Go to a top school or okay school...what a real average kid should do? Really Average

<p>Hi, I have been accepted to Virginia Tech for Management and Oxford College of Emory University. I think the only reason I got accepted to Oxford College of Emory was because my bro went to Emory college with good stats.</p>

<p>My main concern is doing well in college, and I’m afraid if I go to Emory University I might end up getting my butt kicked there at Oxford College. The reason is my weighted GPA at high school is a 3.52 and my SATs were only 560Math, 500CR, and 620Writing. I know its pretty crappy. And that is my reason that I think I won’t do well at Oxford aside from the fact it is a college of arts and sciences and I suck in science. I want to major in business by the way. I mean I have taken AP History i/II, AP French and Honors chem and gotten “B’s” in all those classes. Then I’ve also taken AP Bio, Honors Physics, and Honors Geometry and gotten “C’s”. It was especially hard with wrestling. And I tend to do bad on my midterms and finals. In other words, I don’t think I’m cut out for Emory or VT.</p>

<li><p>What would you recommend for a guy like me wanting to do business?</p></li>
<li><p>What can I do to prepare for Oxford College of Emory - summer programs or books?</p></li>
<li><p>How hard is Oxford College…how is it, the experience, the people, the exams?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I would greatly appreciate it if someone answered these questions with some feedback or advice. I just don’t feel convinced that I will do well at college and I need some advice or something that will help me.</p>

<p>I think you are selling yourself short. I can tell you for a fact that if you study, you will do fine in college... It's not that much harder than high school. Your professors WANT you to succeed..if you are there for every class and put time into your assignments you will do fine. Grade inflation runs rampant in universities today..for many profs, the lowest grade they give is a B..which may not be true in your high school.. Trust me on this.. an average (or in your case above-average) kid who applies himself in college is always going to do better than the brilliant kids who are partying or think they dont have to put in the work.. They wouldnt have let you in if they didn't think you could do it! I haven't attended either of these colleges, but I have attended more than 3 and taught at one .. so trust me.. get to know your professors, let them know you care, if you have difficulty on a test or an assignment go and see them.. most will do whatever you need to help you succeed - esp. at a school like Emory. Didn't Emory just put you in oxford college because that is where you start (to take the core requirements etc.) then you declare your major soph year..? ) Almost every school like Emory will require you to take a few math and sciences classes as part of your core curriculum.. Those core requirements will be SO much easier than your high school AP classes..They know most of the kids in them arent planning to major in science..so they are usually not very difficult. (Also try to shop your professors by looking at a rate the profs book or asking around...to find professors who are accessible)
I think you should just relax though.. success in college is 80-90% work ethic 10-20% raw talent..I have seen countless examples of the "average" student WAY outperforming their peers for that reason. good luck!</p>

<p>Thank you for the positive feedback. I feel if I read a lot more and form better study habits during the time period of high school and college I might do fine. I have bought two books - "Break Through Rapid Reading" and "What Smart Students Know" to increase my study skills and study more efficiently without procrastinating. And yes, Emory put me in Oxford for 2 years to take core requirements and then after 2 years I have to move to Emory college.</p>

<p>Any other advice is greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>I think I will attend Oxford at Emory University. I'm willing to put in hard work but I'm afraid what if I put in hard work and it doesn't produce the results that are reasonable. Look, I have a friend going to Syracuse who is doing premed and from what I hear of other kids at my current high school he's doing pretty bad. I saw him last year at high school with his ear pierced and his hair all wacky. Could be doing drugs or not. It's just that I've heard ppl who work hard and have to sometimes drop out or move to other schools.
After all I'm just a hard working average kid who just wants to do well - not party, not get drunk, and not involve myself in inappropriate situations.</p>

<p>Maybe if I take a summer course or read some college preparation books I might gain some confidence...any suggestions? And while we're at it which AP exam is the easiest to SELF study for...I want to take economics or some business related AP.</p>

<p>What state are you from?</p>

<p>I'm from NJ. Why does that matter...and what about my previous questions?</p>

<p>I got nixed from Tech, and lots of my friends from VA with much higher stats than yours got rejected also. Seems Tech and JMU are taking in a lot of out-of-state students. I didn't expect to get accepted myself, but I'm really surprised that some of my classmates didn't get in.</p>

<p>It's a great school. I hope to get in as a transfer later.</p>

<p>Well, I wrestled for 4 years of my high school and did Cross Country. That probably helped. I mean Virginia Tech is a division I school for that stuff. Plus I'm an under represented minority at VT. Also, I applied for management in the business program which is not nearly as competitive as their engineering school.</p>

<p>It is a great idea to read those books and sharpen up your study skills. It is really important to know how to skim through large amounts of reading in an effective way.. understand when and how to take notes, and how to study for tests.. i.e. "active" vs. "passive" studying. This is probably the best thing you can do to prepare yourself for college.. If you are really really worried.. you could take a couple classes at your local community college this summer. I actually did that before I went to business school. Took econ and accting so that when I got to b-school I was actually seeing those subjects for the second time. It was HUGELY helpful. (my undergrad was in the sciences so I knew nothing about business) I got so much more out of the class and understood the material so much better the second time... may not be the most cost effective strategy but it sure helped me..Why bother taking an AP exam if you are already accepted at Emory? to get a class waived at college? I personally dont think that is the best use of your time....You'd be better off to find out what Econ text they use there and start studying that.. (just my opinion).</p>