Hello everyone, i am new to this community. I am a Junior in high school, and my GPA this semester is a 2.3. My total GPA is in the mid 2s. I basically slacked off much of high school and half a$$ed everything. i dont and didnt take any AP or IB classes. What can i do now and next year to ensure i can get into college? can i try and achieve a good SAT score to make up for the low GPA? also this low GPA resulted in affecting my self esteem, which is really low, and ive questioned many times if my IQ is below average.
What are your interests and what are your financial limitations?
2 Likes
I have 3 conflicting interests, I want to be in either Forestry, Atmospheric Sciences, or Astronomy/Astrophysics
With financial limitations, there is no problems. i dont wan to sound spoiled, but my parents said that they have saved up for College and they said i could go anywhere. Maybe this is the problem, me not taking life seriously due to my fortunte financial situation? I dont seem prepared of what lies in the future for me, even though i should be. maybe i am spoiled?
what state do you live in? A good SAT or ACT will definitely help, but there will be options for you.
1 Like
Hello @Sweetgum , Im from California
Look into University of Idaho, Northland College, U of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Mississippi State, U of Nevada Reno, Northern Arizona U.
5 Likes
California has very good community colleges, with good coordination regarding transferring after two years of community college to very good in-state public universities (both California State Universities and Universities of California).
The most important thing is to start learning how to study harder and more effectively now. Do as well as you can for the rest of this year and next year.
There are definitely many people who have come back from problems bigger than this and done well.
11 Likes
Non-impacted Cal States with a 2.5 CSU capped weighted GPA or higher might be an option. CSU GPA is based on the a-g CSU courses taken 10-11th grades. CSU’s and UC’s are test blind.
- California residents and graduates of California high schools will be eligible for admission by earning a 2.50 or greater “a-g” GPA.
- Any California high school graduate or resident of California earning a GPA between 2.00 and 2.49 may be evaluated for admission based upon supplemental factors.
Non-impacted campuses to consider:
Bakersfield
Channel Islands
Dominguez Hills
East Bay
San Francisco
Sonoma
Stanislaus
You can check the Impaction index matrix for open majors: https://www.calstate.edu/attend/impaction-at-the-csu/Documents/ImpactedProgramsMatrix.pdf
CSU supplemental factors: https://www.calstate.edu/attend/counselor-resources/Documents/2021%20-%202022%20CSU%20Campus%20Admission%20Factors%20Summary.pdf
As a California resident, the community college to CSU or UC pathway is a great option.
CSU’s offer ADT which guarantees admission at one of the campuses. Associate Degree for Transfer Major and Campus Search | CSU
The UC’s offer TAG (Transfer admission guarantee) where if you meet the requirements for the available majors, you are guaranteed admission. Transfer admission guarantee (TAG) | UC Admissions
University of California Counselors
Best of luck.
10 Likes
Well…instate in CA….CA is going test BLIND so improving your SAT score won’t matter because your instate publics won’t look at these scores.
But CA…really you could go to one of the community colleges, and do well there….prove yourself…and transfer to a UC or Cal State to finish your degree.
10 Likes
Community college and avail yourself of any resources they offer. Or follow what @Gumbymom wrote if you can. But I personally think community college may be your best bet. Do well there and you can apply to UC’s or CSU’s, all great schools.
There may be private schools that would match for you as well, but I leave it to others to suggest.
I don’t know if this is appropriate- you can judge- but have you been evaluated for ADHD or any learning challenges? If so you can get accommodations and support services.
In any case, with your self-reflection and apparently new attitude, you should do well long term.
5 Likes
hello, thank you for the response, yes, i have symptoms of ADHD, but im pressured not to believe i have ADHD. I dont focus in class, not grasping things well, rushing any work i get from school, etc. i really dont want to mention i have adhd , it may significantly reduce my chances of getting in
Thank you!
1 Like
Make sure you sign up for math next year and a science, and get good first semester grades.
1 Like
You don’t have to mention ADHD when you apply. Once you get in and/or decide where to go, you submit documentation to the Office of Disabilities, they give you a letter for teachers, and often give you an advisor for ADHD. Help with time management is essential.
There is no test for ADHD though you can ask your school, if it is public, for a learning evaluation to rule out other things. Generally a primary care doctor or psychiatrist can diagnose it and provide documentation for schools.
I know many young people dislike accommodations. One of my kids has ADHD and resisted but in recent years has made huge progress and is doing very well with help from appropriate meds and time management advising.
ADHD is NOT a character flaw. You write as if you are lazy. ADHD is a brain-based problem that is often genetic. If people around you don’t believe in it (and I know good people who don’t) I hope you can talk to the guidance counselor or school psychology about how you feel you might have the symptoms of ADHD.
In the long run, if you do have it, learning about it and getting proper supports will not only increase success at school but your self-esteem will benefit I think!
8 Likes
You need to meet the minimum 15 a-g course requirements by end of Senior year to be eligible to apply for the CSU’s. Although you list your Senior classes on the CSU application, Senior grades are not usually considered part of CSU admission process however, some campuses may ask to see 1st semester Senior grades prior to their admission decision.
2 Likes
There are some CA community colleges that have dorms, so you don’t necessarily have to go straight to a four-year school in order to “go away to college” and have a residential experience.
Here’s one example: College of the Redwoods, in Eureka, has dorms and also has a Forestry major that articulates with the Forestry programs at Cal Poly Humboldt: Catalog
Other CC’s with dorms include College of the Siskiyous, Columbia College, Cerro Coso Community College – Mammoth Campus, Feather River College, Lassen Community College, Reedley College, Shasta College, Sierra College, Taft College, and West Hills College Coalinga
Another idea, since your parents sound willing and able to pay for a four-year private college without any merit discounts, is to look for programs that offer a different kind of structure and learning experience from what you’ve experienced so far, if you can find one that would be a better fit for your temperament and learning style. One example - Warren Wilson College, in North Carolina, which is a work college where every student has a role in supporting the operations of the campus, in addition to their academic program. Forestry majors can work on the forestry crew and gain practical experience. Ecological Forestry - Warren Wilson College There are other majors that seem pertinent to your interests as well. Your GPA is a bit low for Warren Wilson, but they accept 85% of applicants and consider test scores, and they’re also need-aware and give a lot of merit to higher-stat students, so a strong SAT and an upward grade trend combined with willingness to full pay could position you well. This is just one example - there are others, such as Northland that was mentioned above, and Prescott College in Arizona.
But you do have good options within the CA public system, so that’s a good baseline to start with; then you can assess other options in terms of whether they’d be such an improvement over the CC-to-CSU, CC-to-UC, or non-impacted CSU routes that they’re worth the additional expense.
I’ll add that you express yourself clearly and thoughtfully - there’s nothing about your writing in this thread that would have led me to believe you’d have trouble academically. It may indeed be that you need to buckle down and be more disciplined; but it may also be that a more hands-on and immersive learning experience would make a huge difference in terms of helping you to be more engaged. Of course, I’m just guessing based on very limited information - just running ideas up the flagpole. It’s up to you to figure out what fits your reality as you see it; and you seem self-aware enough to do that.
7 Likes
Consider starting at a community college, doing well there, and transferring to a UC or CSU based on your college record (leaving your high school record behind for the purpose of junior transfer admission to UC or CSU).
4 Likes
Those 3 majors aren’t found at many universities (i.e., you can count them on one hand) and your GPA will probably preclude you from gaining admission as a freshman. One of them, however, is UC Berkeley. And should you start on the community college route, you might well figure out which of the three fields interests you most, which means that other college options would open up.
If you were wanting to start at a 4-year university, however, these two might be some to consider:
U. of Nevada-Reno: offers majors in forestry management and atmospheric science
Northern Arizona: offers majors in Astronomy, forestry, and forest management
Then there are some community college options.
California has a great CC system.
Fullerton College: offers majors (Associates?) in astronomy & forestry. And if you end up going to Cal State Fullerton, you’re in the same town all 4 years.
Shasta College in Redding has majors in atmospheric Sciences and forestry.
Columbia College in Sonora offers majors in forestry and planetary astronomy.
College of the Redwoods in Eureka offers majors in forestry and planetary astronomy, too.
For a slightly different experience there’s North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene (a town which is becoming very popular). It’s a community college that offers a residential experience and majors in astronomy and forestry with a 13:1 student/faculty ratio, which is much smaller than most of the California CCs.
ETA: Apparently Shasta, Columbia, and College of the Redwoods all offer a residential experience, too. Thanks @aquapt!
6 Likes
I would suggest you look at West Virginia. They look like a good match for you program/interest and grades wise. With your GPA you probably wouldn’t get much merit, but they are not nearly as expensive as many other OOS programs.
2 Likes