<p>I was definitely a slacker in high school. Fortunately, when I went to get my HS transcripts, I had some teachers who still counted me among their brightest students - and vouched on my behalf. </p>
<p>At CC, I maintained a nearly perfect GPA and was eventually accepted to Brown and Columbia. I chose the latter. Of course, it’s not just grades or evidence of having evolved that’ll help you find a spot at a top school. You have to be involved, passionately, in a cause or activity that resonates with your personality and, preferably, has a positive impact on your school’s community.</p>
<p>All through my CC career I waited tables and bartended. There was an MD who came in about once a week, a surgeon, who’d leave his server a $50 tip. Later on, before I left, he told me that both he and his wife had grown up poor, gone to community colleges, transferred to top four year schools, and made successful careers for themselves. It happens all the time and, honestly, it has a lot to do with creating your own opportunities.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>