Hello,
I’m not done with high school yet. I’ve been homeschooled and taken online courses all my life. Soon, I’m going to go to a community college. The community college has a signed agreement with a 4-year college, so I’ll be automatically accepted. That means that its my safety school. But, I do want to keep pushing myself academically.
My GPA in high school is probably going to stay around 3.2
I know that certain more selective schools demand your high school and previous college transcripts. If I tried entering a more selective college, would my high school grades really affect my admission chances? Or, would the college be more focused on my community college grades?
Thank you
Have you taken the SAT or ACT yet? If you score high enough you may qualify for merit awards at some colleges, but you’d have to apply to attend directly out of high school. Transfer students don’t generally get much aid. If your parents can’t pay much then cc to your state school may be the most cost effective route.
Each college and university sets its own policy about requiring HS transcripts for transfer applicants. So there really is no easy way to predict how your HS grades could affect a transfer application. However, generally speaking, newer better grades (and especially good grades in college classes) count for more than old grades.
“would my high school grades really affect my admission chances?”
This is going to depend on where you apply, how long you are at community college, and how you do in community college.
If you study for two years at community college, and if you get a very high GPA at community college, then for most universities your community college GPA will make your high school GPA much less important. I would suggest that you plan to work hard in community college, keep ahead in your classes at all times, and see where you stand a couple of years from now.
@austinmshauri
Hello, thank you for your reply! To answer your question, no. I have not taken the SAT yet.Though I am about to take it in March. I was not aware that transfer students do not receive much aid. My safety school after CC is University of Maryland, College Park. If I keep my GPA at a 3.0 during my time at the CC, I will be guaranteed acceptance there. I know that they offer a few scholarships that are specifically for transfer students. I already am saving a lot by attending a CC, and my parents have been working on a savings plan called the 529 plan.
Right now, my real aim is to work hard to see if I can attend a more academically challenging school besides my safety school. I’m not really focusing on a cost effective route, but I’ll be sure to keep your suggestion in mind!
@happymomof1
Hello, thank you for help. I was having a lot of nerves and doubts, because I was afraid that my high school grades may overall hurt my chances of getting into a more selective college. I’m still willing to work hard in high school, but even if I try very hard from now on, my GPA will only rise a bit. I will really focus on my CC classes when I am done with high school. For now, I’ll work at improving my high school transcript.
@DadTwoGirls
Hello, and thank you for your honesty. I’ll work very hard at improving my high school grades as they stand now. Later on, when I start attending the CC, I’ll be sure to work even harder!
FOR EVERYONE WHO REPLIED:
Thank you for all your advice!
The amount of aid students get depends on the institution in question. It is true that merit-based awards are less likely but many schools still give out need-based awards. You will have to look into that once you start to apply for schools.
On the topic of your GPA, from my inquiries into admission offices, your undergrad GPA matters the most with high school GPA mattering less and less the further you get into college. Some colleges don’t even ask for a high school transcript if you have more than a certain amount of credits (ex: Pitzer doesn’t require it after 32 credits).
Do you know what your major will be? If so, I would look at some schools that you like that have that major and see if they have any articulation agreements with your community college. Also go into the transfer center at your community college, they can help.
It looks like you are in Maryland. Which CC will you be attending? Some of them have their own scholarships, so look into that. For example, Happykid had a scholarship at Montgomery College that only required a 3.0, a couple of short essays, and a letter of recommendation. What we saved for the two years of that scholarship helped pay for her last two years after she transferred to Towson.
@HeyItsNick Thanks for your answer. I’ll definitely take this advice. I looked a bit into financial aid, but I didn’t realize how important it was going to be.
I’ll keep doing my best on my schoolwork so I can excel in community college. I’ll really focus on improving my grades.
To answer your question on my major, the truth is, I’m not completely sure yet. My writing is strong and I enjoy English. I also enjoy working with languages.
I’ll see if there’s a transfer center at my CC. I really look forward to working with a counselor or someone who can help me throughout the process. Being homeschooled and online-schooled hasn’t exactly been easy. Starting high school, I had to figure out what I needed for college. I had to really do my research and even that wasn’t quite enough to substitute for a school counselor. My parents tried to help, but they were giving me advice based on when they were in school. (Which was a long time ago.)
@happymomof1 Thank you for answering!
Yes, I’m in Maryland. I don’t feel exactly comfortable mentioning which CC I’m going to. I looked into the scholarships for the CC I will be attending, but it doesn’t have any that really apply to me. That’s why I’m trying to aim for merit-based scholarships. I’ll really focus on my grades while I’m at the CC.
@SilentHart - I just learned about the Maryland Community Promise Scholarship a couple of days ago. Have you investigated that yet? Here is a link. The admissions and financial aid people at your CC probably have more details as well. https://mhec.maryland.gov/Pages/Community-College-Promise-Scholarship.aspx
@happymomof1 No, I was completely unaware of this. Thank you so much! The information there really applies to me. So when the time comes, I’ll be sure to apply to that scholarship.