<p>hey, I'm really confused on what to do this year about college. I'm a senior, and quite frankly I'm not even sure I want to even apply to colleges this year. </p>
<p>Also I'm not even sure I can get into any decent schools. As of right now I have a 2.3 GPA, it may look horribly awful, but in reality is only mildly awful. I got awful grades in 9th grade, that are weighting it down quite a bit. Also I go to a very hard Prep school and all of my academic classes are honors. As for test scores I got a 25 on the ACT. I also figured that if I do good this year(all As). I will have a 2.85 gpa which looks a lot better than mine. </p>
<p>I really want to go to a nice college, but I don't want to spend two years at a community college just to transfer in as a junior. If I got to school I want to go for the four year experience. Is there any other way I can get into a better school? I know anything that will help me will involve a gap year. </p>
<p>One Idea I had was getting certified as and EMT working with that for a year then applying as a freshman at a better school. Is this an effective strategy? </p>
<p>Also If I did that or anything else that can get me into a better school is it even worth applying to schools this year?</p>
<p>I would consider sending an application to Kansas. The 25 ACT score should be enough to get you in. OOS tuition is very reasonable. Our neighbor’s D goes there and loves it.</p>
<p>As far as I’m aware, you need college credit to become an EMT, so you may or may not want to reconsider that goal.</p>
<p>As for your GPA, recalculate it using only sophomore, junior, and senior years (if applicable for senior year) and post again. Some colleges explicitly do not consider freshman year grades, so you might yet have a decent shot at some decent colleges, especially with a 25. On top of that, you have an upward trend in your grades, anyway, so don’t give up hope.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help guys. I would need college credit to become and EMT, but I’m prepared to that. I researched it and it’s only a semester at a local community college which I can do over summer.</p>
<p>If you think that you would like working as an EMT, it could be a very good experience for you. Not only that, but it is a lifelong skill and an honorable profession that you could practice part-time while you complete any further education. One of my cousins did something like this, and is now a Lieutenant in the Washington, DC Fire Department. I don’t know if he ever did complete a four-year college degree, but he has had a long and successful professional career.</p>
<p>Can anybody tell me if this could be an option. I’d really like to be an EMT, but what about if I attended paramedic school while I worked and got certified as that? To obtain both EMT and paramedic certification It’d be about 3 semesters of work. If I did that would it help me get into a better school especially if I did good with the course work, and would I be able to apply as a freshman?</p>
<p>I’m not giving up at all, I’m just burnt out with all this. This is something I really want to do, and it may just help me get into a few different schools especially the ones on my list that are reaches. Do you think if I did this and did good especially in the academic portion it would help me for reaches, hurt, or would I stay the same? Also can I still apply as a freshman. </p>
<p>Right now I’m looking at schools in the northeast, mainly in NY, MA, and CT. Also Chicago would be a cool place for me, because I lived there when I was younger. I’m pretty sure that I want to major in English. These are some schools I’d like to attend that are within my range. </p>
<p>Skidmore(top choice ED)
Hampshire
Hartwick
De Paul
Loyola Chicago
Clarke
Evergreen State
Marist
Elmira
Suffolk</p>
<p>You have some fine schools, such as Clark and Hartwick.
Skidmore, Hampshire and Marist may be out of reach.</p>
<p>In NY, the SUNY system, Ithaca, Hofstra, Adelphi and Manhattanville</p>
<p>In CT, the state schools other than UConn; Salve Regina; Sacred Heart; Hartford; Quinnipiac</p>
<p>PA has many excellent options for you, especially if you do not mind small cities or towns. Take a look at Moravian, Albright, Lycoming, Elizabethtown and St Josephs. Or Scranton; Kings; York; Wilkes; East Stroudsburg and Bloomsburg.</p>
<p>NJ has Fairleigh Dickinson; Caldwell; Monmouth and Rider.</p>
<p>I would not count of becoming an EMT getting you into a better college. Only do that because you want to be an EMT. There is little you can do in a year that will override your high school record. I’d bite the bullet and apply to realistic schools. There are many that will accept you. But if money is an issue, there’s nothing wrong with starting at a cc.</p>
<p>I think the chances of going to a “better” school is increased more by going to a “lesser” school and doing very well than becoming an EMT–although I think becoming an EMT can be very satisfying on its own.</p>
<p>And do not get hooked by the CC drug that assumes a college with average SATs of 1300 is obviously better than one wher the average is 1299.</p>