<p>I need your help guys, though my circumstances are just a tad bit odd.</p>
<li>Graduated last in class.</li>
<li>GPA >1.0</li>
<li>Zero extracurriculars
a. had to work
b. i am a single child w/ disabled, bedridden mother (single parent)</li>
<li>Tested out of Geometry, Chemistry, and both Algebra I & II
just to graduate.</li>
<li>Enlisted in US Army in 2001</li>
</ol>
<p>Now honorably discharged from the Army, I recently scored a 2330 on my SAT’s, and it seems no one has any ideas as to what I should do. Did I ruin my dream of attending Harvard w/ my high school performance, even though my mother’s illness took center stage in my life? If so, what are my options? Apropos, my score is no fluke, coming away with a 1510 in the 6th grade while in the G&T program. Please, please, please help!</p>
<p>If applicable be harsh, I want a real assessment. Lastly, I am a 24yo black male, and I would very much like to attend in the fall of 2007.</p>
<p>I have been compelled to post in this forum, as I am greatly in need of advice.</p>
<p>If you are for real, (and I suppose even if you are not),.. try applying at one of the larger state schools. I think you will find it uncomfortable to be living among 17-18 year-olds in the dorms, and their stage of development will not be yours. They're still kids and you are a man. What about attending UT Austin, where you can find people from all walks of life and with a wide range of ages? There are some fantastic departments, especially for someone with the maturity to find opportunities and work within the system. It's not Harvard, but there are a lot of very bright students there. You could call admissions and talk with someone about your situation. I think Harvard is not an option at this time... maybe for grad school?</p>
<p>Glad you took my advice, and moved it over. Your stats make you a very unusual person indeed, so don't get too offended by some skepticism! Take him at face value guys, and give him some ideas. It has been suggested that he start with some basic CC classes, to build an academic record that will back up his test scores. Anxiousmom's advice is also good. Anymore?</p>
<p>I don't think you ruined anything, but you are not likely to walk into Harvard with a weak record and 5 years of military. Even if you could get in, you would not want to do that to yourself. I recommend you sign up for community college or a local state U - where ever you can get admission quickly. Take some courses or go full time if you can. Build your skills, develop a record of success and then transfer into programs and schools which meet your needs.</p>
<p>How long were you in the army? Will someone there be able to write you a rec? I assume your high school teachers may not be able to say many glowing things about your performance, but your military record may be much better. Do you still need to care for your mother or are you able to attend college full time?</p>
<p>My idea would be for you to sign up for a community college, and seek to transfer after your first year. Even if your high school record was better, I would suggest going this route as it takes a while to re-adjust to a life to studying. If you take community college classes, you can impress adcoms with your ability to really work hard and achieve high. You can also get college profs to write recs for you. This would make your high school record less relevant.</p>
<p>And remember that Harvard is a crapshoot for everyone, so think about applying to other colleges, too.</p>
<p>b) I think that you probably have strong chances of getting into many fine colleges and universities. However, your chances will increase to the extent that you can identify particular schools and specific objectives for picking those schools.</p>
<p>c) Your situation is so out-of-the-ordinary that I don't think anyone could say exactly which schools you would have a shot at.</p>
<p>I had students like you every year I taught at the Community College of Philadelphia. And every year, we passed 2 or 3 or even 4 on to Penn, with full scholarships. </p>
<p>You could also likely enroll in the Harvard Extension School virtually tomorrow, take classes with the very same professors who teach undergrads in the regular program, and end up with a Harvard degree looking exactly the same (I believe) as all the other Harvard degrees. Same is true at Columbia School of General Studies (though they'd probably interview you hard before admission.)</p>
<p>He lives in rural East Texas - ?Rita country?. I suggested contacting admissions people at Rice, University of Houston, UT-Austin, maybe LSU Shreveport if he is further north. Agree with taking CC classes while he explores other options. Any other private schools that might offer money and support, and are in his general area - ?Tulane?</p>
<p>Wow, if you can get to Boston, go visit the Harvard admissions office and talk to them. If you can't get to Boston, call them and ask when there will be an admissions officer in your area. None of us can advise you as well as they can.</p>
<p>Why Harvard? Because IT IS impossible, to be truthful. Where I live people never seem to think outside the box--the uniform mindset seems to be Texas A&M or bust. While I was never of that impression, its just the place where its widely assumed that the greatest minds congregate, and eventually will be groomed. However, in my shame, I know that my aim will have to be low--very low. Lastly, I AM one of those dreamers, but also a realist.</p>
<p>I don't think your aim should be low at all. Aim high. I think the advice here is all about how to achieve that aim. A year at a state U or cc can be the route to fulfillment of your goal.</p>
<p>College admissions officers have been known to state that the best predictor of success in college is the high school GPA. You already know that is your weak suit. But with hs in your increasingly distant past, you can overcome the hs GPA deficit with a strong freshman GPA at a cc or easier to get into University.</p>
<p>Now, whether that goal should or shouldn't be Harvard is another question. And whether Harvard will be the experience you envision as an undergrad is yet another.</p>
<p>So, keep your aim high. Think about all of the places where great minds congregate (it's not just at Harvard). Think about how you can get there and when you want to. You might find that you can get there in 2007. It might or might not be worth a try. You might be happier with an undergrad degree from somewhere else and a grad degree from Harvard.</p>
<p>As you explore your educational future, especially here on this Forum, you may find that other schools will meet your needs as well or better.</p>
<p>Keep telling us more about what you want (field of interest, college atmosphere, geographic locale) and this can be a place where you obtain first-class guidance on the where and the how to.</p>
<p>Congrats on wanting to take the steps to continue your education as it is a lifelong process that is never too late to start.</p>
<p>In my non-CC life I do extensive work in the area of adult education and workplace learning. </p>
<p>If you were to see me in my work place this would be my recommendation: while you have great test scores, unless you have taken college courses in the military, your high school record is still going to count against you in the admissions process because it will just confirm that you are smart but have not worked to your potential. Now you will have to demonstrate that you can stay the course. Colleges want to admit people who can stay the course.</p>
<p>I agree with the posters that suggest that your best bet would be to first attend community college so that you can establish some sort of academic bench mark. </p>
<p>It will also help you in honing the writing and basic research skills (which are not covered on the SATs) you will need to be successful in doing college work. </p>
<p>Even if you just attend community college for one year and get good grades you would be in a better position to transfer an adult ed. programs at Boston, Harvard (extension), Columbia (GS) Georgetown, Penn and a host of others.</p>
<p>If possible do a search for ThomasH32, who is an adult learner that went to community college and transfered in to Penn this year.</p>
<p>Location is no matter, I do my best work far away from home. My interests are history, poly sci, and eventually law. As for the environment, there truly is no preference. Large or small, I just want to learn.</p>
<p>Are you for real? If so, and you can, do make the sacrifice to pursue your higher education. You are looking for an atmosphere that is not all about high school recent grads and the very young.<br>
Consider PMing curmudgeon, a parent of a recent high school grad from Texas and also just consider posting Request for Info on the Texas boards. Some parents are quite knowledgable in their home state systems and know other adults who got a late start in their regions or know of college admissions officers that are very sharp. You should probably give Texas schools a good once over for a niche that might suit your life experience and academic potential.<br>
I live in Virginia. The University of Virginia has an excellent reputation as a Public Ivy, is East Coast without the stress, has access to the DC region for jobs and internships, and has a blissful town/gown atmosphere and probably has some programming for older students with some work experience. UVa also has significant programs that contribute to African Americans entering and graduating through mentorship on campus. Consider PMing a frequent poster on the UVa boards..I recommend a PM to Globalist, an alum who seems to know everything about Charlottesville and he is a big booster for his university. He would have actual names of administrators who you could email or call. There are many other great state universities in the US.
I am a military brat. While in service, did you complete any college studies? Get your records together if so. If there are still obstacles to your personal academic fulfillment and to your having good work habits as a student, get some counsel on how to remove them. The idea of racking up a year of highly responsible lab and classroom work in a community college may pay off for you by providing you with the references and mentors you need for year two.<br>
best of luck to you!</p>
<p>I agree with those who said enroll somewhere and get stellar grades--if you can do that you can apply anywhere as a transfer student. Kids from the community colleges transfer to every level of school, and some do make it to HYP from community college.</p>
<p>Edit: Forget about Princeton, they don't take transfers.</p>
<p>wow, well first off, congrats on that SAT score. That's real impressive, especially since u haven't been in school and such. </p>
<p>Not sure about Harvard, but a lot of decent-real good colleges could take you. I mean I think if you explained or wrote about the issue with your mom, I THINK THEY'D COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT. NO DOUBT IN MY MIND. </p>
<p>Test it out and see, cause people who go to community colleges and did horrible in high school can easily transfer after 2 yrs. to a pretty good school, given the good grades.</p>
<p>CC or state U is the route I would advise, and I advise a lot of our kids, since I teach an upper level class. I know that Amherst for one, and other schools of that caliber are working on a program to locate the best CC students to have then transfer in. Prove to them that you can do it, the go for it!</p>