<p>I just got rejected from a school and it dawned on me..... HIGH SCHOOL matters way too much. As far as trying to gain admission into a college as a transfer, it is harder because they accept much less candidates and they still look at high school materials. My main dispute is, "Why do colleges seem to care as if your achievements, or lack thereof, in high school is all they can measure you by? I have done well my last two years of high school, but I didn't perform up to par my first two years (for various reasons). And I am afraid that my high school grades will haunt me like a felony conviction, in regards to admissions, now and later if I transfer. Also one more thing that irks me out, WHY ARE THERE SUCH FEW SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TRANSFERS!!!! Its almost as if the school's attitude is: "(sigh) transfer if you must :( " Can anybody please tell me why they are judging me (just turned 17) only for my high school career, and not necessarily what I do after.</p>
<pre><code> My Background Music: '' I wish that I knew what I know now...when I was youngerrrr"
</code></pre>
<p>im sure that if you get good grades during your first year at whatever college you go to, the college you hope to transfer to will look highly upon that college gpa (and place much more weight on that gpa than your high school one)</p>
<p>in regards to why high school matters so much, it's just because society has made it that way. going into high school, we all knew (or at least we should have) that these four years were vital to our college admissions and the next stage of our lives. Sometimes it is hard to adjust to a high school curriculum, but don't let a couple bad years haunt you for the rest of your life.
You'll be happy at whatever college you go to.</p>
<p>Because they don't have space for that many transfers. They have the entire sophomore class rising to the junior class AND spaces for every transfer who did well in their first two years of college? Hmmm...no.</p>
<p>Why do you have to transfer? Have you heard of GRADUATE school?</p>
<p>A 4.0 from a tier 3 state school and a nice 170 on the LSATs guarantees you that T14 as good as anyone else. Ever seen Legally Blonde? You can have a 4.0 in fashion in a crappy college; get a 178 or whatever she got and still get into a T14 (maybe not Harvard).</p>
<p>Uh you missed my point. I'm saying if you did what Reese Witherspoon did, you are not guaranteed Harvard but you have a good chance at the T14 just like every other competitive applicant (from Ivies and the like).</p>
<p>Yes, a MBA requires experience but you can work UP the ladder. A 4.0 and then a 750+ can also guarantee a great MBA program.</p>
<p>HS DOES matter too much...we're teenagers!!! We're either overloaded in hormones and going through a crisis, learning how to drive, being self-conscious, or doing something else stupid because of the severe lack of judgement. High school shouldn't be a good indicator of future success...it should count maybe as much as EC's...</p>
<p>Here's a question: When you say High School matters too much, what does it matter too much for?
It seems like you mean it matters too much for college (freshman admissions), and further down the line, transfer admissions...
Sure, college is one of the most transforming times in your life, and you want to be where you want to be during this time...but if they're not going to base it on high school, what are they going to base any judgement on? Upon graduation from college, college will be looked on as too important (status wise, job wise, grad school wise)...then whatever stage you're in will be the primary focus for those above you, "guarding the gates" of the next level...</p>
<p>from a little different perspective, if you go in with the attitute that life, in general, and your contribution and appreciability to society is what is important, then i would suggest not too be short-sighted...see the good in life, see the good in every experience..</p>
<p>and just a last note: your reference to your background music sums up the feelings of everyone...i wish i knew what i know now a long time ago...but this is the nature of life...
just an example from personal experience...i go to a university considered among the best in the country...meaning, i did pretty well in high school (to whatever/whoever's standards, anyway)...and I got a C+ in my first term...I haven't since gotten another grade below a B and I feel like if I knew how to manage my time, knew what kind of study habits I needed and overall, knew what I know now about what it takes to get a high grade, I could have done that, and my GPA wouldn't have suffered...but I'm fine with that now, because it was hard, but it was a learning process, and I have come to realize that most things that are learned (i.e. what it takes to reach certain goals) only are learned when you don't reach them the first time, but are given the opportunity to fairly reach for them again, and you learn what it takes...ok, so a little longer than i expected, but i hope this helps...</p>
<p>I hate that it is not realized that one can learn and grow outside of high school, especially on one's own. Academic independence is no longer valued and upheld anymore.
Anyhoo, I just sent an angry rant about the stupidity of high school to an admissions officer at a school I was recently accepted into. They were worried that my senior grades were "slipping". My mind has not, no sir!</p>
<p>When I wrote that it matters too much I meant that colleges pay too much attention to your grade and scores, not necessarily what is in between-THE APPLICANT. Although schools dont have any other barometer to measure candidates, they need to do a better job of taking circumstances and other variables in students learning into account. Its as though they seem to judge all applicants on the same pedestal, regardless of their trials. </p>
<p>As far as high school being the more important than college, thats false. College is far more important, but if person A can get into a great college because of good grades and person B gets into a mediocre college due to weak grades, is anybody going to deny that person A will have an easier time in the post-college world even if they dont achieve as person B will in college? Looking at that scenario one can make the valid conclusion that high school will matter more than college and person B may know more, but will have to work much harder than person A to prove it.</p>
<p>I had professor recently answer this question in one of his classes.
The long and the short of his speech was "I always want to give students who are sick, hurting, injured, etc. grace, but every time I hear an excuse from a sick student who couldn't complete an exam, there is a student sitting right beside their empty seat whose grandmother died last week and is coughing her lungs out with aches and pains all over."</p>
<p>College is the stage beyond HIGH SCHOOL. Like it or not, that's what college is, therefore they SHOULD look at how you did in high school.</p>
<p>What other "variables" and "circumstances" would you like them to consider? You are welcome to attach supporting documents to an application if there are significant extenuating circumstances, however you should realize that there are probably hundreds (if not thousands) of people with even worse circumstances.</p>
<p>Why shouldn't we all be looked at on the same level? It should be as fair as possible. Your logic is full of fallacies and doesn't really go anywhere. I basically go to the end of your second paragraph and asked "so what?" Of course person B at a mediocre college may struggle after college, however if that person works hard, he or she will be able to learn at a "mediocre" college. Also, realize that while HYP may be well-recognized and idolized here, most other universities are excellent and follow standards that keep universities on a somewhat equal level.</p>
<p>Being fair is to judge everyone on the same level. Now is that fair if you diregard a person's circumstances and act as if every applicant has almost the same life. I have had , family losses, sickness, money issues, among other problems that have adversely affected me and I cant help but think they dont put too much though into that. And as for your professor saying that there is a person who is coughing and whose grandmother died, the problem is, is he is going to take into account that students situation. Or is he going to grade him just like he is going to grade a student who had a good night sleep and is perfect mental, emotional, and physical health. Now how fair is that? Given the fact thats the way it is, that is where the problem resides. Not everybody has had the same high school experience, whereas some have had to find the smallest things to motivate them becuase there was nothing else. And others have been blessed and motivation comes from everything and everyone around them</p>
<p>Sure, I can provide an attachment, but it will be "considered",even though it is more important to my high school experience than they will make it. BY NO MEANS AM I SAYING I HAVE HAD IT THE WORST, but what about those who have?</p>