<p>Hiya.</p>
<p>I am a 29 year old male from Canada and I would like to apply to Columbia's School of General Studies.</p>
<p>I graduated high school in 2001 and attended and completed a 4-year visual-arts oriented university program here in Canada with an overall B average (3.0 in US terms). This somewhat dissapointing GPA is largely due to the fact that I cared very little for my major, especially in the later years. I managed to get a couple of D's and one F (which was due to me not dropping the course on time), but lots of As and A+ too, often in courses unrelated to my major, courses which actually interested me.</p>
<p>I've noticed that most of the GS aspirants on this board have drastically superior academic accomplishments to my own, so I figured it would be a good idea to try to patch up my academic record as much as I can before applying.</p>
<p>The nearest community college is quite a way off from where I live, however, so I've been looking at alternative paths.</p>
<p>I stumbled on an AP self-study thread in some other section on this labyrinthine forum, and I am currently considering that option. Apparently you can just hit the books on your own and arrange to take the AP exams at a nearby high school. I am confident I can score well on these, as I've done the self-studying thing before. </p>
<p>Is this a good idea? A bad idea? How do the AP courses compare to the average community college course in difficulty?</p>
<p>Would a 2200+ SAT help my case?</p>
<p>Input is highly appreciated.</p>