My GPA was really low throughout high school due to an illness I fought. It’s 2.3 cumulatively unweighted and a 2.7 weighted. I ended up leaving high school to get a GED diploma and I got some exceeding scores on the exam. My highest SAT is a 1059. However, I have a lot of extra-curriculars, community service, and I think I’m pretty good at essay writing. Do you think it’s possible for me to get into a decent college in Florida as an out of state student? Let’s say The University of Florida, Florida State, or The University of Central Florida for example. Are my chances slim to none? Please no suggestions on community college. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against CC. They offer a lot of great opportunities and it really helped me a lot when I got my GED, but at this point I need to get out of my parents’ house. I really think it’s time to become independent and start doing things on my own. If I went to CC I wouldn’t be able to do that. I wouldn’t have a reliable form of transportation because my parents are too busy with work and I can’t drive/don’t own a car. My local community college is a 30 minute drive. I want to attend school somewhere where I don’t have to worry about where I’m going to stay or how I’m going to get there. It would be more convenient for me to stay at a college with a campus. I also want to go into a pre-med major (biology concentration) which is not offered at my local community college so I’d be stuck doing general-ed courses until I have enough credit hours to transfer. I don’t want to have to do that. Is my situation too bad? Should I even bother applying?
Community colleges in Florida are a little different. Each of the schools you named, UF, FSU, and UCF has a community college connected to it and they share some facilities including dorm/apts, athletic facilities, libraries, etc. The community colleges are ‘sleep away’ and have dorms if you want that.
I think the only way you’ll get into one of those Florida colleges is through the community college. Some other Florida colleges might admit you but it is iffy.
The CC by UCF (Valencia) is pretty far from the UCF campus - in fact they actually have several campuses. Transportation would definitely be an issue although their are apartments nearby the East Campus and Lake Nona Campus.
If you want to go to one of the Florida Universities, you’ll probably have much better luck at UNF, FAU, FIU, FGCU, or FAMU. If you’re considering med school, I’d say take a good look at FIU. They have a med school and I believe that students in their Honors College can apply for early decision. You won’t qualify for their Honors program as a freshman, but if you do well your freshman year I believe you can apply based on your freshman grades.
Unlikely for the Univ. of Florida & unlikely for FSU.
You can do TCC2FSU. It’s a sort of transition cc. You take classes at TCC, live in the dorms, and can participate in campus life. You must achieve a certain GPA, get good grades in specific classes preparing to your major, and you’re automatically in at FSU for your major. Look it up.
(Right now, the weighted GPA for UF is about 4.5, and 4 for FSU, so if you want a university in Florida TCC2FSU is your best deal).
Unless you are a recruited athlete, those schools are not reasonable targets without considering the CC route that has been suggested. Time to either be more flexible or redirect target schools.
Both FSU (see MYOS1634’s post above) and UF have close ties with the local CC. Both CC’s are rated as two of the best in the nation. Last year, UF allowed some CC students to live in UF housing. Really take a look at both schools.
Moving to Tallahassee or Gainesville to attend the local CC is a popular choice for many students. You still get to move away from home, and it’s fairly affordable. You will not need a car in either city, as public transportation is available.
The other advantage to transferring from these CC’s to FSU or UF, is that your HS GPA and Test scores are NOT considered. Only your performance at the CC (they only check your HS transcripts to make sure you’ve met the language requirements, etc.).
No. The average GPA for UF admissions is about 3.8. You need to go to a community college.
^Actually the bottom GPA for UF, as per the SUS Matrix, is 4.3. 25% have a GPA higher than a 4.6.
(Your point is exact though, a 2.7 weighted won’t get anyone into UF, nor FSU, UCF, NCF, USF…)
^ You’re both correct! About a 3.8 unweight, or in the 4.3 to 4.6 weighted range. Keeping in mind that most admitted (Florida) students have taken several AP classes, enrolled in a Dual Enrollment program, or where in an IB or AICE program in HS.
With a 2.7 GPA and an SAT below 1100, you have basically no chance of getting into any of those schools as a Freshman admit. Your best course of action, if you are dead set on going to UF/UCF/FSU, is to attend a community college and complete your first two years with a 3.5+ GPA and fulfilling critical tracking prerequisites for your major (which may be complicated, according to your post), possibly somewhere that guarantees admissions to one of those universities (such as TCC or Santa Fe).