<p>Imagine a student with fairly strong test scores (~2200 SAT) and decent extracurriculars - but he messed around in high school, with a 2.8 cumulative GPA. Rigorous schedule, honors/AP classes - but about as many A's as C's. </p>
<p>However, the first semester of his senior year, he takes all honors/AP classes with straight A's. Obviously, there's probably not anyone here who can tell me exactly what effect that would have, but in your estimation, how would college admissions officers feel?</p>
<p>They would probably feel that like a lot of kids, this one just took a while to get it together. Will a top school take the kid? No. That's why community colleges are there, to give a second chance to kids that take a bit longer to get their act together.</p>
<p>You genuinely think that someone with a 2200 SAT would do no better than community college? Not trying to be rude, but that sounds kind of absurd, to be honest.</p>
<p>Gah, you cracked my code - the hypothetical student is, in fact, myself. :P</p>
<p>I'm in Ohio. My current plans include applying to a variety of schools - UMich and Boston College as my reach schools, Reed, Boston University, Case Western Reserve, and USouthCali as reach-matches, and OSU as a safety. Sound reasonable?</p>
<p>Oh my god this forum is unbelievable. Anything lower than a 4.0 and a 2400 does not automatically spell community college!! There are over 2000 4-year colleges in America, and yes, about 50 of them are hard to get into, but that is like 2.5%!! No, the average student does not go to Harvard, but the average student does go to college. I think everyone on this forum has to take a step back and look outside of the 20 schools they want to go to.</p>
<p>You're not in bad shape. Will you make National Merit? A LOT of good second-tiers will take you and give you lots of money to go there. The top 25 is still out unless you have amazing ECs, but if you do well in college you have decent odds of transfering. Get a good college guide and look around.</p>
<p>Generally, with a high SAT and low GPA, the thought that most college adcoms will think first is: "With such high scores, why didn't this kid do better in school? Is he a slacker?"</p>
<p>One semester of straight A's will not do enough to convince an adcom otherwise. Sorry!</p>
<p>People may not understand, but here in California, community colleges are, quite possibly, the easiest route to transfer into the top UC schools (Berkeley and, um, Los Angeles). CC students get priority transfers, and students in the specified honors program can get automatic entrance to a school like Berkeley if they keep their GPA at a certain level. There is very little Cal State-to-UC or UC-to-UC transfers around here, while there are tons of community college transfers into the UC's. I'm not sure what it's like elsewhere in the nation, but that's how things go here.. pretty sweet deal, if you ask me. I'm sure the OP probably feels "above" community colleges, especially if he's not from California, but if you want to go to UCB or UCLA then this is your route- not BU, not CUNY, not any other school that you can get into.</p>
<p>For one example, if you happen to have family in Orange County, you can stay with them and school at Orange Coast College (community college). I remember when classes cost $13, but budget cuts have doubled that fee. I'm not sure how much more it is for out-of-state, but it's still a good deal. While paying community college fees, you may take classes over at UC Irvine (a top 50 school). OCC is #3 in the state at getting transfers into UC schools. Virtually everyone who goes there really enjoys their time there... but then again people, this is just one example (and not a bad option at that!)... best of luck,</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm in Ohio. My current plans include applying to a variety of schools - UMich and Boston College as my reach schools, Reed, Boston University, Case Western Reserve, and USouthCali as reach-matches, and OSU as a safety. Sound reasonable?
[/quote]
Why do people assume everyone is from California?</p>
<p>"For one example, if you happen to have family in Orange County, you can stay with them and school at Orange Coast College (community college). I remember when classes cost $13, but budget cuts have doubled that fee. I'm not sure how much more it is for out-of-state, but it's still a good deal."</p>
<p>Read the last line please cool2bars. I know that he's from Ohio.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm in Ohio. My current plans include applying to a variety of schools - UMich and Boston College as my reach schools, Reed, Boston University, Case Western Reserve, and USouthCali as reach-matches, and OSU as a safety. Sound reasonable?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>First of all for the public schools, it will be strictly a numbers based system consisting heavily of SAT scores and grades. In addition being from out of state the UC and Mich are not going to be matches/safties on a good day because their first commitment is to their in-state residents. Being from out of state his gpa is going to hurt him. It is not a matter of people being hard on the student, it is just a statement of fact.</p>
<p>And while it is great that s/he plans to get all A's and the operative word is plan as I am quite sure that no college bound senior is going into the process saying that I'm going to get straight C's, there is no assurance that this is going to happen. Considering UMich and most of the publics are rolling admissions where especially out of state your chances are better applying early the school most likely will be looking at grades up to the end of junior year.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't know about you, but with a high SAT like yours and good essays, you can get into at least some of the City Universities of New York.
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</p>
<p>Again more misinformation because while student has great SAT scores, GPA will keep him out of the upper CUNY schools Queens, Baruch and Hunter because they require SAT scores of atleast 1200 (old test) and 92 average.</p>
<p>OP has been given good advice as he definitely has to come out of the top 25. I agree that BU is not a match and even if he does get in there will definitely be no $$ coming because their aid is based on merit.</p>
<p>The high SAT/low GPA will be reflected as student did not work up to full potential, especially where there were no compelling reason for him not to.</p>
<p>I had a 3.73 and I didn't get into BU. What makes you think you will with a 2.8?
Sorry buddy, but it'd be best to aim lower. A good senior year will not make up for an otherwise mediocre high school record, and vice versa.</p>