I’m currently a junior in high school, my high school is the second largest in the states and I’m currently on the verge of a breakdown. I really want to attend Texas A&M mostly trying to get on the Blinn Team associated with TAMU but I’m so scared about my rank and grades. I’m in the 2nd quarter I’m the number close to the 1st quarter just a number or two away from first quartile. My parents aren’t any help either because they believe I won’t get into a university because I wasn’t like them in high school (My mom was an honor roll all A student while my dad was the athlete that played every thing including working 2 part time jobs and still having all A’s.) I’m not like that if I get a c in a tough class I’m ok with settling with what I got but with them its no way, you’re gonna end up at some crappy university. So I’ve never really had a supported motivated team at home. At this point I doubt I’ll even get in before spring break I got sick with a fever and missed the two final days of school which I wasn’t able to turn in one of my english papers so I got a 53 in that class. Which led me to having to attend grade repair/ credit recovery after school. As much as I really love the university I probably won’t even get in. I make A’s and B’s but in one or two classes I may get a C…
First of all, don’t compare yourself to your parents. That’s not healthy. In fact, it’s a pretty miserable way to live. If they have a habit of reminding you how inferior you are to them, then maybe you want to consider going away to college anyway. Second, prestige is nothing more than an irrational emotion. Let’s say you don’t get in to A&M…big whoopy- doo! Education is not about brand name, it’s about opportunity and attitude. Texas has a very large and diverse economy with plenty of good jobs to go around. I see absolutely no shame with going to a school like UTSA, Texas State, U of H, or Texas Tech. I went to UTSA and I loved it. I was not a straight A college student either. I also have a well-established career and I support a family with it. Your education only gets your foot in the door. The career world runs entirely on work experience.
vintagexhaled Don’t be discouraged! If you really want to be an Aggie, there are a lot of ways to accomplish it. Both of my sons went a very small high school and were below the cut-off for the top quarter. A&M offers a program to a lot of worthy candidates that is called PSA (program system admission). It is an agreement that the student will go to another A&M system school (Tarleton, A&M-Corpus Christi, A&M-Commerce, etc) for 2 long semesters, take very specific classes, keep a B average, and they are GUARANTEED admission to A&M-College Station for their sophomore year. Both of my sons did this, made friends that were other PSA students, transferred together, and got their Aggie ring and graduated as an Aggie. (Actually, one has graduated and the other is working on it) You also can go to another university and transfer into A&M but then there is no guarantee. If you do the PSA, you WILL be admitted to A&M and to your major. There are also Blinn Team offers and Gateway (where you enroll for a summer session at A&M before you would typically start your freshman fall) that are often offered to students who are not automatic admits. The bottom line is that if you truly want to be an Aggie, you don’t have to start the typical way. If you graduate as an Aggie you have succeeded.