I am a junior in high school right now and I’m kind of freaking out. Freshman year 1rst semester, I did really bad, and now I am worried no good colleges will accept me such as Illinois Urbana Champaign or University of Madison. Sophomore year I got a 90.5 GPA and second semester I got a 94 GPA, and this past semester of junior year I got a 95 GPA. my ACT score is a 31. my cumulative GPA all together is a 89.04, which I could bring up to a 91 by the end of this year.
These were my grades first semester freshman year… (the semester I screwed up) with a average of an 82.19 GPA.
math: 74
social studies: 79
english:77
gym: 95
french: 87
theology: 79
Also junior year I am in 2 honors classes, (english and french), senior year I am taking honors english, french, and history.
Yes you can get into a good college. If you can’t get into the school you want you can always transfer to a different school. You can also get a bachelor at one school, raise your GPA and go to a better university for a Masters. That is what I am doing. Or you can even go to community college to raise your GPA and save money. Either way you can get into a good college with the GPA you have. Just get high SAT and ACT scores.
^transferring is not that easy. First, freshmen get first dibs at financial aid, so that transfers get the leftovers. Second, one may lose credits. So if oliveliv wants to attend her state’s flagship, that’d be okay, but if she were to transfer to a private college it’d be horribly expensive.
Olivliv, do you live in Wi or Illinois?
Rather your grades first semester freshman year (which may not count for some universities, and will be weighted less than the rest at all others) can you give us your current classes and grades, as well as the schedule you intend to take Senior year?
Also, what’s your parents’ budget and can they pay their EFC?
I live in Illinois.
my parents have no budget, Financial aid is not needed.
My current classes and grades:
Algebra 2: 95
Physics:94
french 3 honors: 96
british literature honors: 97
U.S. history: 96
studio art: 99
senior i plan to be in three honors, Honors history, honors french 4, and AP english.
@MYOS1634
You’re doing well now. There are lots of good colleges that would admit you.
I’m not sure whether UIUC would be in the cards, since they use all 4 years, but UIC certainly would, as well as Lake Forest, Loyola, DePaul, perhaps Illinois Wesleyan as a reach, plus quite a few good colleges in neighboring states such as Drake, Beloit, Earlham… plus some of the UWisconsin branches (Eau Claire, Green Bay, etc…)
You’d likely qualify at some of the Cal States (since money is no issue) since they only look at grades 10 and 11 - SDSU, for instance, or Cal State Chico, or Sonoma.
The Midwest is loaded with good to excellent, but not uber competitive, LACs. Literally hundred of thousands (perhaps millions?) of individuals have been very well educated and entirely prepared for life, careers and/or advanced degrees at such schools: Allegheny, Washington and Jefferson, Denison, Ohio Wesleyan, Wittenberg, Mount Union, Wooster, Lake Forest, Knox, Wheaton . . . the list is near endless. Your record will ensure admission of some colleges of this sort. And, of course, there are also the universities . . .
So, they will pay the full amount? no matter how high? even at private colleges which often cost more than $60,000 per year?
If this is true, then take a look at private colleges and universities too. No need to restrict yourself to state schools. Knox College and Bradley University in Illinois are good places to start looking. Earlham and Hanover in Indiana. Lawrence University and Beloit College in Wisconsin. You would get into most of those.
Have you asked your own guidance counselor whether students like you have been admitted at the places on your list? That person should be able to tell you more about your admissibility than we can because he/she has access to years of data about college and university admissions from your own school.
I second Earlham, it’d be perfect for a student with a so-so overall record due to early errors but with a sterling junior-senior record. Knox and Beloit are good places, you could visit 
and Lawrence is a bit more selective but impressive in science (top 10 for future PHDs in Physics, with the likes of CalTech and HarveyMudd and MIT etc!)
With an ACT score of 31 and a 90 average, you’re in good shape for many LACs in the southeast or midwest. You would not only get admitted, you would likely get some merit aid from schools like Earlham, Beloit, Cornell College (Iowa), Hendrix (Arkansas). Colleges understand that 9th grade may be an adjustment year for some high school students. So, while it’s best to have a consistent level of high grades, it also good to have an upward GPA trend.
Sorry forgot to say, there are other colleges I want to go to other than state, my dad is forcing me to apply to northwestern early decision since 5 of my cousins are all attending right now. (probably not going to make it) I also would like to apply to Boston college. @SlackerMomMD @MYOS1634 @happymomof1 @NROTCgrad @TopTier
forgot to mention my extracurriculars also:
medical club (2 years)
internship for two summers at a dental office
club volleyball (1 year)
service (about 100 hours)
You’re not going to make it, no, unless your grandfather has a building with his name on it.
You can apply to many colleges. Don’t wait till the ED decision’s in. Prepare everything - and use many of the suggestions above.
Your dad will thunder when you don’t get into Northwestern (and it’s not even sure your guidance counselor will" let" you apply, depending on the type of school you go to).
I won’t be using any of your suggestions above… I haven’t even heard of any colleges you mentioned. Respectively, I have to disagree with you. I talked to my college counselor, and though you may believe I have no possible chance of being accepted, I’m still going to take a shot. Despite the long run, I think I have a pretty good shot of being accepted to UIUC… My sister who is currently a senior messed up freshman and sophomore year with just as bad grades as mine. Junior year she worked as hard as she could and ended up moving up to an honors class the second semester. BY senior year she is in one AP and 2 honors classes, with a 26 ACT. A few days ago she found out she was accepted to UIUC and she just committed yesterday. So, anything is possible… @MYOS1634
You’re a high school student… of course you haven’t heard of the many excellent colleges above. It’s normal for you not to know hundreds of colleges, and to know the ones your relatives and family attended, the ones your friends are applying to, and those with big football/basketball wins. This entire site exists because most high school students can’t be expected to know hundreds of colleges. Adults/“senior members” have years of experience and can suggest ideas for you to explore.
Get a Fiske Guide or an Insider’s Guide to College or a Princeton review’s Best colleges, and look them up. Flip through the book and see if you find colleges you like better, too.
And of course, take a shot… you never know indeed! But construct your college strategy hoping for that unlikely to happen but not counting on it.
Build a list with
- 2 colleges you know you can get into, like, and can afford (after checking the Net Price Calculator); your test scores and GPA should place you well into the top 25% students.
- 3-5 colleges you can get into, like, and can afford (after checking the Net Price Calculator).These colleges should have at least 40% acceptance rate and you should be between the median and the 75% threshold.
- as many reaches as you wish or can afford.
Thanks for the advice ,I appreciate it! @MYSOS1634