<p>If you're reading this, then you're terrified you're not getting into college. And I don't mean "I really want to go to Princeton but I only have a 3.6 GPA and a 2000 on my SATs" not going to college. I mean you're scared that every place you passionately send your application to will reject you. I was like that. </p>
<p>This is for every person out there who wants to go to college, but is scared that they'll be turned down by some anonymous guy in a suit called the "Dean of Admissions" who will judge you not based on who you are, but what some pieces of paper and ink say about you. Someone who will reject you because of a number or a letter on your transcript that falsely labels your intelligence. </p>
<p>My name's Joe, I'm a senior in high school, and for the past couple years, I was told by an exceptional amount of people that I'd be attending community college. My Gpa's a 77. If you're in the same boat as me, I'd keep reading.</p>
<p>My college plans as a high school freshman? Non-existent. I enrolled in a nearby vocational school my freshman year. I had no plans to go to college. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, but college wasn't it. My teachers there were awful, and it was a bad environment for me. It wasn't the experience I was looking for, and as a result, my grades tanked. I ended my freshman year with a 1.3 GPA. Not a great start to high school.</p>
<p>It was in January 2009 that my family dropped off my sister at college for her first semester (the college lost her application for housing or something so she had to arrive a semester late). I had never been on a college campus before. Long story short, I liked what I saw. I thought about it for a few months. I didn't know what for, but I decided that I was going to college. I transferred from the trade school to my towns public high school that summer. </p>
<p>I started off at my new school in the fall of 2009. I knew my grades were atrocious, but I knew that I had time to bring them up. I heard that colleges barely looked at freshman year grades, junior and senior year are the ones that matter. My grades improved slightly, but not by a lot. I got mostly B's that year, but one C and maybe a couple D's.</p>
<p>Look, I can post this long, boring story about me and my struggle with school, (I'll tell you more if you message me or ask me to post the entire story, but this is dragging on too long.) or I can tell you where I am now. I applied to 7 schools. I've heard back from 2. I got into both. They're both my safeties, and they're not that strong academically, but I got in. </p>
<p>After years of being scared that I would have to achieve my goals through alternative means, like transferring, I now have peace of mind that I can just stop my search now if I wanted. I have a 77 GPA. I have a 1620 SAT. I'm not the brightest or most active student. But still, I don't forget the days where my future looked bleak. </p>
<p>For everyone I wrote this for, the struggling academic. Stay strong guys, just keep improving and do your best, you'll be where you were meant to end up. </p>
<p>And wow, even if this wasn't meant for you, I can't believe you read this far. Thanks. I hope I didn't waste your time.</p>