Junior 3.07 GPA , 1600 and 1850 SAT with ADHD and mild Autism

<p>Hello all, I'm new to college confidential as this is my first discussion. I thought i'd make this for all high school juniors and seniors who are in the 2.7-3.2 GPA range.
*By the end of this year I will have a cumulative GPA of 3.05-3.1 depending on Chinese class, and Ap La3, and SAT scores are 1650 and 1850. (taken twice).</p>

<p>Now that my introduction is complete, I would like to tell you guys my plan A, plan B and plan C for colleges and would like to hear your guys's.
Dream School: Carnige Mellon University</p>

<p>Plan A: Register for smaller liberal arts colleges
Marlboro College
Chestnut Hill College
Burlington College
Iowa Wesleyan College
College of Wooster (Low Reach)</p>

<p>Plan B: Enroll at State Schools/Public Schools
Cal State Fullerton
Cal State Northridge
Cal Poly Pomona (Reach)
Arizona State University
Kansas State University
Washington State University
Oregon State University</p>

<p>Plan C- Community College then transfer to:
Virginia Poly Technic Institute
University Of California Irvine
University Of California Los Angeles
Georgia Polytechnic Institute
Cal Polytechnic San Louis Obisbo
Carnigee Mellon University (High Reach)</p>

<p>I would love to hear past stories of similar students with success, so please all comment away! I'm worried that I won't be able to get into a decent four year college with my GPA. Remember, I also have ADHD and mild Autism, I don't' have a hard time with tests it's just that the work load sometimes can be too much for me which is why my grades were so low especially transitioning from middle school to high school.</p>

<p>I have a 3.0 W and a 3.2 UW with same SAT scores and got into a college with almost half the cost paid for by that school’s scholarships awarded to me. You should be fine! My mom went to a junior college for two years then transferred to Northwestern once she pulled her grades up. Don’t stress too much!</p>

<p>I"m the mother of a senior who fits your exact description – ADHD and mild autism. He also struggles with workload issues, had a hard time transitioning from middle to high school, and he doesn’t do as well on tests as you do. He has really slow processing speed, but works harder than anybody I’ve ever seen. He has a 3.5, and managed to get in through early decision at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana.</p>

<p>I think you could possibly transition from community college to Carnegie Mellon, but it’s a very, very hard school to get in to [we live in Pittsburgh]. I’ve known people who have gone there, and the pressure would be ENORMOUS. If having some college fun is important to you, I wouldn’t even bother about trying to get into Carnegie, because most CMU students just work, work, work.</p>

<p>My son chose this tiny liberal arts school (Earlham) because it has a reputation for working well with non-traditional-type students, such as those with learning disabilities. I don’t think that this is because they have a super-in-depth program for students with learning disabilities … I think it’s just because the tone at this school is accepting and collaborative, as opposed to competitive [which is how things would be at CMU].</p>

<p>My son found out about Earlham College by reading the book “Colleges That Change Lives.” I think College of Wooster is also listed in that book. You may want to read this book, and narrow down your choices and visit the campuses. You also need to determine if you like a big college campus or a small one … if you like city or rural or in-between-type campuses … if you like artsy vs. technical colleges. Do you want to be quiet and get lost in big classes? Or would you rather be in small classes where you have some part of the discussion? For my son, who is leaning towards a science, Earlham is more humanities driven, but it has a good science program with a combination of good professors and small groups of students going in to science. Most of the state/public schools that you are thinking of are going to have really big classes and the professor will never get to know you.</p>

<p>Your SAT scores are pretty good! You can use a variety of college websites to check whether you are likely to be accepted at a variety of colleges/universities.</p>

<p>hurdle1996, which college did you go to if i may ask? and schleppenheimer: I know that transfering to CMU is extremely hard, but I was also considering Cal Tech (TAG’s with Community Colleges!). My parents think the best and only schools to go to are UC (dad went to CAL and mom UCLA). Especially coming from an academic family of Asians, my 3.0 ish gpa isn’t satisfying them :l, and again if grade trends are included i’ll be up in the mix hopefully. Earlham is a very good school, have you heard of Landmark college? </p>

<p>P.S. is marlboro college reputable? since it’s so small, I can not find too many people or any at all who have had an experience with them</p>

<p>Why is CMU your dream school? Do you need any financial aid? I will side with schleppenheimer- CMU is a really tough school workload wise and pace for almost all their majors. What is your major? I think a less intense environment would probably be better for you. S is in CFA- Design at CMU.</p>

<p>My son’s GPA is around 3.4, SAT about 2000, and CMU is on his list.</p>

<p>One thing you should look at is programs for underrepresented students in the area you plan on studying. My son is looking at one at RPI for engineers. Most students are minorities or poor, but disabled students are considered underrepresented in STEM as well. It could make a difference to you.</p>

<p>I do like RPI, however CSU Pomona is in our program. What i’m thinking I am doing is majoring in Computer Science. I don’t need financial aid because my parents have saved money, although I will pay them back as much as I can. I would also think about Mathematics or Physics.</p>

<p>I have heard of Landmark College. I did a little bit of research on it because somebody at Earlham mentioned that a current student at Earlham went to Landmark for a summer program specifically designed for learning disabled students – to help them specifically prepare for college. I read some somewhat negative things, in that the program is SUPER basic and really goes to the lowest common denominator when teaching college prep skills, and I don’t think (?) my son needs that much help. Thanks for saying that Earlham is a good school – often, most people that we talk to about Earlham have no idea that it exists!</p>

<p>I tried to check on College Confidential to see if anybody on this forum has ever gone, or has sent their kids to, a Landmark program – but I got no response.</p>

<p>For a while we looked at UC Santa Cruz – considering your potential majors [Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics], wouldn’t UC Santa Cruz be a good possibility? </p>

<p>I have no knowledge of Marlboro College, so can’t help you there. Cal Tech is on a par with Carnegie Mellon, and possibly even MORE stressful and difficult. I think I would only suggest that the most incredibly self-confident and over-achieving person should go there. My husband’s boss’ son went there, and did fine, but had lots of friends who struggled emotionally and mentally as a result.</p>

<p>I know how you feel – my Dad went through an engineering program at CAL. Great school if you can get in, but again, I would imagine it’s lots of pressure. </p>

<p>OP, how are your executive function skills? How are you at organizing and prioritizing work? How is your processing speed? What I am getting at is: what kind of disability support will you need to be successful at college? Getting in is one thing, successfully managing the workload and organizing your life is another. There are many prior threads on this forum discussing various schools and their level of support, and that’s key. If you search back you will also see several threads about Landmark. Mixed reviews…read for yourself. </p>

<p>Have you looked at admissions stats for Carnegie Mellon’s school of computer science? Average GPA 3.82, SAT 2260. Have you got significant professional programming experience or something else remarkable to show them, to make up for your lower stats? I’m sure you can get into a decent 4-year college with your record. But I doubt it will be Carnegie Mellon or Cal Tech.</p>

<p>I think the time to dream big is for your Master’s degree. For undergrad, it’s tough enough with a LD. Go to a school that is going to support you and get a solid degree in a foundational subject. It took me several years to figure this out and I think it’s good advice for most LD kids. My opinion.</p>

<p>I am currently looking at Marlboro College in Vermont, which is a fantastic school. </p>

<p>@ Moniquer- I have had field experience in the past with Robotics at my school, and I help my parents out with programming at their work a lot.</p>

<p>@TheTechGuy - expatSon, a senior, has a 2.8 - 2.9 GPA, a 29 ACT (with scores strewn between the 78th and 99th percentiles), and (undisclosed) LDs. He was deferred EA at CoW, and subsequently admitted. He did visit and interview at the school (600 miles away) to demonstrate interest.</p>

<p>I must say that I was extremely impressed by CoW.</p>