<p>Alright, so it's time for seniors to apply to college and I don't know of any schools that might take me. </p>
<p>Here are my stats:
1.4 GPA (69.52) Freshman - Senior year
1980 SAT (550 Writing, 670 Reading, 760 Math)
AP Euro - 3
AP English Language and Composition - 3</p>
<p>I started out attending Stuyvesant High School for a month or two before I decided that I missed my old school and went back. Looking back on it, this was probably a garbage idea because the people here are actually pretty scummy and the people at Stuy were friends I missed from elementary school and like minded kids. Maybe it was something like Stockholm Syndrome, haha. </p>
<p>Reasons for GPA - Missed ~200 days of school, possible depression? I've had multiple people advise me to go see a psychologist because they thought I was depressed but I figured I could beat it myself because I didn't think I was depressed at all. </p>
<p>Extra-curriculars: I run an online business that made 7 figures over the past four years. This is also what my essay is about, starting it up. If someone wants to read it, feel free to PM me for it. I also work with someone in the Cornell Weill Medical College research department. </p>
<p>I'm looking to major in something like Computer Science or Economics. Location wise, I prefer something on the coast, be it Pacific or Atlantic.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, I'll update this thread with information when requested.</p>
<p>my 2 cents will be…
with that gpa…id say ur best shot is at a LAC!!..i have noticed that most LACs look at the whole applicant (holistic)…and hopefully ur ECs will be strong enuf to have them swing in ur favour!</p>
<p>What’s your GPA sophomore through senior year?</p>
<p>You obviously have math talent. How much can you afford?</p>
<p>A couple of ideas:
You might try Digipen in Seattle, which is a specialized game development school. Generally, they want a 2.5 HS GPA but they are for-profit and your math is off their charts. I’d try to talk to someone to get a sense if they would consider you. </p>
<p>Another idea is to apply to a school in Scotland. I think that universities in the UK just look at test scores not grades, and you might be competitive for St Andrews or Edinburgh if you plan to study something mathematical. It’s not that much further from NYC than the west coast. It’s not cheap though. They will look at your AP scores, and those might be an issue. </p>
<p>Another idea, and it might be a little crazy, is to go to the Harvard Extension School. You would have to get an apartment in Boston, and go to classes at night, but it’s very high quality - meaning that you’d better take it more seriously than you’ve taken HS. In order to get accepted, you have to take 3 classes including Expository writing and get a certain GPA. They don’t care about your past. They will give you credit for AP Euro, not sure about AP English because they have their own version that you must take to gain admission. Most classes are about $1K/ea but computer science classes are closer to $2K. Still it’s pretty cheap for the school, whereas living in Boston is not. You wouldn’t be the only 18 year old doing this, but most of your classmates will be older, often much older.</p>
<p>@HaHeHo
Got any names for me? Not too familiar with Liberal Arts colleges</p>
<p>@ClassicRockerDad
While I love Boston, I don’t know if I’d really like taking classes with people that much older than me. At the risk of sounding like an ass, I am prioritising social life and education equally because I can just relax at home and live off my drop shipping business if I so choose. I can afford anything. I feel like that’s one of the “advantages” I have in the college search, the fact that I won’t need financial aid or anything of that nature.</p>
<p>Well if you think you can find a better social life than going to college in Boston with a ID card that says Harvard, living in a fabulous apartment and gaining access to parties at all of the local women’s colleges than go for it, LOL!</p>
<p>While ClassicRockerDad is right about the colleges you can hope to attend, I can’t help but suggest that you might be one of the rare types who can forgo college. If you run an online business that makes “7 figures” in 4 years, it’s far more than any college graduate can hope to make, even coming out of medical/law/business school. </p>
<p>I was in a similar situation 8 years ago. But I was pushed by my family to pursue an education at Berkeley, losing a business that had great promise. What I later realized was how hard it is to rebuild a high-margin business since many businesses are successful on account of being opened at the right time.</p>
<p>What you will realize is that it’s the results in life that ultimately matter, not where you get a degree. And results in life is measured in significant part by your career. Any Harvard MBA would trade his degree for being the proprieter of a business he can play around with, that makes millions a year. </p>
<p>Your GPA is not in their normal range, but if business is what truly interests you, take a look at Babson. The focus is on entrepreneurship which could be a good match for you.</p>
<p>@ClassicRockerDad
I also need to be “forced” into social situations to perform well so it’d be hard to meet people my age or business connections that way imo despite your statement that I wouldn’t be the only 18 year old doing it. I’d probably be applying whenever possible for transfer to the main campus, haha. Also, I don’t know how I’d get “invited to parties” going to night school. </p>
<p>@Bubbles
Another reason why I want to go to college is to forge business connections for future ventures. I can balance that and school (I think) so keeping it around won’t be a problem.</p>
<p>@happymomof1
mm… Naviance says their average is 90.68. Also, I’m more interested in Comp Sci tbh.</p>
<p>As mentioned above, “Continuing” or “Professional” education departments at many universities are a good path for many working people. You can sign up for a course or two without applying to a degree program and if you decide you want to continue, you can then apply to the degree program. The main idea is that you do this part-time while you continue to run your business. And by doing well in the courses, you prove you are college-ready despite your HS GPA.
Lots of people get degrees this way, it may take a long time but if you are successful in
your business, then why does that matter?
I’m posting a link to a program that probably won’t work for you unless you live in Massachusetts - but just to give you an idea…
[Online</a> and Continuing Education at UMass Lowell](<a href=“http://continuinged.uml.edu/]Online”>http://continuinged.uml.edu/)</p>
<p>I did a search on CollegeBoard for less selective colleges that were not religiously affiliated that were primarily residential and had the majors you wanted and I only came up with 10 colleges so you can call each of them and ask them if they’d consider someone with your stats. You might get lucky.</p>
<p>American International College
Dillard University
Furman University
Hood College
Pace University
Principia College
Ripon College
Roger Williams
Wells College
Western New England</p>
<p>If you graduate from high school or complete a GED, your own local community college will admit you. Look around a bit, and you will find plenty of CCs that have residence halls. Just about any CC offers the first two years of a Comp Sci program and of an Economics major. If you want to socialize, there are clubs, sports teams, theater productions, etc. </p>
<p>A well planned year or two at a CC with good grades can get you into an excellent college or university. Don’t discount this option.</p>
<p>While I understand going to CC is respectable, I do not wish to go that route. If it came down to that, I’d rather work on expanding my business.</p>
<p>Anyone else have any other suggestions for schools?</p>
<p>I honestly think CC would be your best route. I am not sure why you “do not wish to go that route”. Either you want to get a college degree or your don’t… 2 years at CC is respectable. My ex-H did 2 years at a CC (slacker in HS), finished up at our state flagship and got a “general studies” bachelor’s degree. He then got into and graduated from Georgetown Law School. Just saying, don’t sell it short. Lots of people go to CCs for lots of reasons. Can you work on your business part time while you also work on your degree?</p>
<p>As my D has bemoaned more than once, “There are test optional schools… why aren’t there GPA optional schools?”</p>
<p>This is silly but I wouldn’t be able to deal with the social backlash. I know what you guys may be thinking: “Deal with it, you should’ve thought about that when you missed 200 days of school and slept during tests”. But that’s pretty much one of the big reasons why I don’t wanna go.</p>
<p>Maybe I’ll just apply to schools I like and hope to be a statistical anomaly, haha. Yeah…</p>
<p>What are the chances they’ll just auto reject my app? Hypothetically speaking of course.</p>
<p>find some good but not highly ranked privates that want more paying students. I think there are a number in the NE area…but just not the ones that you commonly hear about. </p>
<p>Go for two years and transfer after getting better grades. </p>
<p>There are some Catholic univs (again not the bigger name ones) that might take you. You’re full pay, some univ that wants more paying students will likely accept you. </p>
<p>It is worth trying to apply to SUNY Buffalo. Their engineering is quite strong relative to their selectivity.</p>
<p>Although it isn’t on a coast, U, Kansas also comes to mind. The full 4-yr flagship University experience, but its admissions are not very selective. Still your GPA might be too low.</p>
<p>Community college is also a good suggestion. If you can get decent grades in CC, your transfer options would be much better than your current situation.</p>
<p>Have you been evaluated for depression? You should do that, and perhaps not even go to college until it is under control. If you go to any college and fail because you don’t go to classes, you would be much worse off later than if you didn’t go to college at all at first, in terms of eventually getting accepted to colleges. Better to have nothing on a college transcript than to have a bunch of very low grades.</p>
<p>What is your GPA if you don’t count freshman year? If it is above 2.0, I think you can go to a normal college, and you could get in to some of those schools. </p>
<p>
Having a college ID means that you are “invited” to parties at many schools. You would have one. </p>
<p>
A lot of people like Roger Williams - very laid back. Very easy admission. </p>
<p>Can you guess what happens if you do nothing? I’ll tell you. Nothing. </p>
<p>Each of those schools has a telephone. You have web access. Look at the school’s website, determine if it’s attractive to you - you seem to think that almost nothing is, so do your homework and decide if it’s worth any further action. Then look up the phone number. </p>
<p>Many admissions offices are closed for the holidays. If you can find some time in your busy schedule, pick up a phone and call and ask to speak to someone who can advise you. If that’s too much work, look at the application for each school and see how much work the application is. Money’s not an issue, go on the collegeboard’s website and have your SAT scores sent and send in the application. Have your school send your transcripts when you go back, or today. </p>
<p>You have money. Spend some on therapy. It’s not a sign of weakness, but will make you a better person. We can all use a little self-improvement. If you’re 18, you control your own destiny.</p>
<p>Since you have money, you need to find colleges with engineering that need students and VISIT them. Make appts with admissions people. There are some that have the power to admit you “on the spot” if they desire. </p>
<p>The problem may be the demand that the school be on a coast. Those tend to be more selective and won’t accept someone with a sub 2.0 GPA. </p>
<p>Since you have money…Contact and visit USD in Calif. They love people with money…lol. They have eng’g. It’s also a party school which you seem to want.</p>
<p>I’d suggest Alabama (eng’g and parties) but with your sub 2.0, the only way you’d might get admitted is if you jumped thru some hoops, went in on academic probation, and met with the adcoms. It has amazing brand new high tech eng’g facilities and as many parties that you could ask for. I did help a Connecticut kid with similar problems get accepted 2 years ago, and he’s turned himself around grade-wise even tho he joined a frat (he’s also affluent with parents paying for all costs). He keeps me updated via Facebook on his progress and grades.</p>
<p>Or…You may need a 5-6 year strategy since you don’t want to go to a CC. Since money isn’t an issue this may work for you. Get admitted to any decent college that will take you - even if it doesn’t have your STEM major. Go for two years. If you then decide that you still want engineering, then transfer to a univ that has good engineering. You will still likely have 3-4 more years to go, but that’s the price you may have to pay for your HS GPA.</p>
<p>What grades can you show for this year? You’re obviously strong in Math. Have you sought treatment for depression? If not, do so. If you can show that you’re getting treatment, a school may give you a break.</p>
<p>“This is silly but I wouldn’t be able to deal with the social backlash.”</p>
<p>What social backlash? Who, exactly, is it who would prefer that you attend a no-name sleep-away college or university?</p>
<p>If you are worried about pleasing your HS buddies, the hard cold fact is that some of them will flunk out of fill-in-name-here and be home at the CC second semester. Some will find that they hate fill-in-name-here and even though their grades are decent, will be back in town at the CC second semester. Some won’t get the kind of aid package that they need or into the major they wanted and will start at the CC this fall. Some will have their bag packed for fill-in-name-here and will have a change in their life circumstance and will start at the CC this fall. If you end up at the CC full-time pursuing a degree, or just part-time taking classes that are useful to help you run your business, it will be OK.</p>