especially top ones, want to see you challenge yourself. Also, start test prep now for the SAT or ACT, colleges like good scores, and it is not too soon to begin.
You are not failing, but you are going to,have to work hard this year to give yourself the best opportunities. It is up to you to make the most of your junior year, and I think you can do very well. Good luck.
Do not pressure yourself so much to strive for that 4.0 if it will lead to temptation to cheat.
Are you a perfectionist in every aspect of your life or getting that much pressure/expectation from your parents? Then find a good counselor. S/he can help you stop valuing yourself only by achievement or failure. You are NOT a failure if you do not get into an elite school. Many people who don’t are very happy and financially successful and enjoy their careers.
The “best” school for you may not be the top tier. Too much academic challenge and being surrounded by high achieving peers might be too much. You definitely do not want to be accused or found guilty of academic dishonesty in college. A school that provides a good education and less competitive may be better for you.
Aim for a 3.7/3.75 and learn to be content with a B+ or A-.
Start visiting your state’s flagship. Ask about the Honors Program there, as well as at other public universities.
Are there LACs or regional universities nearby? Go visit them. Then check the admitted students’ profile online and see whether you’d rank near the top 75% or not.
Find a counselor or a therapist to address the compulsion to cheat - where does it come from? Pressure? Thrill of the “game”?
Agree with other posters above that you need to dig into why you feel the need to do this, and make a course correction on that. Your disciplinary issues likely will be reported to colleges, assuming they occurred in high school. The longer ago they were, the less impact they will have, though. So stop now.
Students with disciplinary issues in their past should probably apply to more safety and low match schools in case it does hurt your chances. But there are tons of colleges where you can get a great education and enjoy your experience, even if they are not “top” schools.
Oh, I meant that I was horribly failing in terms of academic integrity, even though my grades had been improved at least just a little.
And thank you all for your opinions. ㅠㅡㅠ