All my life I have been depressed about school, i’ve hated it so much and couldn’t wait to be out. I always wanted to go to online school but my mom never let me. I never thought this would carry on when I am less than a year away from college, let alone i never really thought about college It has just start to hit me that i was never smart as I thought I was. it hurts to that after all these years being ugly and having no friend that I was thinking since I have good grades it would pay off in the end someway some how. i dont know how but i just thought “being smart” was the only thing I had. my mom always told me just keep above 3.5 and you’ll be able to go to any college you want…so thats what I did. clearly she didnt do any research, but its clear that I didnt either. 
It was when I took the ACT that I realized I wasn’t ever as smart as I thought when I got a 19, and the average of my school for SAT is 1136/2400 which just goes to show how dumb I am compared to the rest of the United States.I’m going to have to end up going to a community college or just some college in-state because anything else is not affordable and its not like I can get in with such a low of a score. I was really hoping for a college experience because I know I really do need it to get out of my shell but my mom can’t afford tuition and its “college is really only to learn” I feel like its going to just be more sinking into depression or I will just end up not going because I don’t think I can take it I’m so depressed I cant stop crying, I don’t know what I want to do with my life anymore and i’m so sick of everything my head is filled negative thoughts from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep. please parents how can I make myself feel better I just cant
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As far as the 19: people can often score lower than they thought they would on the SAT/ACT if they are nervous about the test or haven’t done any prep. Just being familiar with the format can do a world of difference. Don’t give up hope; scores can always go up! Before you retake it, spend some time studying with a prep book or with materials online.
But I’ll let the parents (who are infinitely more qualified) really answer your questions. I wish you the best of luck.
@losingthisrace, Your ACT scores do not have any bearing on whether you’re smart, dumb, or somewhere in between. You have something to offer this world and deep in your heart, you know that. Maybe college isn’t for you…or maybe it is. You’ll have to decide that for yourself because you know yourself far better than anyone else. What I can tell you is that you have value. Please look after yourself, be strong and keep moving forward. You are going to be fine. I believe in you.
Also, if you need to talk to someone who will really listen and try to help you find ways to help you help yourself to feel better, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). There are people who care very much about you, even if they don’t know you yet!
@losingthisrace Please talk to someone about what you are feeling who can help you take the steps you need to get some professional assistance with your depression. At the very least you need to see a medical professional, and soon. Talk to your parent(s), a guidance counselor, a teacher you think you can trust, a friend, a neighbor, or get yourself to a walk-in clinic or emergency room. Your depression sounds serious and needs to be treated. After that, then you can deal with the college related issues.
Hello
do you get nervous taking tests? are you better with practical things? remember, we have different intelligence. maybe you have a different style of learning, and taking tests.
talk to a college admissions professional to sort this out, that is if you want to attend an academic college. what if you have other talents: cooking,music, design, helping others ,then maybe you can go that way for your career.
Your ACt score does not define who you are,ever. Keep your head up.
Your life is not defined by one test. It’s defined by how hard you work for what you want and how you survive the bumps along the way (and there will always be bumps).
Please, please, don’t let yourself be a number. You are not your GPA. You are not your ACT or SAT score. Also toss class rank out the window (many high schools have). This goes for high scorers as well as not so high scorers. Never let yourself be defined by others (what do they know, really?).
I hope you can find someone who will listen and maybe provide you with some ideas. Unfortunately, it’s hard for a person to do this over an internet forum. Best to you.
Please talk to your parents about how depressed you are feeling and ask them to take you to the doctor right away. Tell them you think it is getting really bad and you are not sure you can continue coping like this. Depression is a real medical illness, treated successfully with medication for many, many people. Sometimes there is a trigger like this ACT score that “tips people over the edge” into finally asking for help, although the depression was going on for years. A $4/month medication could change your life so please talk to them today!
It’s impossible for anyone on the internet to know if you are suffering from depression the disease of if you are having a pretty normal emotional reaction to a situation that would make most of us feel depressed. Only a mental health professional is going to be able to make that call.
You’ve been given some good practical advice–do some prep and retake the ACT, but what about some career counseling? If you’ve always hated school and couldn’t wait to be out, why subject yourself to college? Are there apprenticeship programs or other on the job training situations that might satisfy you? What about technical programs at your cc? That’s a very different kind of school. It might be time to change your thinking and let go of the notion that you need to keep going to school. I know I wouldn’t want to spend 4 more years (or longer) doing something that I hate.
SAT/ACT test scores don’t measure how smart you are, they measure how prepared you are for the test.
You should discover your strengths and focus on those, imo. What do you like doing? What do you do well?
And ditto what everyone else said - tell a real life adult that you are depressed and need help.
Hi - standardized tests don’t show how smart you are, as others have said. My older son took each test once and I can’t remember his scores but they weren’t great at all. He’s very, very smart (I have IQ scores) and so a test optional school was perfect for him. There are many, many excellent schools on the list at fairtest.org I hope you are talking with someone and can get help with managing your depression.
Plenty of colleges are test optional when it comes to admissions - check out www.fairtest.org . But I also want to share the story of my cousin’s daughter. She had learning issues all through school and got less than a 1200 on her SAT - yes, that is out of 2400. She started off in community college, did well, and applied for a scholarship that was designed for graduates who were moving onto a four-year institution. She ended up getting the scholarship and is now attending her state flagship. The work is harder than the community college but she is handling it and absolutely loves it. The community college was not a super college experience, but while there she was also able to work, which will help her future resume. So it took her longer to get there, but now that she is there, painting her face for games and generally having an excellent time, all of the difficult times have faded into the past. Just stick it out, go to CC if needed and do well there, and you will have even more opportunities open to you.
First of all, if you in fact are clinically depressed, you’re not going to do that well on the test. That alone will bring your score down. It’s important to go into the test with a healthy dose of stress and a determined attitude. Secondly, the most successful people have experienced terrible failure – it’s how they dealt with it that made them successful. Third, you need to seek help to determine if you are truly depressed (vs. feeling bad because you don’t like how you did on the test) and, if so, take steps to deal with it. I have some personal experience with this. It takes a while, but you can overcome it. You may think things will always be a certain way, but it really, really does get better. It might mean therapy, it might mean medication (at least temporarily), it might mean a drastic change in diet and exercise (which is a HUGE factor in dealing with depression and anxiety). Whatever it is, do it, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. The best people aren’t the ones who have never faced terrible adversity, self-doubt or serious stumbling blocks. Rather, it’s the ones who have faced those things – the “overcomers” – who have gone on to be happy and successful role models. Like you will be.
Many smart people don’t test well. Try taking again but this time study for it for a couple of months. ACT is one of those tests that reward people who are well prepared. The second time usually helps.
There are lots of colleges now that don’t even require ACT/SAT scores. Check out those if you still want to go to college right away.
You could also consider going to a vocational school like DeVry to learn basic computer programming or support. After getting your certificate in a year, get a job with a computer firm. You might need to start out as a contract employee then work your way into a full time job. I know many people who end up at top software companies that way. Computer programmers are cool people. When I used to work in software our motto was, “it takes all kinds to make good software”. Even the biggest misfits feel belong. Software companies are among the best places to work. Chin up. Your future is very bright!
JoanneB is right that a vocation school could be really helpful, but please DO NOT go to a for profit school like DeVry. Instead, consider transferring to your local public vo-tech or a community college. And definitely talk to an adult you trust about getting evaluated for depression.
Here is the link to the site mentioned above, a list of schools that do not require the ACT or SAT. Many of them aer top schools. http://fairtest.org/university/optional
Community college is a good option for many people to get started on college in an affordable way. You can take just a couple of classes and there is a lot of support there. There are also some great certificate and associate’s degree programs that can land you very well-paying jobs.
Medications for depression can turn things around in a matter of weeks. Please consider talking with a doctor. You don’t have to stay on them forever, but they can get you over a hump. You would not be alone: something like 50% of college students deal with depression at one time or another and many are on meds.