Community College or SUNY? What Should I Do?

Hey guys, I’m new to forums so I apologize if I started this thread in the wrong section.

I’m going to be a senior this September, but I did extremely bad during my junior year of High School. So bad, that I don’t even know what my GPA is right now since I’m way too scared to even look at my transcript. (I’m assuming it’s a 3.0… maybe even lower.) I’m at a bad spot and don’t think any colleges will accept me. Just thinking of senior year gives me anxiety. I plan on talking with my new Guidance Counselor about my situation, but I was already thinking of a plan.

I was thinking that I could spend a year at a community college and transfer to a better private school. However, most people I see do this actually spend 2 years and just get their associates. I honestly don’t want to spend 2 years at a community college and would rather get out of their ASAP. I was also thinking about attending SUNY Purchase. There’s a chance I can get admitted, especially if I study really hard for the SATs and get at least a 1200. I’m also a New York resident, so it would be cheaper for me. Still, I would want to spend a year at Purchase and transfer to a “better” school, but I don’t see many people take this route for some reason.

What would be the best route? Although I’m willing to attend community college if needed, I feel as if I would get the better “college experience” with Purchase, and just generally be more comfortable, while also getting a 3.8 to transfer.

Before you work out the best plan, you need to know why you did poorly junior year and how it can be resolved, both in senior year and in college. So do you know what the issue(s) was?

Plenty people transfer, for one reason or another, from their 4-year school to another 4-year school. So that could be an option for you. But first, do your homework. Check out the transfer requirements at the “better” schools you like to make sure a transfer is feasible and what it would entail. Another option is not staying 2-years at a community college, but transferring earlier. Again, checking requirements at the targeted 4-year schools is key.

@usualhopeful Crappy guidance counselor, health issues regarding being tired all the time, and at home problems. I;m confident thats these issues wont persist.

Apply to several SUNYs. With a 3.0, you can probably get into quite a few good ones, especially if your score is high.
Your school should offer “grade repair” - take that chance (summer school must be starting, right? Can you do that right away - call/go to your school on Monday and ask if you can enroll in some summer classes for “grade repair” purpose due to illness during the school year?) Typically, it means the low grade still appears on your transcript but only the new one counts in the GPA.
What classes are you scheduled for, next year?
Have you taken the SAT/ACT yet?
Look into Ithaca, Marist, RIT, St Lawrence, Hobar&William Smith - all good schools that may be a bit more forgiving if your junior grades really do have good reasons. (And you’ll need to explain them to you GC, and write that on your brag sheet. If you were ill, you’ll need a doctor’s note to testify to it.)

@MYOS1634 I have never in my life heard of “grade repair” that sounds amazing, and I’ll ask my school on Monday. I doubt they offer it since it has never been mentioned. Yes, I have taken the SAT but scores have not been reported it for my specific test. I have one more chance to take the SATs, so even if those scores are not up to par I can just take it again. I don’t know what classes I will be taking next year (hence, crappy guidance counselor and generally unorganized school.) Thanks for the list of schools, I’ll definitely look into them.

@katliamom Thank you. I’ll be sure to check out all the transfer requirements when I make my list of schools.

Many high schools in our area (including ours) don’t offer “grade repair” summer school courses unless the student has failed the course but has at least a 50% in the failed course. If grade repair were a possibility here, my son would certainly be trying to repair his Ds!

It’s also called “grade replacement”, “credit recovery”, “make up credit” “targeted recovery”, and I believe it’s mandatory in all NYS public schools, including through summer school and online classes, but I may be wrong as to specific policy. (It does exist though).
http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/27BF8558-B895-407A-8F3F-78B1B69F030A/0/AcpolicyHighSchoolAcademicPolicyReferenceGuide.pdf

https://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/swr/2013/creditrecovery/global.pdf

What classes did you take this year and what grades did you get (I know it’ll be embarassing to list, but it’ll allow you to go to school on Monday with information to submit).

@MYOS1634 We have credit recovery, but that’s for kids who are; missing credits. I however, did not fail any classes to need credit recovery. My grades are just low, and my school does not offer “grade repair” when a student wants to raise their grade. That’s a resource and budget problem I assume #AmericanEducation

My grades should most definitely be in their systems for when I call. I would post my grades, but that is a lot of copy & pastin’.

What about classes?
Adults here can help you with your schedule - because you really need that taken care of ASAP - but we can’t suggst anything if you don’t post what you’ve taken so far and what your points of strengths/weakness are (hence, grades junior year => but not necessary if you can just indicate “strength” and “weakness” next to the relevant subjects, regardless of grade received Jr year.)

So, essentially, you got C’s junior year, and had A’s both freshman and sophomore year.
It means you ought to have a senior schedule that shows good rigor, that your GC needs to specify (thanks to your bragsheet + doctor’s note) that you were ill junior year, and have only A’s and B’s first semester. It also means you can’t apply EA/Rolling to schools that will not see your senior year grades.