<p>I'm currently a senior (international student) and my cumulative GPA so far is very, very low... it's around a 2.2. I know it's a terrible number and honestly I don't know what to say... guess I gotta focus on what's left. My HS doesn't curve and the IB courses I took brought my GPA down...</p>
<p>I've been doing plenty of research but I was wondering if some of y'all could very kindly offer me advice on which schools I should be considering/will have a good chance of getting into (if you could identify reach/target/safety that would be great also).</p>
<p>Just asking for your honest advice. Really appreciate it!</p>
<p>Community colleges - wonderful places, and less expensive than most others. You live internationally now and you want to come to the US for college?</p>
<p>Your only option at this point really is CC. I don’t think even most state schools take people with that low of a GPA. Just focus on your classes and stay task oriented, then you should be able to transfer to a 4 year school.</p>
<p>There are state schools that will accept a 2.0 for admission depending on the ACT / SAT for US citizens. It would be worthwhile contacting them to see if the same qualifications apply to international students. Your TOEFL score will also be important. </p>
<p>That being said if you are an international student are you/your parents willing and able to pay for a US college? Merit aid will not be available.</p>
<p>In a way CC is a wrong place to ask for college admissions. All the schools you see here are a tiny, tiny number of all colleges in the country. I’d say you have pretty good chance at a lot of schools. A lot. Many state directionals would fit the bill: Southeastern Oklahoma State, Western Carolina University, Northern Arizona U etc. You see the pattern? NAU, for example, says, “You will be considered for admission if you have a 2.5 core GPA*, or top 50 percent class rank and have no more than one deficiency in any two areas in the college preparatory courses. If you have a combination of a math and lab science deficiency, you are not admissible.”</p>
<p>Getting in is important but doing well is even more important. Choose what fits.</p>
<p>If you have other assets, have taken a full college-preparatory course-load, and will not require a large financial aid package, you will probably get in somewhere - don’t let people tell you otherwise. Are your standardized test scores respectable? Did you attend a well-respected school, with teachers or counselors who will say good things about you? Can you write a clever, distinctive essay? If you answer “yes” to the above, then the one thing you need to do is figure out where your classmates are NOT applying, and apply there. Look at schools in other parts of the country, where they might like to have someone with your background. Once you have eliminated the most competitive schools, you can start researching the curricula or communities you are most attracted to.</p>
<p>In addition to state directionals (public schools), private regional schools, esp. religiously affiliated ones, might be an option. A fair number accept a wide range of GPAs. I think USNWR has a regional section. This means going below USNWR top 100 or to their regional listings, and accepting that you are likely to be full pay. The other option is community college.</p>
<p>It is difficult to imagine someone with a <2.5 GPA getting into any school better than a community college. If you do well at the community college you will be competitive for transfer to high quality public universities and will not find yourself at a substantial disadvantage.</p>
<p>Keene State College (34% HS GPA between 2.5 and 2.99, 8% between 2 and 2.5)
Arizona State University (16% had HS GPA between 2 and 2.5)
East Carolina University (13% between 2 and 2.5, 15% between 2.5 and 2.99)
Humboldt State University (31% between 2 and 2.5, 24% between 2.5 and 2.99)
Green Mountain College (96% accepted)</p>
<p>You still can get into a school like one of these, especially if your SATs/ACTs are better than your grades, and you have some ECs. However, if you want to go to a better school, I suggest first going to community college to get a high GPA, then transferring</p>
<p>Another thing to consider here is that your life is long. Because your gpa is not, right now, where you’d like it to be, or where your ability is, does not mean you need to give up on a college you prefer. A CC is a way to bolster your portfolio, to say to another school “I am more than my GPA” so is an associate degree program at a smaller school, so is working for a year or so. This site emphasizes only a small slice of schools in the country – there is always a place for you, if you just keep looking. Concentrate on the things you have done right. Concentrate on the skills you do have. Concentrate on where you want to go. Life is long, and your choices are many. Don’t despair, or give up, or give in. Your gpa is not a measure of your value as a human being, and graduation from high school is not a ticking time bomb. Be your best self, and give yourself time.</p>
<p>You’re getting good advice but some of the posters are disparaging community colleges. Community college can be a great option to save money, get more personal attention, and find your footing academically. If you now have <2.5 GPA, you need to think about why you are not being successful in your current academic situation. Are you taking too many courses, or working too much outside school, or perhaps struggling with a learning disability? Do you need to learn organization skills, or are the courses you are taking too difficult? What is your motivation and do you have any career goals yet? Are you just now realizing you need to study (lots of people mature later)? Community college could be a great place for you to address issues and practice new skills. Going to a four-year college without figuring out what you need to do to be successful is probably not a good idea.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how being an international student will play into this. Do you have a similar option in your home country? Were you planning to come to a certain region here, e.g. to stay with family? Most community colleges do not have housing, and I’m not sure how the visa system works.</p>