<p>Hi, I am an extremely unique case and am looking at what schools I should apply to. I go to a very good school, but have low grades and an OK sat score. Before you ask, I know I have very low grades. And it is because I didnt care at all or try during high school. I regret it now obviously, but you can't do over the past. I have gone to tons of college advisors so I have a pretty good idea, but I want some insight from you guys. </p>
<p>I know there are some people like me on here that have went to decent colleges. Colleges do take a chance on some students with low grades, I am just looking for which ones. </p>
<p>I am looking at what middle ranked schools I could possibly have a shot at, or take chances on kids like me. I know there are a couple of schools (30-70) that would give me a chance. </p>
<p>Anyone with any insight, or was a case like me, please give me your two cents. Please though don't make posts telling me to go to Community College. I go to a very good high school, and colleges want people from schools like mine. My grades are horrible I know. </p>
<p>Thanks in advance for your insight and help. </p>
<p>Application:
GPA: 2.1
School: Horace Mann (New York)
Sat: 1830
EC's: Nothing meaningful, I have done some volunteer work, but nothing that will make the admissions people jump out of their seats.
Reccomendations: I have good ones.
Essay: Very Good</p>
<p>Also I don't care where in the country I go, and it doesn't matter what college I go to; I won't need financial aid anywhere. So financials and geography are not a concern.</p>
<p>You can try the less selective SUNY or CUNY schools… but remember that less selective four year schools often have a heavily commuter-based local student population, so the social aspects of these schools may not be as different from that of a community college as you hope. You may also have a much more limited selection of colleges willing to accept you, which may limit the possible majors, locations, etc…</p>
<p>Community college followed by transfer as a junior to a four year school is likely the best way to leave your high school record behind and give you more options.</p>
<p>Hmm unless you went to a ridiculously good (like one of the top in the nation) private school a 2.1 isn’t too good. You’re SAT is pretty good, but not out of this world. You say you didn’t do any EC’s. Just look at admissions stats and apply to as many as you reasonably can based on how much money you have to spend on application fees. You should still try a few where you seem to be below the average, but obviously don’t bother if you’re way below even the lowest percentiles. Also, not to bust your balls, but you should ask yourself why you didn’t do better in high school and how you are going to change that in college. From your post I have no doubt that you have the ability to succeed at most 4 year institutions, but you also must have the drive. Unless you’re like a legit genius (which you sound like a fairly sharp guy, but by no means a genius), you won’t be able to just coast through any decently good university like you did high school. This isn’t meant to offend you though, I’m just being real with you in hopes that you’ll take my advice.</p>
<p>How hard is it to understand that I said I am not going to community college. There are HUNDREDS of colleges that will accept me. I know only someone very knowledgable would know this, but still I clearly stated I don’t want these suggestions. I am just looking for someone who knows which colleges will take chances on students. </p>
<p>Also this is probably my bad for not stating, but I thought my school had enough name recognition. Horace Mann was ranked the 2nd best private school in the country. And the 4th best high school in America. It’s probably the hardest high school in America.</p>
<p>And when I was saying “I am looking for suggestions”, I meant for competitive colleges that you guys have heard people get into with very low grades like mine. They are out there. </p>
<p>To give you guys an idea of the kind of range I am in, I was already accepted to the University of Pittsburgh and a couple others. It’s not like im applying to CC’S.</p>
<p>If you have already been accepted at Pitt, why aren’t you there now? Was the financial aid insufficient?</p>
<p>In cases like yours, usually the students’ own guidance counselor has access to the most useful information. It looks like you are out of HS already, but don’t be afraid to go back there and have a chat.</p>
<p>Actually going to a great school with a terrible grade is worse than going to a bad school and being valedictorian for most college admissions. If you excel and use every opportunity from an area they want to recruit from it’s a plus. I live in SC so going to a not as good school will be a boost because they want to say they got someone from around here.</p>
<p>Ok, well if you went to the 4th best high school in America then that does make a difference. But it really depends on what you mean by “really selective”. Since your GPA still probably won’t do you too many favors (although you’re right, people will think it’ better than a 2.1 at most other places), what you need to focus on is something that makes you unique. Think of something you may have done or been through that most people your age haven’t that will catch the attention of admissions offices. Also, if there was any kind of challenging circumstance that came up preventing you from doing better in high school, be sure to bring this up somehow when you apply. You said something about volunteer work and thinking it is trivial, but still make sure you mention it, you have to put down anything you possibly can. This is what gets those people into schools that seem to be way out of their league based on test scores and/or gpa. But asking for schools that will “take a chance” on people is the wrong way to go about it, it’s always a conscious decision for a legitimate reason at the end of the day.</p>
<p>How do you have an 1830 SAT coming out of Horace Mann… that’s pretty low considering how good of a school that is… the SAT is used to compare students from different schools (i.e if kids get 2300’s with 3.1 averages consistently, it’s clearly rigorous), so I’m sensing something off here.</p>
<p>"I have gone to tons of college advisors so I have a pretty good idea, but I want some insight from you guys. "
OK, give us a clue since we are having a hard time coming up with suggestions - what schools are these college advisors suggesting?
The only thing I think you can do is to use a good college search engine that will match based on your GPA and SAT scores. CC’s Supermatch will do that.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies. I am still in High School (Class Of 2013), I got accepted to Pitt on rolling admissions. And to the person that asked about financial aid; my dad made 8 figures last year. So no, money fortunately is not really a concern</p>
<p>Yes, I know that 1830 is low for Horace Mann. I only took the SAT once though and am sure that if I really needed to I could get over a 2100. I was told though that doing that would be incredibly foolish as it would just make me look completely lazy, and I wouldn’t get accepted anywhere. </p>
<p>I have been to tons of college advisors. I am hesitant to post the list here because I don’t want every kid with a 2.1 who goes to a good high school applying to these exact schools. Also some of them are just target schools due to some conections there. I will say though that I have been told Alabama, Penn State, Fordham, and all Suny’s except Binghamton I willl get into. I unfortunately don’t have a family legacy at anywhere except Harvard, but hopefully will be able to transfer there. </p>
<p>I posted here mainly looking for kids like me, because I know there are some. I appreciate all the insightful posts, but please read the OP before you post. And if you feel compelled to post, maybe google “Horace Mann Ranking”.</p>
<p>I was only though trying to explain my situation as clear as possible. If I went to High School at some public school in Arkansas I know I wouldn’t be going to any college with my grades. But luckily I will be graduating from one of if not the best in America. So it makes a difference. Also I am not too thrilled with the acceptance from Pitt. I never liked the school or even visited, I only applied on advice of my college advisors. I would rather go too a lower ranked school than Pitt if it meant being in a nice atmosphere. I intend to transfer to Harvard after 2 years.</p>
<p>Also, Harvard does look at high school record for transfer applicants, unlike some state universities which ignore high school record for transfer applicants at the junior level. So your 2.1 GPA will continue to follow you around if you try to transfer to Harvard. So will your (mediocre in comparison to Harvard admits) SAT scores.</p>
<p>actually going to a great school with a terrible grade is worse than going to a bad school and being valedictorian for most college admissions.</p>
<p>I very much doubt that this is true.</p>
<p>Horace Mann is a very famous school, but I don’t think you did yourself any favors by getting a 2.1. I think you are banking far too much on the fame of your school - colleges don’t want to just know that you have the <em>potential</em> to succeed, they want to know that you have the motivation and hard work necessary to succeed. Anyway, since you attend Horace Mann, don’t you have access to a college counselor?</p>
<p>If your dad makes 8 figures a year, you have the potential to be a development candidate. Have your dad call someone in donor relations at some mid-range schools you want to attend.</p>
<p>@UCB All the college advisors I have went to say that if after 2 years I maintain a 3.8 and retake the SAT’s and get 2200+ there is no way I won’t get in. This isn’t what my question is about, but I will put it out there that I have a very long family legacy at Harvard. My dad donates millions of dollars. 3 other siblings attend there. My Great Grandfather, Grandfather, Dad, Mom all attended there. If I had a 2.5 and a 2,000 I probably would have gotten in. I just screwed up really bad!</p>
<p>@Julliet thanks for backing up my point. Yes, I know that my 2.1 looks insanely stupid, but I explained it good in my essay. I know it is probably suprising too many, but it isn’t so simple to buy your way into college. They don’t really care about how rich I am since I have a family legacy at Harvard. They know by accepting me they aren’t going to rope any more family members to come to the college. And accepting a kid with a 2.1 who is extremely underqualified and then having his dad donate $2 Million would look way too shady for all these schools who have huge endowments. It is much easier to buy your way into the Ivy’s than it is to the mid range schools. </p>
<p>My goal is UC Berkley, but that may be too much of a reach. </p>
<p>I appreciate all the posts, but am I really the only person on this forum who has ever been in a situation like this?</p>
<p>Why not ask your father to find out if an extra big donation this year would get you into Harvard as a freshman, since you seem to be counting on being a development candidate? (Then you can prove your ability by taking Math 55a and 55b there.)</p>
<p>Berkeley and all other public universities in California are out of reach with your GPA (minimum 3.4 for UC, minimum 2.45 for CSU, out-of-state) as a freshman; applying as a junior transfer after attending college (they favor applicants from California community colleges) would leave your high school GPA behind.</p>
<p>Between the counselors at Horace Mann and the private counselors you’ve been working with I can’t imagine you’ll get any new insight from people here. The development hook isn’t a common one on College Confidential.</p>
<p>You wrote</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>“Nice atmosphere” meaning what, exactly? Smart people? Life of the mind? Great parties? Prestige? A fresh start? You’ve not visited Pitt, so we have no idea about what it is you don’t like about the school. If you’d visited I’d guess that you didn’t like its urban character (like Boston University or George Washington it is more integrated into the city rather than being a set-apart campus). For what it’s worth, here on CC Pitt is regarded as a great safety for students with tippy-top stats, especially because they offer some extremely generous merit aid. People turn down schools like U Chicago for Pitt because of the money. Not an issue for you, but you should understand that there is a cadre of high caliber students at Pitt. What appeals about Berkeley? Have you visited?</p>
<p>And two cents of advice that you haven’t asked for: do not spend the next two years in a bitter funk that you’re not at Harvard.</p>
<p>Pitt is a good school! Ranked #58 among National Universities by US News. If you don’t get into anything you consider better, then go there and work your tail off to get excellent grades. If you still want to transfer to a more prestigious school, then you will be able to. Might be Harvard since you have multiple legacy status and are a development case, but you won’t really know until you try.
Good luck…</p>
<p>Another suggestion. I’m sure Horace Mann has some good English teachers. You seem to have missed some of the lessons in word usage and grammar. Wherever you go, you’ll need to be able to write English properly. The kinds of mistakes you’ve made in these posts could affect your grades on papers and exams (and, as a result, ability to transfer). Please take this thread to a teacher you trust and ask what choices would have been better.</p>
<p>If you really believe that you can get into Harvard with a 2.5, then get the 2.5. You can still make that happen - all you need is wait list status.</p>
<p>You don’t mention what you want to study or what your goals are. What are they?</p>
<p>My advice: Take a gap year and find out what interests you. Build a resume. Take classes as an unmatriculated student and do well. Travel. Do volunteer work.</p>
<p>Take the SAT again. Your scores do not make up for your grades.</p>
<p>Most of all, stop looking for a quick fix to a long-term problem. Getting where you wasn’t to go is going to take work. Just accept that. Your dad may have money, but you need a life of your own.</p>
<p>@Julliet I understand that Horace Mann in general would look better than pretty much every other school (I, ironically, go to a school that ends in Mann too). However my 3.91 with a very rigorous schedule at a decent public school will look infinitely better than his 2.1 at Horace Mann. That was my point.</p>
<p>@PremoLoco I would hope Harvard wouldn’t accept someone with a 2.5 and 2000 SAT just because his daddy went to Harvard and is super rich. I would hope they maintain at least some academic standards for legacy/donors. And why would it be foolish to retake the SAT? It’d be foolish not to. If you think you can get a 2100, go for it, that 300 point boost would make you a lot more likely to get in anywhere.</p>
<p>@WordWorker I was wondering how good his essays could be if his grammar is that poor also…</p>
<p>Interesting case. Tons of money. Generous parents. Horrible grades. </p>
<p>You don’t like Pitt, but you haven’t seen it. Probably too many motivated public school kids on financial aid. </p>
<p>Additionally, you haven’t explained what would be a nice atmosphere. </p>
<p>I’m surprised that you’re not considering colleges in the UK since they don’t consider your grades at all. St Andrews and Edinburgh in Scotland should be straight shot. Maybe even Trinity in Ireland (not UK but you get the idea). Why not ski the Alps on the weekends. </p>
<p>Too bad you missed the Oxford/Cambridge deadlines.</p>