<p>I'm going to be a senior this year and it is long overdue that I start thinking about college. My attendance record has been abysmal for the previous 3 years in high school and as a result, my grades have suffered. My "pride" prevented me from seeking outside help from teachers and peers so I never caught up. I took many classes I felt would help get me "interested" in school (generally the more rigorous courses, e.g. AP) and I ended up having to drop them (getting a 50 in the course) midway through the year because of my lack of attendance. Despite this habit, my average is in the mid 70's. I took two AP exams and I got 3's on both without doing any preparations. I have no extracurriculars. I'm honestly pretty much the epitome of a horrible student and my teachers are confused why I went down this path considering the motivation and grades I had in middle school. </p>
<p>My only "saving grace" is my SAT score, which was a 2150 which I achieved without studying. After seeing that score, I begain studying to improve it over the summer to see if I could get above a 2300 this fall.</p>
<p>Well yes, community college for two years and then transferring was a given. However, I was looking for more, er… appealing suggestions? Surely there are other options, right? Money isn’t an issue.</p>
<p>I don’t want to come off as snooty for using the word appealing there and I really don’t deserve it for the lack of care I showed for my education the past three years but I want to look at some more options, although I realise I’m extremely limited in them.</p>
<p>By mid-70’s average do you mean a 2.5 GPA? Look at some directional state schools. Despite your good SAT score, you will not likely be accepted at any top 75 schools, state or private.</p>
<p>Your choices of four year schools available to you applying as a freshmen now are likely to be extremely limited compared to what your choices of four year schools would be if you went to community college, did well, and applied as a junior transfer. I.e. the community college route may give you a more appealing selection of four year schools than what you can find now.</p>
<p>You may want to check the transfer admission policies of the four year schools you are interested in as to whether they favor transfer applicants from community colleges versus other four year schools. There may also be more complete articulation agreements with community colleges than other four year schools.</p>
<p>If “money is not an issue”, then there are many schools that would still welcome you as a student. What are you interested in?
You didn’t participate in any formal ECs in high school…how do you like to spend your time?
Finally, it would probably be a good idea at this point to do a workup on both attention issues and possible learning differences. You are a capable kid who is not living up to your potential…you want to solve those problems before they follow you to college.</p>
<p>Intentions are wonderful, but evidence is golden. So far, you just have intentions.</p>
<p>You need a track record of success, for much more than one semester. A college will be wary until you’ve established one. You need to show up, read the assignments, do the homework, take the tests, write the papers, etc. Lots of hard work.</p>
<p>Computer science is a very detail-oriented program. You can’t just improvise an essay and survive.</p>
<p>Are you sure you even want to go to college right away?</p>
<p>Sounds like you have incredible potential that needs to be developed, supported and guided. Are you also getting guidance from your parents, teachers or other individuals who have been impactful in your life? As I’m sure you know, there is so silver-bullet answer to your question, but you are on the right track in posing the question. I would urge you to have sustained conversations, in-person, with someone whom you trust to guide you to the next step. All the best to you.</p>
<p>How much money did you make, and what kind of professional contacts did you develop? A business program with an entrepreneurial focus might be good for you. Find out what your family can afford to pay, and then run the college-matching search engines for places that offer your major and are in your price range.</p>
<p>I think there are some schools that would be willing to take a chance on you given your high test scores. Probably not any of the top 100 in the US News and World Report rankings And you would need to write a really awesome essay that explains how you have a newly found passion for computer science and want to turn your educational life on its head… Any teachers willing to go to bat for you in recommendations based on your potential?</p>
<p>Consider tech-oriented schools in particular. They’ve seen students like you before, hardcore gamers that decide to go into video game design for example. Schools like Wentworth Institute of Technology (Boston) for example, would be a good bet. Even an RIT might consider you, who knows?
Go the library and look at college guides including US News. I know some of them contain big tables that order schools by selectivity. Start looking for candidates there and then do some research.
Also see how far you get by using a college search engine such as the college board site or [College</a> Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics](<a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/]College”>College Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics). You can specify CS major, type of institution (private, non-profit, 4-year), locations and a <em>selectivity factor</em>. You would need to leave out your test scores since those will skew the results too much I think. It should give you a starting point.
Also consider your less selective state schools with the goal of transferring up to a higher ranked state school. In Mass an example would be starting at Bridgewater State, then transfering to UMass Amherst or Lowell assuming you ace your courses.
Good luck and let us know how your search is progressing.</p>
<p>Actually, a business program with an entrepreneurial focus is exactly what I’m looking for. </p>
<p>I don’t feel comfortable disclosing the amount of money I make here but I sold electronics and health products if you want to make an estimate from that. My professional connections are pretty much limited to I buy their wholesale products and they ship it. It’s not really personal in the slightest. In other words, I wouldn’t be able to get college recommendation letters from them if that’s what you’re thinking.</p>
<p>Speaking of UMass Amherst, I know someone who went there with ~1700 SAT and 2’s and 3’s on their AP Exams. Do I even have the slightest chance there?</p>
And you would need to write a really awesome essay that explains how you have a newly found passion for computer science and want to turn your educational life on its head… Any teachers willing to go to bat for you in recommendations based on your potential?</p>