Do you believe the sky is the limit?

Transfer Students
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<p>Alright, i am new to this forum, and i have a big question. I haven’t really used he search function on this web page, so i don’t know if my question has been answered. Alright here is the situation: I am now in 12th grade, and have just realize how much i screwed up my whole high school career.I go to a very mediocre public school where not a lot of people excel in college and the post school era. I don’t have parents that exactly motivate me or even tell me what i am possible at acheiving at life mainly because they weren’t exactly high acheivers themselves.They really just cared if i finished high school. Also a lot of traumatic stuff has happened this year for me. A brief synopsis of my high school career: my freshman year was horrible, with only get honor roll once (all classes college prep), my second year was all honor roll (all college prep), my junior year was no honor roll (one AP, and one honors), and my first semester of my senior year is atrocious, with me getting my first FFFFs. (Yep that four Fs). Now this year, my mom decided to take me to see a phsycologist, than that phycologist said i should go see a psychiatrist. That psychiatrist diagnosed me with A.D.D. Now i am on this medicine, whic has improved me so much. Considering the fact that i got all Fs this marking period, i actually aced all my midterms. Now i am confident that that could be the key into pushing me further in life. I have also had some family conflicts with that same mom kicking me outof my house, telling me i am just a dreamer and so forth. She calls me lazy, and basically degrades my morale. A friend that lives near me, who i have recently gotten close too, keeps me motivated saying that the plans (that me and him meticuoulsly devised which i will tell ya later). He used to go to the same public school, but he was enlightened before me, and he worked hard to get out, and get a scholarship to a private school. Now he got accepted to Yale and he is going to Columbia. Anyway, he tells me “the sky is the limit”, and “its never too late”. So i have decided to take his advice and work hard from here one out, hoping that no more distractions will interfere with me anymore. So my first part of my plan is to get a good SAT grade, hopefully around 2100 +. Than i hoope to just go to a community college, just to get my nuts and bolts straightened out. Than after that i hope to transfer to this other community college, with an honors program. This college college i was lookin at says that if you get a 3.5 gpa, you could basically transfer to any college you want. So i decided to that if i got a 3.5 gpa or higher for two years, and with immaculate scores on the SAT, that would look attractive to Ivy League. Also i need other recommendatiosn, like should i do community service, win poetry contests, show i the admissions office if i have talents, and such.</p>

<p>Please reply and thanx for advance</p>

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so he is a second year student???</p>

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<p>are you saying that the community college told you that if you get a 3.5 there, you’d be able to transfer to any school you want? unless it’s a special program i dont know about, i dont thihnk having a 3.5 makes you able to transfer to any school you want, esp compeptive ones like stanford, berkeley, etc. </p>

<p>my advice to you is explore what you like ur first semester of college, and then get really involved (ie leadership) your second semester. get involved with something that you’re passionate about. not only will that make you grow as a person and get you more excited to be involved when you transfer to a 4 year, but it will also make good personal statement options when it comes time to write about it. </p>

<p>seek out peers at the community college you’re going to who are conducive to your goals. they will be easier to find when you join clubs, honor society, etc, not in the classroom. </p>

<p>think about your personal statements along the way. jot notes down about your experiences </p>

<p>that’s really all ihave for now. if i think of any more, i’ll post.</p>

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<p>don’t take the sat if u plan to go to a community college.</p>

<p>I am not sure what grade u’re in, but u might want to think about getting GED and going straight to cc. That way u’ll transfer earlier.</p>

<p>I recommend starting out slowly at cc, don’t take too many classes or units. Don’t pay attention to people who do. U can succeed, but u must know ur limitations b/c screwing up now is out of the question if u wanna go to a top school.</p>

<p>U have to totally dedicate urself to studying in order to succeed if u’re not a genious. Take from me. I am not the brightest guy in the world, but i have not gotten lower than a B in cc. I don’t take many classes( i do have 57 units right now), i study several days b4 tests, i use ratemyprofessor.com, i talk to friends about classes etc.</p>

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<p>thanx a lot for both ur responses, but don’t u think a high sat would look good for transferring to a competitive college, also if someone could please give me an elaborate plan that i could replace mine with, i am not so sure, everything about what both you said, sound so good, but i am really confused, i mean, i am tryna get into a really competitive school, yet i lack guidance</p>

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<p>depends where you want to transfer. College GPA is the most important, some univesities dont even look at SAT’s, however the more selective ones do.</p>

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<p>take highschoolda’s advice. he’s really speaking the truth. </p>

<p>I’ll be honest with you. In high school, I essentially had the exact same ordeal. not much difference; in fact, I got four F’s the last marking period, too. i had a very different transformative experience, but I did end up turning around. The key now is not just simply the turnaround, that was the first step. That’s not even getting your foot in the door, that’s pretty much walking up the steps. while you are now walking up to the door of opportunity, some students are already inside. this forum, the transfer forum, is sort of like limbo-and many students here are at different stages of this experience; such is why the ‘transfer forum’ exists. On the other hand, even though a great deal of students are somewhere near there, all of them are at different stages, and some are further then others. You and I, on the other hand, are far, far behind. We are at a very significant disadvantage, this you need to recognize fully and completely. Even though the sky is the limit for everybody, you and I are trying to fly there with 20-ton weights on our heels. This…is not going to be easy. This goes for the rest of the students that ■■■■■ here with similar situations-you all must realize that dreams are wonderful, but you now walk with a seriously heavy burden. Unfortunately, that’s not all. This, essentially, is what I believe to be your last honest-to-god chance. This really MUST be the toughest time of your life if you want to succeed, because after this point, it not only gets more difficult to turn around, it becomes exponentially harder. so…this is the last ‘chance’ you have to make sailing the rest of the way easier. That means, you cant screw up. i’m sorry. you dont have any more chances whatsoever. this is it. highschoolda is right; lower then a B puts you out of the running. I got a B my first quarter around, but now i’m all set and ready to go. </p>

<p>I am going to damper your spirits right now and tell you that you will not make it. I will tell you that you will not succeed. I will tell you that given your past experience, you are expected to fail. I will tell you that right now, no matter how much you say you have changed, I dont believe you. I will also tell you that even if you do end up proving to me everything I just said is wrong, you still have a vertically upward battle proving to me that you are on par with a ‘yale’ student. </p>

<p>If you can survive that, and if you plan on defying those predictions consistently and always driving to prove yourself to YOU, not to me, you will end up proving to everyone. People will tell you you’re not cut out for it, especially on this forum. I have encountered people who outright deny the capabilities of students in community college for the sole reason they are in community college, and I have also encountered people who have had the same GPA’s as I did and transfer to brown-and better. </p>

<p>If community college is your plan, you’re ahead of the game right now-you’re DAMN lucky, because you’re still in high school, and i cannot TELL you how unforgiving it was, looking for scholarships to improve my resume and finding out so many were for high school, there were so many missed chances. I’ve found my fair share and compiled some 120 odd scholarships, and i’ve found internships that will propel me (I believe) extremely far. Being a business major, that helps me a great deal. I’ve found teachers who have not only transformed the way I think, but who have motivated me to work harder. </p>

<p>You will not have the same college experience as your peers. It will be depressing, because you will miss out on freshman and possibly sophomore years of undergrad, some of the best years people ever have in college. you will see your friends come home with thier school pride and loving to be back home time and time again, and you will be reminded that you are not going to have fun for a long, long time. Whether or not it will be worth it is up to you. I mean, you always have the option of going to a state school-and some of them are very good. but you mentioned columbia-that’s what its gonna take. </p>

<p>Also, take heed of calgirl_21’s advice. My transformative experience was DECA, I ended up taking third internationally out of 13,000 competitors second semester senior year. (anyone who’s in deca knows what that’s like, regardless of event, they know the difficulty). I’m not self-praising, i’m telling you that when you are beat down like you are right now, you need to quadruple your efforts. you need to become ****ing superman, because if you’re something other then superman, nobody cares. -no-one. </p>

<p>This post is long, but I will say one more thing and hold my peace. CC should be at the most a backup. like i mentioned earlier, it is ridiculously hard coming from there, and there will be many who belittle your intelligence just because you attend one. Even though people go there for financial reasons, even though people go there because they have no other options, they will still belittle you. and AFTER transfer, it will get worse. if you dont want it that badly, you wont get it. I guarantee that you will not. that’s all for today, folks.</p>

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<p>Are you saying that u don’t know if you need to take the sat or what classes to take and u’re using that as an excuse for something?</p>

<p>If thats the case, i don’t mean to sound mean, but thats is quite lame. You have internet as ur tool. U can go to school’s website transfer sections and find out exactly what u need. You have develop that mentality, learn to take initiatives. As well as develop study skills in order to success. You have to think about what u did wrong in HS, and correct as much as u can.</p>

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<p>i dont know what he meant by “lack of guidance,” but sometimes it IS hard to find the right kind of guidance, especially when you got counselors telling you 10 million different things.</p>

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<p>Exactly that why i lack guidance, people are always distorting my true vision, and telling me to otherwise. It gets so confusing on what i should do, so i basically going to do what i want to do, with some advice from peers. Shoud i apply for a lot of scholarships before the end of high school? If so, do they discriminate against bad grades and no extra curricular activities? I know it is a hard road, and i will need so much advice, but lets start with the rest of my senior year, than after i have heard a sufficient amount of supplies to fulfull my needs for the rest of this year, i need to here about the next couple of years. By the way, its way too late for me to get into a 4 year school.
So right now lets just focus on this year, and if you want you can check this link to see what i was tallkin bout with cc transfer going to ivy league, and how there honors program chooses(spelling?) the people that go in by grades or SAT scores. <a href=“http://www.sunyrockland.edu/admit/ad2.html#Honors[/url]”>http://www.sunyrockland.edu/admit/ad2.html#Honors&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>bump…
bump…</p>

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<p>bump…
bumpp…</p>

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<p>The sky is the limit. But don’t get your heart set on an Ivy in particular too much. The ones who transfer to Ivies from CCs are generally the ones that had the qualifications to be there in the first place (or atleast somewhere remarkable) – but, for some stupid reason or another, couldn’t go. It’s awfully hard to redeem yourself in just a matter of a year or two at a CC. You have to present something amazing about you. So, if you’re prepared to make incredible sacrifices in the next two years, and focus all your energy on getting straight As, forego a social life, doing a million ECs – then go right ahead. But first, you should prove to yourself what you’re capable of before you make big plans. Take steps.</p>

<p>And also, it seems like you might be in it just for the idea of going to an Ivy, the prestige of it and whatnot. The ones who manage to make the “great turnarounds” are those that have an insatiable thirst for learning and knowledge, but had some conflict that inhibited it from flourishing. So, you will have to prove that you are not just concerned with personal success, but have a genuine desire to be in an intellectual circle and learn, learn, learn.</p>

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<p>Also, it never hurts to second guess your “psychological disorder.” What may appear to be ADD could be another way of interpreting adolescent aimlessness, a bad environment, the wrong friends, family issues, etc. </p>

<p>I failed my first two years of high school because I never went to school. Literally, I failed every single class. Consequently, I was admonished by all those in my family, and urged by doctors, shrinks, friends, and family to go on antidepressants. “Bipolar, manic depressive” – I got it all. However, I decided to just change my environment instead of medicating myself; I moved away from home with my sister, found better friends, a much better school, and have been a straight A student ever since. Plus, I read alot of philosophy (the best antidepressant on the market). </p>

<p>So, basically, don’t doubt your innate ability simply because one period in your life has not gone perfectly. There are several other factors you should consider looking at before you go messing with your body and mind.</p>

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<p>wow, that sounds just like me, i have a terrible environment, i do have a choice to move with my father, and some other family member, and i got diagnosed with manic depression too. However, i am not too keen on the idea of taken meds to remedy my situation, so i am not on any anti-depressants. I read a lot of philosophy too like Nietzche and Sir Thomas more utopia.</p>

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<p>I know i need to demonstrate to the competitive school admissions office that i have some kind of intellectual acumen for knowledge, but i don’t know how. I am trying to win poetry contests in our school, and i am thinking of doing other things, but i don’t know to impress them. How do you impress the admissions of a really good school? And can someone tell me if this community college is legit ------>
<a href=“http://www.sunyrockland.edu/admit/ad2.html#Honors[/url]”>http://www.sunyrockland.edu/admit/ad2.html#Honors&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>How do you impress admissions at a highly competitive school? Also can someone tell me if this school is legit or thoughts about it?
<a href=“http://www.sunyrockland.edu/admit/ad2.html#Honors[/url]”>http://www.sunyrockland.edu/admit/ad2.html#Honors&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>i knew a person who graduated high school with a 2. something and she went to CC, and she got into columbia and georgetown. </p>

<p>i agree with janel89 about the reason to go to an ivy league school. if prestige is the only reason, then rethink your choice. i had a friend at CC who had to drop out of high school at 16 because she was pregnant, and once she started in CC, she decided she wanted to go to stanford to prove to everyone else she is not a failure instead of focusing which school is the best fit for her, and the best fit was definitely not stanford. and you know, i think she would have proved everyone she wasn’t a failure by just finishing school at a state university while raising a child at a young age. </p>

<p>i give you much credit for wanting to do something about turning around your life. that in itself is a lot.</p>

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<p>thanks for the inspiration and the harsh criticism by some. I know what lies ahead of me, and i am willing to do give up a social life for this. However, i am uncertain about where to attend a community college. I know that some community colleges have an honors program, but i need to know if it is legit, and if it is worth going to. So can anybody check out this website to see if it is worth going to…
<a href=“http://www.sunyrockland.edu/admit/ad2.html#Honors[/url]”>http://www.sunyrockland.edu/admit/ad2.html#Honors&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Replying to the lost post lol, yes there are scholarship available after high school. I think the cc’s you attend should have scholarship opportunities. I recieved one already, altho it was based on my high school record. But many usually ask you to write an essay or are based on ec’s. go to <a href=“http://www.fastweb.com%5B/url%5D”>www.fastweb.com</a> and create a profile. There should be lots of scholarship opportunities available for you. Many required an essay, so if you have the time start doing the essays.</p>