Background: I’m currently entering my senior year of high school (class of 2019). My school is fairly hard. It’s ranked first in my state and one point was 3rd in the nation not too long ago. I know it’s dropped but I’m not sure by how much. (The problem is that my school doesn’t give class rankings because it gets competitive between students)
I have an unweighted GPA of 2.8 and my grades have deteriorated over time. I wouldn’t say I’m dumb, but I am lazy. Only lately have I been taking school more seriously. I’ve been in advanced classes all my life so I didn’t think starting at my school would be hard for me since I had already been deemed “smart.” (Not trying to brag at all - just trying to give some insight as to why my grades are incredibly bad) But when I took the (new) SAT for the first time, I got a 1350 out of 1600 (94th percentile nationwide). I got a 680 on reading and 670 for math. I plan to take it again in August to see if I can increase my math score I know that to colleges, I will look lazy, but I want to show them that I am capable of working hard. What are my chances that I will get into a decent college given my poor GPA?
colleges look at more than just grades and SAT scores. I think it would help if you provided more info like any extracurriculars, special family situations if any, race/ethnicity, gender etc.
I would also urge you to try and keep your grades up this coming semester to actually show proof of your efforts to better yourself and your work ethic
I feel like you could write an interesting college essay on your GPA situation; it might be kind of humorous, but who knows what the admin people like so… good luck!
To be blunt, you should consider going to a CC and transferring. I had a similar situation, (GPA was higher) and had a good ACT score, but I didn’t get into my top choices (USC, none of the UCs, UMich, etc.). Your chances of getting into a good college are better if you go to CC and transfer
So many kids are like you–dont feel bad–take charge of your life and destiny. Work your ass off this year. Speak with your parents about finances for college. If I was your parent I would suggest a state school where you can get strong grades and prove yourself–planning to transfer if you need more from a college.
If you show a strong upward trend and perhaps address in your essay what made you decide to apply yourself, you will land at a decent school. You need to have commitment to working hard going forward, though. This I’d z habit you need to develop, not a switch you can flip.
There is a list of “Colleges for B Students”, and many of them are very good schools. Yes, you can get into a “decent” college, but can you afford to attend? Depending on your money situation, attending CC and transferring later OR attending directional state colleges might be your best bet. Run the NPC for each school you’re looking at.
Your stats are on the low side for significant merit aid packages, although you could see some basic awards at private 4-years.
What state do you live in? You might get a pass at your state flagship since your school must be well-known, as long as you don’t apply to a competitive major.
What’s your budget? There are LOTS of good colleges that you can attend but you’d be unlikely to qualify for significant merit aid.
Find a Fiske guide or Princeton Review’s Best Colleges and look up UNC Wilmington, Gustavus Adolphus, Beloit, CNU,
James Madison, Hobart&WilliamSmith, Luther, Susquehanna, Juniata, Ohio Wesleyan, Wooster, Allegheny, Drew, College of Charleston, St Michael’s, Lewis and Clark, Eckerd.
Apply regular decision so that you can hopefully submit strong first semester grades. Don’t make excuses for being lazy - “I didn’t work hard because I’m considered smart” is not a good look. Maybe it was just overconfidence or immaturity - you’ll need a good essay to show your personal growth.