<p>would appreciate suggestions (w/explanations pls) of colleges suitable for brilliant awake mind w/ an inflexible bull**** meter for grades, core requirements, homework "assignments" to check on whether you're doing the work, etc., interested in history, philosophy, lit., creative writing, computers...with great SATs (2200) but terrible GPA (2.8)</p>
<p>More info please. Where do you live? Where would you NOT like to go to school? Are finances an issue? Do you want a small school or a large university?</p>
<p>I would imagine that what most colleges will see from your application is someone who is eminently capable, and entirely unwilling. Not necessarily a great first impression at most schools.
You might want to take a look at some of the "alternative" colleges where the emphasis is on designing your own studies-- schools like Hampshire, Bennington, or New College. It might help if you stopped phrasing it as if every teacher you've ever met is too stupid to give you a worthwhile assignment-- Most colleges can't tell from that description whether the problem is you or them, and whether it will continue to be a problem in a different venue. They are, after all, looking for students who will succeed at their college and you are going to have to explain to them why things will be different. In your senior year, you might want to try getting the A's that you can probably get with your hands tied behind your back, because actions definitely speak louder than words. It won't be fun, but I suspect that your teachers haven't learned anything from your wisdom, so you might as well try to get what you want instead.
My nephew sounds just like you. We're talking off the charts brilliant with bad grades (in his case, he just wanted to show his parents who was boss). He was accepted by only one of the schools he applied to-- a remote, remote, safety in a crappy location. His sophmore year, he was able to transfer to a slightly better state school based on his good college grades, but he could only go so far because of the quality of the first school. He is still paying the price for this as he wants to go to medical school and it's hard for any medical school to understand what a brilliant kid is doing in a mediocre school. Just because he had a 4.0 average there doesn't prove how amazing he is. He could have been 4.0 at Princeton.
Just sayin'. Take a look at what you're doing and decide whether it's working for you or not. Then figure out what you're going to do next.</p>
<p>you'd have an EXCELLENT shot at community college.</p>
<p>seriously though, unfortunately there are no schools with a gpa only policy, but you should try Texas A and M you'll have a great shot atgetting in.</p>
<p>Three suggestions for you:</p>
<p>1) Go to your local community college and find out whether you can take classes there this fall. If you really truly hate HS (and a lot of really smart kids do), get yourself into true college level classes now rather than later. If you feel like it, take the GED and put HS behind you forever.</p>
<p>2) Get yourself screened for learning disabilities. Yes, I can hear you screaming from here, but SOMETIMES disabilities such as ADD manifest themselves in an impatience with boring homework. This means that even though you are smart enough to do well in the work, you can't get the work done unless you are totally interested in it. So, for SOME STUDENTS, taking medication helps them concentrate on the boring stuff long enough to get the grades they are capable of.</p>
<p>3) If you can't get into the community college yet, and there is no local college/university that will let you take one or two classes as a special student, make a pest of yourself in your HS guidance office until you are put into classes that are more interesting to you. Then, do your best to bring up your GPA.</p>
<p>There are many routes to the future, and many ways of finding success in life. You do not have to let your high school experience define you. I wish you all the very best.</p>
<p>Thanks for replies. Lives in Northeast but region is not a big factor. Finances are not a big issue except it's better not to spend money to flunk out. Enrollment around @5000 would be ideal but that's secondary. A big school with open curriculem might make sense on the theory that there's huge course choice with less compulsion.</p>
<p>We recently visited a school (Oklahoma City University) where the student guides kept telling us to try to get into the Honors Program because it was "easier." What they actually meant is that there was less busy work in the core classes. The head of the honors program comfirmed...where in a regular core class there might be 8 small papers to write, in the honors class there would be one or two major papers. If you can find a school that admits to a program like that on SATs only, you'd be set.</p>
<p>SPSheehan -</p>
<p>I think St. Johns in Annapolis might be a possibility for you, even though it is sort of "all core" curriculum. It would have no boring classes.</p>
<p>From the CTCL web site:
[quote]
• "Books, books, and more books is what you'll get at St. John's," notes The Fiske Guide, which also observes that the college "attracts smart, intellectual, and nonconformist students who like to talk (and argue) about books. Easy to get in, not so easy to graduate." </p>
<p>• A study by the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium, adjusting for institutional size and number of degrees granted, found that St. John's is among the most productive sources of future PhDs. About 70% of St. John's alumni pursue their formal education beyond the baccalaureate degree at some point in their careers. </p>
<p>• Maryland's Hodson Trust has endowed an extensive internship program that enables St. John's students to design career-related work experiences during the summer months. This competitive program awards stipends providing financial support for projects that might otherwise be unavailable or go unfunded.</p>
<p>• The Princeton Review reports that "St. John's has one of the most personal admissions processes in the country."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>All classes are discussion-based; no lecture courses; no textbooks. No major. And it sounds like they really think carefully and personally about the students they admit.</p>
<p>I'd look at some smaller LACs like Cornell College in Iowa or Colorado College in well, you can guess where! One class at a time tends to focus a student. Gustavus Adolphus in MN is another gem that can work wonders with alternative students. Know of a student who had a really crappy GPA but NMF scores and got in to Saint Olaf in MN. He's now doing fantastic work and is totally engaged. Check them out!</p>
<p>St. John's sounds very promising! thanks</p>
<p>I thought those schools were out of reach but I'm going to look into it.</p>
<p>"I think St. Johns in Annapolis might be a possibility for you, even though it is sort of "all core" curriculum. It would have no boring classes.</p>
<p>From the CTCL web site:</p>
<p>Quote:
• "Books, books, and more books is what you'll get at St. John's," notes The Fiske Guide, which also observes that the college "attracts smart, intellectual, and nonconformist students who like to talk (and argue) about books. Easy to get in, not so easy to graduate." </p>
<p>• A study by the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium, adjusting for institutional size and number of degrees granted, found that St. John's is among the most productive sources of future PhDs. About 70% of St. John's alumni pursue their formal education beyond the baccalaureate degree at some point in their careers. </p>
<p>• Maryland's Hodson Trust has endowed an extensive internship program that enables St. John's students to design career-related work experiences during the summer months. This competitive program awards stipends providing financial support for projects that might otherwise be unavailable or go unfunded.</p>
<p>• The Princeton Review reports that "St. John's has one of the most personal admissions processes in the country." </p>
<p>All classes are discussion-based; no lecture courses; no textbooks. No major. And it sounds like they really think carefully and personally about the students they admit."</p>
<p>St. John's College also admits 75 percent of all applicants. Look, if you want to take psychology, politics, atronomy, biology, or anything resembling that, DO NOT go to St. John's College. </p>
<p>St. John's College does sound like it would be intellectually stimulating to some degree, but keep in mind that you will not be able to take ANY of those courses I jsut listed.</p>
<p>In addition, you will be forced to take 4 years of both ancient French and ancient Greek.</p>
<p>Now as someone who doesn't find foreign language study that interesting in the first place, this would be absolute torture.</p>
<p>Seriously, why the heck would I want to learn ancient French and Greek?</p>
<p>St. John's College does appeal to some kids who are really into this kind of thing, but be warned, only go to this after examining the core curriculum carefully.</p>
<p>Nephew had a learning disability and never took the ACT or SAT. Went to play junior hockey. Now is 21 and wants to go to school. Gustavus accepted him. Another neighbor boy was sent to an alternative boarding school in Idaho because of poor grades. Took ACT and did very well. Gustavus took him also.</p>
<p>My son (who does have a good GPA) was interested in St. John's. He loves foreign languages, very interested in a core curriculum, etc. </p>
<p>So...last fall we drove to St. John's in Santa Fe (they have two campuses, the other in Annapolis, but same curriculum at both). He did a tour, attended classes and evening lecture and spent the night. He was not impressed. Some of the highlights:</p>
<p>Few kids graduate in 4 years -- the curriculum is so "hard core" that most kids take a year off at some point. (info provided by several at the school -- admin and students).</p>
<p>Wow -- lots of kids smoked! I mean an overwhelming number of kids!!</p>
<p>While it sounds like a great, lecture based way of teaching, the kids (and some teachers) told my son that it had its drawbacks. There is absolutely a ton of reading that you have to do regularly. Not all kids do the reading they are supposed to, so they can contribute little to the discussions. With small classes and ~1/3 unprepared for the discussion (and a few others that did the reading, but aren't really into participating) the discussion tends to be dominated by 5-6 kids. </p>
<p>You take the same classes with the same kids all year -- so if your classes has some kids that don't participate (or worse, participate but are jerks) you are stuck with them. It is a very small school.</p>
<p>The FA is not great -- they do have FA and try to meet full need, but include plenty of loans, work-study and they evaluate your need (and aren't particularly generous. (this from the admin and FA department -- we were advised that is money is a big issue to look elsewhere).</p>
<p>My son had already decided that St. John's was one of his top choices before we made the trip -- after the visit he had no interest in applying at all.</p>
<p>Colorado College is NOT for you! First, it's highly selective, your GPA will probably sink your app. AND it's a block schedule, you have to have a tremendous amount of focus and that may not be your style of learning. </p>
<p>Frankly, I'm a little alarmed by your comment "it's better not to spend money to flunk out." From your first post, I gathered (perhaps incorrectly) that, while your grades in high school were low for a reason, you were ready to take up your work ethic up a notch and raise it to college level. But it sounds like you're still uncertain if you can deal with the demands of school -- since many of them might still strike you as un-necessary. In which case, I'd say, review your reasons for wanting to go to college before you make any decisions.</p>
<p>Clark U, U of Kansas.</p>
<p>I'm always disheartened by people who rebel against required courses. People tend to gravitate towards courses in fields in which they are already proficient. Core courses make sure they get a taste of things they don't already know about, which is what an undergraduate experience should do.</p>
<p>I'm also wondering why you would want to jump directly into college. If you don't like the school experience now I'm not sure why you would suddenly like it at a college. Perhaps you could take a gap year (or two). If you are very independent then starting your own business might be your best bet. Perhaps your parents could invest your college money in a business. </p>
<p>If you really want to try college I'm wondering if Evergreen in Washington state might be a possibility. The</a> Evergreen State College - a public, liberal arts & sciences college in the Pacific Northwest One of my friends attended there and recommended it as an alternative to the traditional college experience.</p>
<p>I second options like Hampshire, Bennington, the New School and perhaps Sarah Lawrence - all in your area and all alternative schools with a much more student-driven and student-decided academic policy. But they're definitely not right for everyone, so do a lot of research and make sure to visit if you really think you're interested.</p>
<p>I think you might try small schools where you wont get lost, and can make relationships with profs. who can motivate and support you.. your GPA, though, is so LOW would you consider taking off time and doing some volunteer work, or creative stuff to distinguish yourself? Obviously you are very bright. Any talents you might persue? Another option is to show this stuff off in your appy. If you are a good writer: Kenyon might take a chance on you.</p>