Lived in Texas his Freshman year - had a weighted GPA of 3.5
Moved to Massachusetts middle of Sophomore year - ended up with an angry teen and passive/aggressive with new school and crashed his GPA
Found out today the Mass school will not combine the GPA’s and leaves him now with a weighted 2.55 GPA
He is trying to go back south (accepted to Alabama, Texas Tech, Kentucky, University of Houston, Mississippi State) but now with this plummeted GPA, I don’t believe out of state tuition waives/merits are likely. He has a 1st score of 24 on ACT and 1160 on SAT. Retaking ACT in February
This is all new territory for us him being our 1st to college, my heart breaks as the move was exceptionally hard on him and now this.
Sorry to hear about the relo adjustment issues, but in general, schools do not combine GPA. However, when trying to transfer, the new school will see both transcripts. What is his unweighted cumulative?
On what transcript basis was he accepted by the schools? It seems that the schools where he was accepted had a separate transcript from his first school and one from his current in order to make a determination. The transcripts don’t have to be combined, the colleges will review both transcripts and many recalculate. Are you awaiting further decisions? Are any of the accepted schools a good financial match? Most decisions are made by the end of Feb or fist week in March. Why is he retaking the ACT. An 1160 SAT is equivalent to a 24 ACT.
This is common. In fact transferring from one MA HS to another would likely lead to an uncombined GPA. I’ll assume colleges got both transcripts. They know the drill and often recalc on their own if needed.
Both transcripts sent (fairly sure)
My husband called 2 schools today (University of Maine & Mississippi State) & was told DS has a 2.55 GPA so it appears as if the Texas one doesn’t count?? I’m not sure, I’m so confused. With this 2.55 number, he will not be able to get merit scholarships that we had hoped/planned on for him. No way for us to afford our of state tuition.
Taking the ACT to hopefully improve by 1 or 2 points as this equals more merit $
University of Maine did give DS a 9k per yr scholarship but DS would rather have a root canal than attend here. Maine is the only one thus far to come back w $$ #s. None of the other schools have at all.
Yes, he is still waiting on other schools to update but his core schools have all accepted him~ just don’t know our financials& this lower GPA is not helping
What year is your son? If he’s just 1/2 way through his junior year, he has this semester to shine and first semester of senior year. Also time to get those test scores up.
Be sure that he requests his official transcript from his school in TX. Colleges will evaluate both transcripts.
I would also make sure the GC is aware of the struggle with the move and writes about the situation, and hopefully the rebound, in their letter of recommendation.
Even averaging in one year of 3.5 gpa with 3 years of 2.5 is probably going to leave him short of a 3.0. You have to deal with what you have, and I don’t think he’s going to get merit at many of the schools you listed. What gpa does he need to get the waiver?
I honestly think the person your husband spoke to took the gpa off the transcript sent. Someone loaded it into the computer and that’s what the school has been using. Call and ask them to recalculate it based on the freshman year too. They’ll need to manually do it.
Which schools will give him instate tuition or merit aid with a 3.0 GPA and a 24 ACT or 1160 SAT…
Mississippi…but any of the others?
My kid has MUCH higher SAT score and GPA and did not get an instate waiver at any Texas public universities…didn’t expect one… until didn’t get it. Your kid would need both a higher GPA and standardized test score for merit from Alabama.
Would Kentucky or Houston really be merit potential?
What other colleges,has he applied to? While he might not qualify for merit, his counselor can certainly address the new school issue and GPA in the counselor letter.
Does he have affordable colleges on his application list?
@ga19tex Forgive me for not knowing the specifics. Do the schools (like MS State) superscore? If so, then have you r son study his you know what off, but focus one two of the four sections. Work the numbers to see which sections are the intersection of “can go up and get the superscore” and “he likes enough to study”. But ONLY do that if raising the ACT will make a difference.
Also…and again if you have already done this forgive me…but I’m in MA as well so you probably have two more weeks of the semester. Get in there ASAP and talk to the counselor and Dean and explain the situation and advocate like hell for your son. Can he do a little extra work to bump a C+ to a B- or a B- to a B. Anything. Just lay it on the line…you are trying to get him into a school he wants to go to AND you can afford. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
Again, if you have done all this already, forgive me. But I’m in a battle with our MA high school for my S19 as well…so my Irish is up. Best of luck to you and your son. And PM me if you want to brainstorm a little. Happy to help.
Mississippi doesn’t allow public colleges to superscore.
I’m assuming he is a senior since he has already sent his transcript to colleges.
Op- what about community college for a year? Ask the colleges he likes about possibilities of scholarships if he does well in a year of community college.
The sheet I have from MS State shows $6,000 for non-resident students with 24 ACT and at least 3.0, there is nothing listed on the sheet for GPA below 3.0. It looks like a 26 would bump it up to $12,500 if he could get that and a 3.0. Did he fill out the general scholarship application to be considered for competitive, departmental, and private scholarships? The priority deadline was December 1st.
Not that your son is interested in the UMass system but they all recalculate GPAs based on core courses. I bet many states do this so lobbying core teachers would be the most productive. Good luck!
If that was my kid, I wouldn't even consider an OOS rate residential uni. He needs to consider community college. If he can establish his own Texas residency then that is an adult approach to getting what he wants. He could relocate and get a job for a year and then work his way through college. UH must have plenty of non trad kids doing this as post CC transfers.
Thank you everyone for your input and helpful advice. This has been quite the learning process! I did not even know Miss State did not SuperScore but we’ve paid for another test and he is going, lol can’t hurt right? We are hopeful about UofH and Miss State as of today. I believe all other schools will probably be a no-go due to low GPA.
He’s realizing the gravity of the situation and man, this is so tough. DH lost his job in Texas due to the oil and gas bust and was out of work for 8 months. S19 has a endocrine disorder and we had to keep him on Cobra for EIGHT FRIGGIN months and then had to relocate to the job in Massachusetts, we could no longer wait for a job in Houston.
He’s a good kid, just got sideways with leaving the place he really loved. TX schools are no joke and he soared with being in the marching band, football (he was the only kid out of 1K to do this). Schools here, please no offense, but they are way less in expectations (this is a good thing believe me) and he was just so screwed up with moving he just couldn’t handle the transition. He has enjoyed football and ski team here and he’s better for the most part.
Is there any room to appeal residency with him having been a freshman and soph in Texas? It really would be worth picking up the phone to each of the Texas schools. The point though, is can you afford it even if they gave him instate tuition? That is over 20K a year. Do you know your FAFSA EFC?