'Rags to Riches' - HS 1.9 to College 3.95 - clean slate vs. rough past?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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<p>Hey... I did terrible in high school and I dropped out and got my GED...</p>

<p>I am at county college in NJ and I was admitted through their "open-enrollment" meaning all I had to submit was my GED. I was very relieved to never have to send in my high school transcript, since any school I would apply to would only see the good not the bad...</p>

<p>I worked very hard and I have a cul GPA of 3.95 in County College...</p>

<p>I want to take some advanced courses that require minimum high school completion...since I already took these courses in HS (and got Cs) My college counselor tried to convince me that although it is true right now it looks like I am a phenomenal student, sending my high school transcripts would show my determination, a sort of "rags to riches" story. He said its not how far you get, its where your coming from and my terrible high school grades would only serve to strengthen my 'credentials'.</p>

<p>I disagreed, I said that it would hurt me because I would love to goto MIT, and unfortunately bad high school performance could preclude you from eligibility from a top tier school. furthermore, I fear that my academic progress could be attributed to a lack of academic standard at this county college rather than my own success...</p>

<p>I have no idea what to do...I would appreciate anyones insight, , thoughts or comments on this...(especially an admissions representative)</p>

<p>Is it smarter for me to take the remedial pre-reqs rather than send in my high school transcripts?</p>

<p>Is it better to have a clean slate than a rough past?</p>

<p>Sorry its long...thanks</p>

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<p>I think any top university would be interested in a student who went from the GED to honors-level rank at a local community college, particularly if the student can demonstrate SAT scores that indicate he/she is capable of MIT-level work. In terms of MIT, the student would also have to demonstrate a strong interest and engagement with math/science/engineering. If you have strong SAT scores and can address the question of “the match between you and MIT”, then I believe your story will only help, not hurt you.</p>

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<p>I would avoid submitting your high school transcript. You can always allude to your “rags to riches” story in your essay without actually coming out and saying you got a 1.95 GPA. </p>

<p>Frankly, I think you should take the remedial classes over again, especially if they are math and science related. University-level math and science is tough even for people that got A’s in honors. I taught at a state school and I saw a lot of A students have trouble. MIT will be even harder, so you want to make sure you have as solid a background as you can have.</p>

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<p>keep in mind it’s a 3.95 at a COUNTY college, not even a state U
I think that needs to be carefully examined before you decide whether you are capable of handling an MIT workload. What was your SAT?</p>

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<p>So, people have brought up points about your scores, so I won’t go there for fear of being repetitive - but what about other activities? Straight-A students from the toughest high schools don’t get into MIT if their entire life is devoted to academics.</p>