I don’t have a chance at University of Miami, not right now. But I want to turn that around – if I can! Advice please?
Basically, I’m in my second semester of my freshman year at a community college in California. Last semester I only took one 5-unit class and still got a C. I just didn’t put in any effort; I was finally 18 and out of high school, and just wanted to work, make money, and socialize. Whatever, I’m still glad I took it really easy that semester, for it gave me a chance to re-evaluate my goals and re-motivate myself. I mean, I wish I had gotten a better grade, cause having a 2.0 for that semester is going to bring my cumulative GPA down in the future to come.
This semester I’m taking Psyc 1, English 1B, Cinema, and Bio. I was taking math (I’m in elementary algebra, so the most basic level of math that will still qualify for university credit), but I dropped with a W. I also stupidly planned a week-long trip to Hawaii in the middle of the semester, which already happened, and my midterm grades ended up being a C in Psyc, and C in English (which is my best subject, so very disappointing), an A in Cinema, and a B in Bio. I’ve got around 2 months to get great grades for my second term and hopefully it will even out to something that can raise my cumulative to at least a 3.0.
I always knew I wanted to go to college, and I’ve always felt that I’m intelligent enough to go to a good one. Throughout high school I got a 3.0 - 3.5 gpa without ever really trying, and always took AP literature classes. However I never took my SAT or applied to universities then because I just didn’t feel I was ready or even certain of what I wanted to do, let alone where I wanted to do it and how. I went through depression, confusion, isolation, and lots and lots of very poor decision making in my last years of high school, and even in part of this year. I know i’ve slacked off and I’m starting to regret the decisions I’ve made… but I don’t want to regret it. I understand why I did it, I don’t blame myself for needing time to balance my life and figure out my desires. I want to know that there’s still some way to get into a school I love.
I’ve wanted to check out Florida for a while now, and have even considered it as a prospective place to move. So far, all the colleges I’ve looked at that are in nice places that I’d want to live are very competitive schools that I, with my record, could likely never have a chance at getting into. University of Miami is the one that’s highest on my radar, and the more I read about it, the more my nonexistent chances dwindle away even further.
But maybe, maybe I could create a chance for myself. I’ve already enrolled in summer courses, and I figure I can do much better for the rest of this term since there’ll be no more vacations on the horizon. Can I hunker down, hone my study habits, put all my energy and passion into this, and make it all okay? If I do attempt to do this, how long should I wait to send in an application? I feel there’s a very slim possibility of me being able to apply this fall. Should I allow myself one more semester to get everything together and wait till Spring to apply? Should I just get my AA-T before applying at all? My major would be psychology, what extracurricular activities should I start looking into? How can I do this, if it’s even possible? If I did do this, how long would/should it take? Anything helps, even harsh doses of reality. Just comment!