<p>The time for applying for colleges is getting closer, and I have no idea what I will do. I messed up in highschool, and now I am trying hard to get my GPA up but as everyone knows, it isn't easy. I am not expecting to go to any ivy league schools, but I want to know what I can get into, and what I can do. </p>
<p>I currently have a 3.38 unweighted GPA and I just got my score for my ACT showing I got a 27. I plan to retake it during April in hopes to raise it up to maybe a 29 or 30. I am enlisted in the US Army and scored in the 92 percentile on the military ASVAP. I am currently taking two AP classes, and plan to take two AP classes and two IB classes my senior year. I play in my schools orchestra and I was in the swim team for a year. I have never done anything too amazing like compete in a large event. I am really scared right now if I could do anything with what I have because I messed up in highschool.</p>
<p>Not to worry, there are more than 1000 colleges that would be happy to have you. A B+ average is nothing to be ashamed of. We can help narrow down that list if you tell us a bit more about you.</p>
<p>What state do you live in?<br>
Do you want to stay there?
What do you want to study?
and of course, how much can your family afford to pay?</p>
<p>I live in Michigan.
I either plan to stay here or go to Texas
I want to study Criminal Justice
My parents aren’t paying for much, most of my tuition is being paid by my GI Bill and hope fully any scholarships I can get.</p>
<p>Don’t be worried. Seriously. It’s easy to feel stupid among all the potential Ivy-Leaguers on this forum, and its easy to forget that many colleges would love to have someone of your credentials. True, you’re obviously not going Ivy League, but you won’t have any trouble finding a college.</p>
<p>Another option you have is to attend a community college for a couple years and complete your general education requirements and then transfer. I had a similar GPA to yours in high school and didn’t get accepted to any of the schools I wanted to attend, but after 2 years at a community college I maintained a 4.0 GPA and am now looking at potentially transferring to UCLA. It’s also a lot cheaper.</p>
<p>One of DD’s friends had a “D” on his transcript, did “credit recovery” at the high school, and was still admitted to several very respectable schools. You should sit down with your GC before the school year ends and plan your strategy for safeties, likely schools, and a couple of reaches. Study the colleges/universities carefully and visit them. Many state schools have great CJ programs and these schools are much more reasonable. Use Naviance if your school has it so you can see what the likelihood is of your being accepted as compared to others from YOUR actual high school. You should work on your essays this spring in your English class if possible, and definitely during the summer so you can get feedback right away . Really try to raise the ACT by studying. (Remember, the science section is less about science and more about reading carefully.) If done well, you should get in most of the first two categories and with holistic evaluation (your essays, ECs, life story, etc.) might even pull off a reach or two! Most importantly, keep the grades up now so the universities can see an upward trend. Best of luck. There’s a great place for everyone, but you must do your due diligence!</p>