<p>I'm in college now. Hate it. Have a horrible gpa (2.5). Am considering transferring. I was thinking of taking two months/a semester off to go abroad and volunteer to teach English in Costa Rica or Africa. Would this hurt (or maybe even help) me when I apply at a new school? I want to apply to schools that match my ACT (34) or hs GPA (4.7) rather than this...stain on my record. What should I do?</p>
<p>I don't know.</p>
<p>My guess is that taking a semester off won't hurt at all.</p>
<p>Another guess is that it's very difficult to get colleges to care about HS stats once you've attended a college somewhere.</p>
<p>Talk to a college counselor.</p>
<p>Teaching English in Costa Rica would look great. (I mean how would that hurt you!) The problem is, for me at least, is that I wouldn't want to leave behind a shaky academic situation. I would try to deal with the transferring first and then take the semester so I can have a clear head. But again, that's what I would do.</p>
<p>Can I ask why it is that your GPA has dropped so much/ Are you at a school that turned out to be to hard, like a true ivy? I hope that's it, and it's not that you hate your school so much that you just don't care how you do. If you got a 4.7 in HS, then you surely aren't going to think that doing something that dumb would be a good idea. </p>
<p>It may not be possible to go abroad through a college with 2.5, because I know at my school you have to be above a certain GPA that is like a 3.0 or something like that. </p>
<p>Here is what I suggest: Find a volunteer program that will let you go abroad over the summer, then take classes at your local CC in the fall while you live at home. Then you'll have had time away from the regular grind of college and you can go back to it refreshed in January, and you won't be behind.</p>
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and you won't be behind.
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<p>behind WHAT? in the long run, it really doesn't matter if the OP graduates at 21, 23, or even 25... considering that only 60% of college students graduate in 6 years or less, I don't think taking one extra semester is really going to matter.</p>
<p>my advice? if college really isn't working out for you, maybe you just need some time to breathe, find yourself, and when you go back to school, you'll have a better view of yourself and the world and be able to do much better. I spent a summer living & studying in Europe for the first time and when I came back, I knew who I was, everything had purpose, I saw the "big picture", and I knew what I wanted to do for the next 5 years... it was incredible.</p>
<p>Volunteering in Costa Rica (I'm sure) would be an amazing and incredibly rewarding experience--perhaps (contrary to the common cc belief) even more rewarding than college. Then, when you come back, try to apply to schools that look at the "whole person" rather than primarily your grades and board scores. you may have to do some research, but generally this includes mostly private schools (especially larger privates), many of which are very good schools.</p>
<p>good luck!</p>
<p>Maybe the OP doesn't want it to take longer to graduate. And, yes, spending time in Costa Rica or another country will stregnthen your application when you do decide to return to a 4 year school, but there is not a school out there that will see a 4.7 and then a 2.5 and not be thinking, "what happened?". I'm sure any private school that is willing to admit you is going be glad that there is a lot more to you than grades and scores, but they will want to know why there was such a drop in your GPA and how things are different now. But I'm sure you'll figure it all out and be able to explain. They'll understand that things don't always happen as planned.</p>