I am approaching my junior year in high school with two prior years of grades ranging from abysmal to mediocre (in all honors/AP though) but expecting to not follow suit this upcoming year. I have no valid excuse for my aforementioned failures. I don’t think admissions offices care how much Nietzsche I’ve read, how much behavioral neuroscience I’ve studied, how much leisurely math I’ve done or how many gamer points I have accrued on Xbox while blowing off school work. Education and academia seem not to be in the business of personal edification, with reason, and I have accepted this- but failed by not applying it. I know not how to play this game, so I have come here to inquire about a practical course of action to remediate past mistakes and move forward into college, preferably studying in psych/neuro if anyone knows about that. I prefer to not to be a life-long gas station clerk… or an equity trader for that matter.
And?
Go to a community college and then transfer to a 4-year university, if you’re ready to study. That’s what a lot of people do. What state do you live in?
Have you taken ACT or SAT yet? If not, you should do so. Will you have completed (albeit with low grades) a traditional college preparatory curriculum in terms of standard prerequisites (ie. Math, English, et al)? If you test fairly well, and have passed the necessary classes, the next consideration is financial. Your prospects improve significantly if you have flexible finances. Look at Evergreen State College, or at some Western public universities (e.g. WY, MT, NV). You might have a shot at WV, TN, or KY, also. There are many small colleges out there with high acceptance rates, if you do not require financial aid. You could also look at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
mass