<p>i’m sorry!!! i promise…i really, really, really appreciate the help you guys are giving me. u have no idea</p>
<p>Would you be interested in any schools in NC? Winston Salem State U shows entrance average gpa to be around 2.9. <a href=“http://152.12.30.116/IPAR/aa/Docs/Factbook/FB0809Web.pdf[/url]”>http://152.12.30.116/IPAR/aa/Docs/Factbook/FB0809Web.pdf</a></p>
<p>Or North Carolina A&T? Can’t find their average gpa, but SAT range for math and verbal averages in the mid 400’s [Planning</a>, Assessment and Research at NCAT](<a href=“http://qed.ncat.edu/ir&p/availabl.htm]Planning”>http://qed.ncat.edu/ir&p/availabl.htm)</p>
<p>Both are historically black colleges. I have known students who have attended both and were happy with their selections.</p>
<p>hmm…but say if i do go to those schools would i still be able to transfer out after a year or two…and even if i can’t cwould i be able to get into a top tier/top 10-20 law/grad school??! :)</p>
<p>That question I can’t answer. (you might ask those questions over on the law school forum) Getting into a T20 law school is very difficult for anyone. However, from what I have read, law school admission is very number oriented–your LSAT score being most important, followed by gpa then little weight is given to soft factors. My advice would be to go where you fit in nicely (geographic area you like, class make up you like and where you can shine). </p>
<p>I’m not even sure where the two schools I mentioned are “ranked”. However, I do know of two friends of my son’s who went to lower tier schools and ended up being accepted to med school (over some other friends who went to top 25 schools). These young men became active on campus, student government, volunteering, great gpa’s etc. </p>
<p>As my father used to say, “bloom where you are planted”!</p>
<p>If I were you I think I’d pretty much dismiss any part of my current social life that is distracting to academics for the rest of the year, and get the best possible end-of-year junior grades. </p>
<p>Ask you GC if you have the option to retake any courses over the summer from the earlier freshman/sophomore years to replace a D with a B or A on your transcript. Before you say eww there 
let me tell you my daughter did that once. She took all the guff from people thinking she was going to summer school because she had failed something. She hadn’t, but just used the time to upgrade a C-minus she had earned in a science class up to a B+. In our school systems they let you do that. She even had a teacher running after her the first day of summer school asking why she was there, but she stood by her pathway proudly. Don’t care what other classmates say. If you think you can upgrade a few grades by “voluntary” summer school, do so. Just make sure from your GC that they will actually replace the old grade. And even if they’ll only add it as a second notation, that’s still demonstrating your complete desire to commit to academic improvement. Admission officers see all of that when they review your transcript. You want to show a real change in direction! </p>
<p>Then just turn into a mole during Senior year and go for the very highest grades you can possibly get.</p>
<p>At THAT point, you’ll have established what’s called an “upward trend” in your grades. You might even refer to that evolution in your scholastics in your short answer or personal essay. My hope for you is that you will buckle down here and walk the walk (not just talk the talk) of showing you value your academics and will give it ALL YOU"VE GOT from here forward. </p>
<p>That will put those bad old grades from freshman and sophomore years into a different light. And of course you realize you have no more leeway for any more awful grades (D’s, F’s) any more because you are Going Someplace. </p>
<p>If you have a friend or habit that tempts you away from academics, this is a good time to declare a fast on them that will last l8 months. Everyone needs a break from studies, but please search your soul and your schedule for whatever it was that pulled you away from studies in those early h.s. years and shoo it out of your life for the next 15 months. I’m appealing to your Muslim sense of discipline there, I hope 
</p>
<p>OKey dokey now. If you have interest in Howard, try to use every opportunity when you have an optional academic assignment in the coming year, or choice of term paper topic, to choose some aspect of American Black History, which has interesting intersections with Muslim faith. For example, study Malcolm X or --especially fascinating–the history of women within the Black Muslim communities of America. If you deepen your knowledge base, that might make for a very interesting essay when you are ready to apply to Howard. </p>
<p>I also think you might enjoy learning at SUNY because you just dissed the Midwest so badly. You’ll get over that someday, I hope, because a very important character trait to develop is appreciation of the locations that nurture your family. But you might be longing for a bit more diversity or the perceived edginess of further East than you are. I have a b.f.f. living in Minneapolis and her daughter, similarly, wanted to move East, but did learn to recognize the great values gained by the community-solid ways of the Midwest. (Note: I’ve also lived in Chicago, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, so my respect for these locales is sincere.) Please cultivate an appreciation for whatever region you come from, even if you long to try something new. To adults, it just sounds like the “attitude of gratitude” that tells us, this young woman is mature. You want that. </p>
<p>Here we’re asking you to drop some of the impetuous tones we recognize from teens…the bump after 5 minutes, saying “ewww” and so forth. It’s not that we don’t understand how you feel, but we want you to practice talking like the young adult you wish to become through a college education. We all have teens and know that’s how people talk in person. Please feel free to use this forum to practice your most mature sounding tones! We’re here for you.</p>
<p>SUNY has many campuses, each with a specialty. In that way it’s different than other states where everyone comes to a huge single campus. This is good, because it gives you many choices. You might find SUNY at Buffalo or SUNY at Albany appealing, because they are in upstate NY (and you’re used to cold weather) but are larger than some other SUNY locations such as Fredonia, Oneonta, Brockport. However, if you want to look at small-and-cozy you can find that at the other upstate SUNY’s – the ones I mentioned as well as the others coming to my mind now: Cortland, for example. I think Binghamton might be a reach for you and you might actually prefer the diverse small cities of Buffalo or Albany more than the rural Binghamton anyway.</p>
<p>To find a master list of SUNY’s, show your resourcefulness by just Googling “State University of New York” and read about each individual campus.</p>
<p>CUNY is the City University of New York. That would be a big culture difference from Minneapolis as you’d be in the heart of urban NYC with most students grown up right in the city. Many commute right from their apartments and houses to CUNY by subway, so it’s harder to get to know them. IT’s a sidewalk campus, in other words. </p>
<p>In truth, you might find a better fit with SUNY Buffalo or SUNY Albany. Many students from NYC and its suburbs come up to both of these campuses, so everyone is off-center a bit. It’s more on common ground than parachuting yourself right into CUNY with mostly New York City born-and-breds. You migth just find them too abrupt, plus you’d live right in the city environment. </p>
<p>Have you taken SAT’s? If not, go over to the SAT Prep section of College Confidential to learn a ton about that. How to prepare, when to take, and so on.</p>
<p>Have a realistic conversation with your family regarding whether they will support you to travel by plane to locations beyond the Midwest. Before you do, look up some travel sites (such as Expedia.com) and type in a hypothetical travel route, e.g. from Minn to Albany or Minn to Wash D.C. a month from now. Don’t see what fares cost this week or next because you’d have advance notice of any flight dates when you’re a student. See if you can find discount fares in July. That will give you a better indication than if your family finds out it costs $760 to fly to D.C. tomorrow! </p>
<p>A really smart thing would be for you to develop a list that includes some nearby, some regional (e.g. all over the Midwest and even Manitoba) and some reach-outs into the East Coast. If you only apply East Coast, you might find yourself out on a limb. Try to mix it up and include some Midwest options along with your dream locations. </p>
<p>On that score, what about Chicago area? If you seek diversity, Chicago may seem like a real upbeat difference from Minnesota, and you are in easier range. </p>
<p>I’m going to stop typing in case other parents want to add school ideas for you.
Thank you for reaching out and asking me to post on your thread. I hope I helped a bit, including the lecture part :)</p>
<p>You need to get to a book store or library and start doing some research. There area lot of guides and books about colleges. Also look for HBCUs on the internet.Google HBCU. Find some schools and surf the sites. </p>
<p>As far as transferring or going to a higher rated grad school, that depends on you doing what you need to do…like maintaining a stellar gpa and getting decent scores on the GRE, GMAT, or whichever test you need to take.</p>
<p>well the thing is I really miss having an active social life…so i don’t want to miss the opportunity of meeting great people my freshman year when everyone is basically looking to make friends LOL.</p>
<p>@ paying3tuitions: you’re post was soooooo helpful thank u so much. makes me feel better haha…and i used to live in the D.C. area so i’m familiar with it…and i also have some family living there.</p>
<p>and i’ll get started on the research but isnt CC the best place to start ,right? :)</p>
<p>^I meant only to dial back anything during high school if you perceive it’s interfering with your best academic achievement right now! </p>
<p>The idea is to make yourself and your h.s. academics/ college app process THE top priority for now and the next year. If that means missing a little bit of h.s. fun, it’s worth it. If you say, for example, I’ll text my friends for an hour each evening rather than 3 hours – that’s the kind of thing I’m referring to. </p>
<p>You have a worthy goal here. You want to go to college, and you are thinking how to get beyond the obvious and immediate choices. That might mean you make some choices now that give you a bit more time for research and reflection. That will optimize your chances in the longer term to have choices. </p>
<p>I’m not saying you should turn into someone you don’t recognize! Just see if you can cut a few corners in time-management/socializing if they distract you from getting your best possible grades. If you skip a party to study for a h.s. exam, you will not die. Or if you attend a party for the last or first hour, you get a lift without taking up all evening over it. That’s all I meant.</p>
<p>OF COURSE you want to make friends freshman year. We’re just trying to help you get to freshman year.</p>
<p>–We crossposted! YES, CC is a great place to start research. You are doing well here. And now I’m taking my own advice and going to do my own task-work. Ugh. Oh well. I’m off the thread so others have a chance now.</p>
<p>wait so what was my chance @ howard again!!! can you list out my chances at the schools??! …sorry</p>
<p>One more thought – (I never really leave, you see…) since yo have relatives in D.C. area.</p>
<p>You might find schools around Baltimore that appeal to you, for example, Towson University. You could get into schoolwork but know you could see relatives for a delicious meal every now and then. Baltimore’s just an hour away by train from D.C.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, I don’t do “chances” and a lot of parents don’t, either. I think you’re wiser to look at the published statistics on each college website, or Peterson’s Guide (google it) to find out where is the average SAT and grade-point average. See if you are way above or below their average to assess your chances. Recognize that they will admit above and below the median, so if you are below that, then you still have “a” chance. See where you fit in relative to the statistics of the classes they’ve admitted in the past year, in other words. You don’t have to be at the top of the heap, but you also don’t want to be at the far bottom either. Chances posts are just peoples’ opinions. You yourself can use the published data to tell yourself your chances. Nobody has a crystal ball, and sometimes these chances answers only give false hope or discouragement. Parents don’t generally do chances for that reason.</p>
<p>and LOL @ the “use that muslim discipline u have” hahaha sooo truee…but i still have trouble committing to praying 5 times a day! (procrastination/laziness haaha)</p>
<p>oh yeah i moved from dubai to mn my freshman year…does that help…kinda…?(i travel A LOT) ive even been to somalia in the summer which was a LIFE CHANGING experience for me ( true- even though it sounds cheesy/generic)</p>
<p>what are some schools where a lot of ethiopians & eritreans go to??!</p>
<p>hahahhahaa baltimore is kindaaaaaa ghetto LMAOOOOOOOOOO…i had a funny experience going to a burger king there once all i can say is…wow hahaha but id be totally cool w/ staying there :))</p>
<p>wait so sr year grades also count??! i thought they didnt really after 1st semester (as long as you’re not bombing 2nd semester )</p>
<p>^You’re correct on the grades re: senior year.</p>
<p>You’ll be surprised by this, but I used to live in Ottawa, Canada which in the l980’s had THE largest population of Somalis in the world outside of Somalia itself. Many came to Ottawa and Toronto then. Canada gave them fast entry right after the terrible wars there as political refugees. I taught many Somali children directly from refugee camps into the Canadian public schools. What a memory. That was 30 years ago, but you might track whether U of Ottawa or any of the Toronto univerrsities have a significant number of Ethiopians, Eritrians or Somalis today. </p>
<p>And that gets us back to Manitoba which someone above mentioned re: Midwest Exchange. Really you might find studying at a Canadian university worth exploring because of the large numbers of emigres there from African nations. I think I’m diversifying your search to the point of impossibility, but you might check out whether studying in Canada, either in Manitoba or Ontario has a cultural appeal for you. Although, truthfully, to me you sound more lively and American than the steady-as-you-go Canadians. (Heh he, I’m a dual citizen). We are sure slinging around the generalities here. </p>
<p>Again back to international diversity, I’m a fan of SUNY at Buffalo for that aspect.</p>
<p>Good luck. I promise to let other parents in now.</p>
<p>very last bump for the thread</p>
<p>You need to be a little more open minded. You shouldn’t just dismiss schools people have suggested because they are “ghetto” (I’m sure the students at Johns Hopkins University, one of the top universities in the country and located in Baltimore, will be thrilled to hear your assessment of their locale), or because they’re not in your favorite state. It’s a little rude to ask for help, not offer suggestions other than ones that are more or less clearly out of your range, and then shoot down the suggestions made by others without even bothering to research them. </p>
<p>Also, going to a school in Canada and/or the midwest will probably be your best option. Not only will the tuition be lower if you choose a school in your area, but the cost of attendance will be lower. The problem with places like Howard, and schools in other further away states is the added coast of attending. There’s plane tickets to and from, the cost of storing your stuff over the summer, not being able to bring as much with you so that you have to buy a lot of things when you get to school, etc. These can add up fast, and much more so in places where the cost of living is high (as it is in DC). </p>
<p>Canadian schools are actually an excellent suggestion if you want a place with a diverse population. They will also tend to be a bit less expensive simply because of the Canadian to American dollar difference (and because they sometimes just plain are less expensive). </p>
<p>And honestly, all of your grades count. With your record, you have to accept that you might be waitlisted somewhere while they wait to see what your final senior grades will be. So you need to work as hard as you can and establish a really upward trajectory in your grades. Not just to get into college, but to develop good study habits so that you can then do well in college. You’ll need to get top grades (A’s mostly and a few B’s) to get into a top-20 law school and top LSAT scores, which will require discipline. That doesn’t come overnight, you have to practice so you might as well start now. </p>
<p>For you, a good idea might be to go to a bookstore or library and spend some quality time with the big college guides like the Fiske Guide to colleges. They break things down by state, so you can find your favorite states, and then give you stats and info about each school. Find the schools with the kind of stats that match yours and read about what their financial aid is like as well (Since that will be important to you). Look for schools that are either low cost or meet 100% of your demonstrated need or both. Those guides offer great starting places, and you’ve got to take some agency of this process, you can’t just wait for people on the internet to tell you where to go. Once you’ve got some ideas, come back and we’ll be happy to discuss them.</p>
<p>I’m an URM parent of an up and coming 9th grader wo actually resides in Golden Valley off the Theo Parkway. </p>
<p>Have you looked at St. Scholastica in Duluth, or Metro State in MPLS? Also, unless you’re GPA equals 3.5 or higher, you have no chance of receiving any merit aid from Howard–meaning your family will have to foot the whole bill, excepting any grant and loan money. </p>
<p>What about Morgan State U in Maryland, Prairie View A&M in Texas, or Clark Atlanta in Georgia? Again, you’re looking at little to no merit aid or scholarship money.</p>
<p>Here are the admissions stats for St. Scholastica:</p>
<p>Median SAT Verbal 550
Median SAT Math 560
Median ACT Composite 23
Percent Admitted 87.8%</p>
<p>As you can see, you scored above the median for both the ACT & SAT, which may lead to merit aid IF you can get your GPA up to about 3.0-3.2 during your senior year. </p>
<p>Have you used any of the college search engines and plugged in your stats? I’m not sure if we’re allowed to post outside resources, so you’ll need to conduct a Google or other search. You want to find schools based on your stats that would be considered safety or match schools. </p>
<p>PM me if you have any questions.</p>
<p>i’m really not \being rude!! I L-OOO-V-E the suggestions everyone is giving.</p>
<p>It’s hard to communicate these things over the web lol…</p>
<p>Try to communicate with us the same way you plan to communicate when you are at law school. You have received excellent, thoughtful advice from p3t. Please take advantage of it. People who are top 20 law school caliber dint dismiss cities or states as being “ghetto” based on fast food experiences.</p>