destiny101

Okay so recently I started looking into collages, and I fell in love with Columbia University. The only problem is that last year (freshmen year) I really didn't care about school and didn't put that much effort into my grades. I mostly made A's, B's, and one C in all pre-AP and AP. My GPA is a 3.25, and I know that isn't good enough for Columbia. So what should I do besides raise my grades? Even if i do these thing what are my chances in getting in?

scifikayaker

invent a time machine? I've never understood the posts from people who "didn't try" their freshman year. Everything you do is a trade off. If you didn't try because you were too busy having fun with your friends, then that's great. You will have had a much more enjoyable freshman year than the people who actually tried. The downside? You don't have much of a chance at getting into a school like Columbia. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Epaminondas

More optimistically, your freshman year of "fun" means you'll really have to buckle down and do serious work for the next three years. Think of it like you are allowed less Bs and Cs than a person who worked hard his freshman year. I don't think your chances are ruined, only if you start improving those grades.